“Building Our Future Together”

Abhaile Aris the Republican ex prisoners group based in Letterkenny held a very successful Seminar entitled “Building Our Future Together” which was held in the Ramada Hotel Letterkenny last Tuesday.

A wide range of speakers addressed the seminar including Duglach Mc Cullough from the Progressive Unionist Party, Martina Anderson MLA Sinn Fein, Joanne Sweeney Letterkenny Chamber and Charley Mc Adam representing the Border Minority Group, which represents Protestants along the border.

Gerry Mc Monagle in opening the seminar said: We’re in an incredible window of opportunity in this part of Ireland at this time.
For the first time since partition, there is the seedbed of a historic alliance between Unionist and Republicans in the North. And here in the Republic there is a momentum building around the good sense and great potential of all-Ireland co-operation, whether in business, community or social development.

Our hope is that today’s seminar can mark the start of a meaningful conversation between some of the main players who have the chance and the responsibility to exploit that incredible window of opportunity.

By starting to lay out the markers for the foundation blocks of the future we’re trying to build together, we can all become involved in the important process of national reconciliation – not just between orange and green – but also between rich and poor, urban and rural, business and community.

We in Abhaile Aris, strongly argue that the keystone for building a new future together on this island must be a rights - based society, a society where the watchword is equality, and where all the children of the nation are cherished – not in spite of who they are, but because of who they are.

Concluding he said:

No one should be left behind as we draw up plans for that new future. There is therefore a continuing onus on everyone who leaves here today to continue the process of meaningful engagement so that ideas we talk about today are translated into action in the time ahead.

Sinn Fein’s newly elected MLA Martina Anderson was the first speaker outlining Sinn Fein’s vision of the future. Appealing to those present to grasp the opportunities that the new agreement reached in the north between the DUP and Sinn Fein, be used to its full potential.
Martina said:
‘The time has come for a new start – one which is rights- based, and grounded in equality: where powerful forces in politics, the economy and the community constantly consider the needs of the people they are serving. That means actively involving and encouraging even more community consultation events such as this in the time ahead. It means actively listening to the views and perspectives of others, and it means, above all, replacing the legacy of the past with a viable vision for the future’

Dugald Mc Cullough of the P.U.P. Said that the Progressive Unionist Party was very much a party for the people. They firmly believed in empowering the community and fully supported the peace process and all that it has to offer all the people of Ireland.

He said:

“Whilst we must accept that we have a messy past, we must also look to the future and try to undo that what caused that mess. We must invest in the future together to ensure that our children and grandchildren do not have to go through the same as we have had to this last 35 years. He thanked Abhaile Aris for the opportunity to address the seminar and hoped that it was a beginning to a new relationship between those of us from the unionist tradition in the north, with people from the Republic. He also commended Abhaile Aris for their foresight in organising such a seminar”

Speaking also at the seminar was Joanne Sweeney the outgoing CEO of Letterkenny Chamber. Joanne outlined to the seminar the ongoing work being carried out by the chamber in relation to cross border work that they are involved in with the Derry Chamber. “All of this work she said was adding to building relationships along the border between Donegal, Derry and Tyrone”. She went on to say, ‘That with the recent political developments in the north she hoped that these relationships would get stronger and as a result would pave the way for the potential of better employment opportunities in the North West Region.

Charley Mc Adam from the Border Minority group said that whilst his group had a reluctance to engage with ex prisoners groups in the past this was now changing, but some within the group had needed more time to adjust to the new political scene. He said that the fact that I am here shows progress and I would like to thank Abhaile Aris for the invite. Our groups vision is built around the ending of sectarianism and where neighbour can live side by side without fear or suspicion. We are glad the conflict is at an end and that we can now work together to help build the future together.

Abhaile Aris the Republican ex prisoners group based in Letterkenny held a very successful Seminar entitled “Building Our Future Together” which was held in the Ramada Hotel Letterkenny last Tuesday.

A wide range of speakers addressed the seminar including Duglach Mc Cullough from the Progressive Unionist Party, Martina Anderson MLA Sinn Fein, Joanne Sweeney Letterkenny Chamber and Charley Mc Adam representing the Border Minority Group, which represents Protestants along the border.

Gerry Mc Monagle in opening the seminar said: We’re in an incredible window of opportunity in this part of Ireland at this time.
For the first time since partition, there is the seedbed of a historic alliance between Unionist and Republicans in the North. And here in the Republic there is a momentum building around the good sense and great potential of all-Ireland co-operation, whether in business, community or social development.

Our hope is that today’s seminar can mark the start of a meaningful conversation between some of the main players who have the chance and the responsibility to exploit that incredible window of opportunity.

By starting to lay out the markers for the foundation blocks of the future we’re trying to build together, we can all become involved in the important process of national reconciliation – not just between orange and green – but also between rich and poor, urban and rural, business and community.

We in Abhaile Aris, strongly argue that the keystone for building a new future together on this island must be a rights - based society, a society where the watchword is equality, and where all the children of the nation are cherished – not in spite of who they are, but because of who they are.

Concluding he said:

No one should be left behind as we draw up plans for that new future. There is therefore a continuing onus on everyone who leaves here today to continue the process of meaningful engagement so that ideas we talk about today are translated into action in the time ahead.

Sinn Fein’s newly elected MLA Martina Anderson was the first speaker outlining Sinn Fein’s vision of the future. Appealing to those present to grasp the opportunities that the new agreement reached in the north between the DUP and Sinn Fein, be used to its full potential.
Martina said:
‘The time has come for a new start – one which is rights- based, and grounded in equality: where powerful forces in politics, the economy and the community constantly consider the needs of the people they are serving. That means actively involving and encouraging even more community consultation events such as this in the time ahead. It means actively listening to the views and perspectives of others, and it means, above all, replacing the legacy of the past with a viable vision for the future’

Dugald Mc Cullough of the P.U.P. Said that the Progressive Unionist Party was very much a party for the people. They firmly believed in empowering the community and fully supported the peace process and all that it has to offer all the people of Ireland.

He said:

“Whilst we must accept that we have a messy past, we must also look to the future and try to undo that what caused that mess. We must invest in the future together to ensure that our children and grandchildren do not have to go through the same as we have had to this last 35 years. He thanked Abhaile Aris for the opportunity to address the seminar and hoped that it was a beginning to a new relationship between those of us from the unionist tradition in the north, with people from the Republic. He also commended Abhaile Aris for their foresight in organising such a seminar”

Speaking also at the seminar was Joanne Sweeney the outgoing CEO of Letterkenny Chamber. Joanne outlined to the seminar the ongoing work being carried out by the chamber in relation to cross border work that they are involved in with the Derry Chamber. “All of this work she said was adding to building relationships along the border between Donegal, Derry and Tyrone”. She went on to say, ‘That with the recent political developments in the north she hoped that these relationships would get stronger and as a result would pave the way for the potential of better employment opportunities in the North West Region.

Charley Mc Adam from the Border Minority group said that whilst his group had a reluctance to engage with ex prisoners groups in the past this was now changing, but some within the group had needed more time to adjust to the new political scene. He said that the fact that I am here shows progress and I would like to thank Abhaile Aris for the invite. Our groups vision is built around the ending of sectarianism and where neighbour can live side by side without fear or suspicion. We are glad the conflict is at an end and that we can now work together to help build the future together.

The seminar had several other speakers from the community and business sectors. Angela Houlian from the Community Workers co-op spoke of the great help that P&R have been to the community sector through their funding programmes and spoke of the need for this to continue.

Wrapping the seminar up Gerry Mc Monagle thanked everyone for taking the time to attend and taking part in the very interesting and groundbreaking seminar. He also thanked the speakers who had travelled from near and far for their contributions. And had a special word of thanks for Border Action who had funded the seminar through PEACE II.