Global Citizen Award for Peace and Reconciliation
Discussion Leader and Award Recipient
Senator George Mitchell
I accept this award with humility and in recognition of the fact that I do so not as an individual but as a representative of the many people who have worked hard for peace and reconciliation in Northern Ireland.
Senator George Mitchell, a son of Maine, Federal District judge, Majority Leader of the United States Senate, and Chair of the Northern Ireland Peace Negotiations, has been a valued friend of and participant in Global Citizens Circle for more than two decades. While others have recently come to know and appreciate this extraordinary person, we have been privileged to observe, close hand, the journey that led him to earn his place as a global citizen. As a judge and Senate majority leader, Senator Mitchell honed the listening and negotiating skills that would be tested to the hilt in his role as Chair of the Northern Ireland Peace Negotiations. If asked why he strove steadfastly for a way to forge common ground, he often refers to wanting his young son, Andrew, to join the children of Northern Ireland to observe democracy in action. His genuine affection for the people of Northern Ireland has been reciprocated. When Senator Mitchell walks down the streets of Northern Ireland, people come up and thank him for his efforts. That word belies reality. In the context of the Northern Ireland Peace Process, "efforts" has meant facing the formidable task with a consummate blend of civility, fairness, prudence, prodding and attention, refusing to be swayed to extremes by the power of centuries' old grievances. "I am totally committed to the cause of peace and reconciliation in Northern Ireland," the Senator writes. "if this process succeeds, the real winners will be the people who want their political leaders to work out their differences through democratic dialogue." Senator Mitchell is father, husband, lawyer, author, Nobel Peace Prize nominee and recipient of countless awards and honorary degrees. As members of the Senator's extended Circle of family, we add another very personal symbol of George Mitchell's remarkable contribution to peace and reconciliation in a troubled corner of our global community.
"You've got political leaders here from most of the parties in Northern Ireland. What are they being told by their constituents? Well, I can sum it up very briefly-'settle this! We don't want to go back to conflict, but settle it on our own terms.' The test of political leadership is to take those politically inconsistent and seemingly irreconcilable positions and subordinate them to the broadly expressed desire to get it done in a democratic and peaceful way. And thatís the real difficulty. The difficulty is figuring out a way to harness that tremendous unmistakable desire by the people to get this past them in a way that is politically acceptable within their communities. It will take an act of remarkable political courage on the part of the people." -from the Northern Ireland Peace Talks
Moderator
Monica McWilliams, MLA, Northern Ireland Women's Coalition; professor of Women's Studies and Social Policy, Ulster University, Northern Ireland
Global Citizens Circle applauds the efforts of Monica McWilliams to raise the voices of all women in Northern Ireland on the path to peace. Monica McWilliams is co-founder and representative for the Northern Ireland Women's Coalition and Professor of Women's Studies and Social Policy at the University of Ulster, Northern Ireland. Monica served as the elected representative for the Northern Ireland Women's Coalition to the Multi-Party Peace negotiations chaired by Senator George Mitchell. In this capacity, Monica was involved in discussions at the Presidential level with the United States of America and South Africa. With the 1998 Belfast Agreement, Monica was elected to the Northern Ireland Assembly to represent the South Belfast Constituency. Monica McWilliams has worked to bring more women into political decision- making roles and to challenge politicians to be more inclusive of women's voices in situations of political conflict. As Professor of Women's Studies and Social Policy at the University of Ulster, her main areas of research are health and social service responses to domestic violence in the North and in the Republic of Ireland. She has published widely on the impact of political conflict on women's lives. A dedication to inclusivity, a voice for moderation, a sense of humor-these characterize Monica McWilliams and all the coalitions of ideas for principled compromise she so ardently supports. All of us at Global Citizens Circle appreciate her presence with us as we recognize the role Senator George Mitchell has played in a cause to which we all continue to dedicate ourselves.
Co-Sponsor
The American Ireland Fund and Citizens Funds