I suppose you can say it started early last Friday morning in the Titanic Building, as we heard the ideas from a number of speakers. They talked about the multi-million pound development of inner cities as triggers for quality of life differences for the most deprived residents in those same cities. It was then off to Crossmaglen with a number of ex-repulican PoWs and other activists from Ardoyne to talk about some of the problems that we didn’t see coming with the end of the armed conflict.
I then headed home before heading to the PD and catching mo bhuan-chara and comrádaí Pat Sheehan talk about Kieran Doc and the experiences of resistance, torture and Hunger Strike in Long Kesh. An inspirational talk and an occasion to remind us of what we are about.
The next day I was away to Bulgaria, of all places, to attend a conference with other City Council colleagues on the theme of building civic relationships post-conflict. It was sponsored by an organisation “Forum for Cities in Transition” and was attended by city and civic representatives from all sorts of conflict and and post-conflict arenas. It certainly helps put our own struggles into context.
For me the most important thing said at the conference wasn’t about all the links and connections and exchanges which come out of these events. Instead it was the words of a blind Palestinian trauma counsellor who has worked with survivors in Lebanon and Gaza. Leila warned us ‘Remember, all power is temporary, use it wisely’ which kinda brought me back to the first event on Friday in the Titanic. As I stood and looked out at the ‘Cranes Over Belfast’ as a sign of a new hopeful future, I couldn’t help contemplating how in a previous life we had sought to tear down the symbols of the hated and bigoted Orange State and yet now we are looking to build this prosperous, fair new city.
Underpinning all of the employment and prosperity republicans are seeking, working in concert with all others prepared to build a better future for our young people, has to be a sense of social justice, a sense for those on the lower levels, as we say ‘an cosmhuintir’, that their lives are going to get better. As we begin to formulate investment and construction projects across this city we need to build in social clauses and other mechanisms to ensure that the young people of today, unlike us, have a stake in the new Belfast. That is an onerous task, a big responsibility but I think we’re able and I know we’re up for it. Ar aghaidh linn le chéile.
You’ve a lot more building and fixing than that to do Séanna, a life sentence worth.”..all power is tempory, use it wisely..” better late than never. Adh Mór.
I’m sure you could address that admonition to more people than Seanna.
An tus maith leath n’oibre
That’s the positive spirit we need Seanna!
Go raibh maith agat!!
making norn iron work.
TV Mike says so ,billy, and Colm Eastwood agrees.
Wel said
Spelling mistake WellSaid Seanna