Via Uniting Ireland
13 January 2012
Derry is gearing up to host a major conference on uniting Ireland.
The event, which will be held in the Millennium Forum of January 28th, is designed to encourage dialogue around the ‘construction of a new republic which will embrace all the people of this island’.
Taking part in the conference, entitled ‘Uniting Ireland – Towards a New Republic’ include Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness MP MLA, senior Ulster Unionist MLA Basil McCrea, human rights and women’s activist Inez McCormack, Sinn Féin Donegal TD Pearse Doherty, Martin Mcloone, former Donegal County Council Manager and George Quigley former senior civil servant, business leader and economist.
Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams TD announced the panel this morning and said: “The Derry conference is the latest in a series of Uniting Ireland conferences which have attracted thousands of participants over the last 14 months.
“The conferences are about encouraging a dialogue around the construction of a new republic which will embrace all the people of this island.
“To date the conferences have been addressed by a wide spectrum of speakers covering issues as diverse as education; the role of trade unions; the economy; the place of unionism in a united Ireland; health co-operation and much more.
“The panel we have for the Derry conference contains experienced political, community and business activists – leaders – and I am confident that their contribution will add significantly to the ongoing debate on this important issue.
“Partition has had serious adverse economic, social and political consequences for all the people of this island but particularly those communities, like the north west, which straddle the border.
“Sinn Féin believes that Uniting Ireland makes economic sense; it makes common sense. We are not alone in this view. There are many who see logic of greater harmonisation and co-operation on all of those matters which affect the daily lives of citizens from health, the environment, education, agriculture, transport, job creation, taxation and strategic investment.
“Almost 100 years ago James Connolly warned of the destructive affect partition would have on Ireland; its encouragement of sectarianism and the need for progressive individuals and groups to oppose it.
“With British Tory government cuts hurting families and workers in the north and a Fine Gael/Labour government imposing austerity policies in the south, never was there a more important time for the issue of partition to be addressed and resolved.”