Northern Ireland: Moving Forward In Peace
Sponsored by The American Ireland Fund
Moderator
Margaret Warner, Senior Correspondent, The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer
Margaret Warner is one of The NewsHour's three Washington-based corespondents who interview newsmakers, policymakers and opinion leaders on the nightly news show. She also serves as backup anchor to Jim Lehrer.
Ms. Warner joined The NewsHour in 1993 after spending ten years at Newsweek magazine, holding positions of political correspondent in several presidential campaigns; White House corespondent during the Reagan presidency; and chief diplomatic correspondent during the first Bush presidency. During that time, she was also a regular panelist on two television commentary shows, CNN's The Capital Gang and PBS's Washington Week in Review. Before joining Newsweek, Ms. Warner covered regulatory trials for The San Diego Union in California and The Concord Monitor in New Hampshire. Ms. Warner's reporting has been recognized with numerous awards.
A graduate of Yale University, Margaret Warner is married and lives in Washington, D.C.
Discussion Leaders
David Trimble, Nobel Peace Laureate, First Minister, Northern Ireland Assembly
Since his first program with Global Citizens Circle in Boston in 1995, David Trimble has been a frequent participant in the Circle's ongoing involvement with the Northern Ireland Peace Process, including programs with Seamus Mallon and "Mo" Mowlam. Not only has the First Minister of the Northern Ireland Assembly been a discussion leader, but he has been one of Global Citizens Circle's most distinguished guests when others were discussion leaders.
A barrister and Queen's University lecturer by profession, David Trimble was elected First Minister of the Northern Ireland Assembly in July 1998. As the head of the Northern Ireland government, he has taken the first steps towards building up the mutual confidence on which a lasting peace must be based.
As the leader of the Ulster Unionist Party in Northern Ireland since 1995, David Trimble showed great political courage when, at a critical stage of the process, he advocated solutions which led to the peace agreement. In 1998, David Trimble and John Hume, leader of the Socialist Democratic and Labor Party (SDLP), received the Nobel Prize for their efforts to find a peaceful solution to the conflict in Northern Ireland.
David Trimble is married to Daphne Trimble, who is co-founder and coordinator of the Northern Ireland Memorial Fund with Pat Hume, wife of John Hume.
Global Citizens Circle is privileged, once again, to welcome David Trimble as discussion leader this morning. His positive contributions or peace and reconciliation in Northern Ireland serve to inspire others to work for peaceful solutions to other religious, ethnic and national conflicts around the world.
Mark Durkan, Deputy First Minister, Northern Ireland Assembly
Only hours after being elected as Deputy First Minister of the Northern Ireland Assembly, Mark Durkan joined the Global Citizens Circle delegation in Belfast to hear Archbishop Tutu's presentation of South Africa's struggle for peace and reconciliation. When asked how he managed to attend amidst the many other demands of the day, he responded that it was "important to listen and learn from others." A willingness to hear and respond has been characteristic of Mark Durkan.
Mark Durkan is the leader of the SDLP, having taken over from John Hume last fall. In 1984, he joined John Hume's staff as his assistant and adviser and continued in this role until 1998. As SDLP chairperson, he was a strong defender of the Hume/Adams dialogue and was a key negotiator during the political talks that culminated in the Good Friday Agreement.
At the recent opening of the Northern Ireland Bureau in Washington, Mark Durkan paid tribute to America for its help down the path of peace and reconciliation and said it was time for Northern Ireland to begin the process of giving something back, particularly to regions where conflict and division are still a way of life. "We can achieve this by making the Agreement work, by setting an example to others, by proving that diversity is a source of strength, not weakness; that societies can be shared, not segregated; that differences should not only be accommodated but also cherished."
Mark Durkan is married to Jackie Durkan and lives in Derry. Global Citizens Circle is pleased to welcome Mark Durkan. His commitment to listening and leading offers hope for a brighter future in Northern Ireland.
Dr. Mamphela Ramphele, Managing Director, The World Bank Group
In May of 2000, Mamphela Aletta Ramphele, a South African medical doctor and anthropologist, became the first African to be appointed Managing Director of the World Bank. Prior to the World Bank, Dr. Ramphele held the post of Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cape Town, where she was the first black woman to hold this position at a South African University.
Growing up in a remote rural region of South Africa under the dictum "blacks should not be shown green pastures where they would never be allowed to graze," Dr. Ramphele persevered against all odds to become a medical doctor. She obtained her medical degree at the University of Natal in 1972 and, as a student, was involved n the Black Consciousness Movement.
Dr. Ramphele has published many books and articles on education, health, and social development issues. She has received numerous prestigious national and international awards for her professional commitment, scholarship, her service to the community, her leading role in raising development issues and spearheading projects throughout South Africa and devotion to the health and social welfare of the disadvantaged. Global Citizens Circle applauds Dr. Ramphele for her lifelong devotion to justice, education, health and social development issues.