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The Unity Debate is growing
Seven key
Irish-American organisations have announced an ‘Irish Unity Summit – For a New
and United Ireland’ to be held in New York on 1st March next
year. This major initiative – coming as it will just before St. Patrick’s Day
and the visit to the USA of political leaders from Ireland – is being organised
by the Ancient Order of Hibernians; the Brehon Law Societies of NYC and Nassau;
the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick Long Island; Friends of Sinn Féin; Irish
American Unity Conference; the James Connolly Irish American Labor Coalition,
and the Ladies Ancient Order of Hibernians. More details on the format and
speakers will be announced by the organisers later.
On June 15 next
year Ireland’s Future will be holding a major conference – Pathway to Change -
in the SSE Arena in Belfast. Professor Brendan O’Leary, Claire Mitchel, Jarlath
Burns, Mary Lou McDonald and Claire Hanna are among speakers already confirmed.
Last week
Queen’s Human Rights academic and Ireland’s Future member Professor Colin
Harvey was the guest speaker at an event organised by the National Committee on
American Foreign Policy at Fordham University in New York. Speaking on the
theme, ‘A Pathway to a new Ireland’ Colin Harvey said: “In Ireland the evidence
of an increased focus on preparations for change is everywhere. The
constitutional conversation is moving into a much more detailed planning phase
and it is therefore essential that local and global voices for a new and united
Ireland are heard and listened to.” Professor Harvey told his audience that
there is a particular onus on the Irish government to facilitate the
preparations for unity.
Later during
his visit Professor Harvey met with the Brehon Law Society. He told them that
he believes that by the end of this decade there will
be a unity referendum.
Last week also Ireland’s Future held
a packed business lunch in the Europa Hotel in Belfast. Over 300 people heard
former BBC journalist Gavin Esler speak of the potential for change. The former
editor of the Irish News Noel Doran also addressed the gathering.
And finally, two weeks ago Trade Unionists for a New Ireland (TUNUI) held a two day
conference in Belfast. It heard a range of speakers from Ireland and
internationally talk about the importance of constitutional change and of
social justice to any new Ireland.
The two-day event brought together
people from across the island and beyond with the aim of advancing
constitutional change. Among the speakers was SIPTU deputy general secretary
Gerry McCormack and Frank Connolly, author of United Nation - The Case
for Integrating Ireland.
The Chair of TUNUI Seán McElhinney
said: " We believe that some of the worst aspects of social inequality and
socio-economic disadvantage facing working people can only be addressed
properly by changing how Ireland is governed - north and south … Constitutional
change gives us a unique opportunity to start building something better than
this, and we want to promote the importance of social justice in every
conversation about our future."
Ethnic Cleansing
By the time you read this
column the numbers of people killed in Gaza will have exceeded 10,000. Almost
half of these are children. Every minute, of every hour, of every day new
and dreadful images emerge from Palestine that horrify and shock.
This is not the first time that the
Palestinian people have faced ethnic cleansing. In 1948 the Nakba or
Catastrophe witnessed the ethnic cleansing of almost 80% of historic Palestine
by the newly established Israeli state. In the decades since then an Israeli
apartheid system has dehumanised and demonised the Palestinian people.
The Palestinian people of Gaza and
the west Bank are facing a second Nakba. The settler and Israeli Army violence
in the west Bank, the deliberate attacks in Gaza on hospitals, schools, the
University, refugee camps, bakeries, ambulances and families and the cutting
off of fuel and food and water, is about forcing Palestinians into abandoning
Gaza. A recent Israeli report and public commentary by Israeli leaders have
acknowledged that Israel seeks the expulsion of all Palestinians from Gaza. An
Israeli Government minister Amichai Eliyahu has said nuking Gaza ‘is one
of the possibilities’ and in a remark reminiscent of ‘To Hell or Connacht’
that the Palestinians ‘can go to Ireland or deserts’.
Last week 200
academics on the island of Ireland united in demanding that Irish universities
cut ties with Israeli institutions “until
the occupation of Palestinian territory is ended, the Palestinian rights to
equality and self-determination are vindicated, and the right of Palestinian
refugees to return is facilitated.” They are right.
Several days ago Mary Lou McDonald called on the Irish government and
international community to take action to enforce international law. She also
called for the Israeli Ambassador to lose her diplomatic status. Other states
have already broken diplomatic ties with Israel.
An immediate ceasefire and the infusion of substantial international aid
is now essential but we should be under no illusions. There can be no victors
through war in the Middle East. If the international community fails to stand
up for international standards and international law then what we have
witnessed in the last month will only be repeated in the future.
Crann Na Saoirse.
This is tree planting time. Again.
Any month with an ‘R’ will do but it’s usually best between October and
March. But plant your wee baby trees well before or well after
the frost kicks in. I always try to do my planting in the Autumn so the tree
will have time to settle in before Spring. Container grown trees can be planted
at any time, though they too need protected from frost but I mostly
use bare root or wee slips grown from seed.
I collect the seeds, mainly chestnuts
and acorns from the Falls Park along with Rowan, Hazel, Hawthorn and
Birch.
Back in the day when our lives were
consumed with endless talks I gathered up seed from the great houses
of England, like Chequers, the back garden of 10 Downing
Street, Leeds Castle or back home at Hillsborough, Arbour Hill or the
Áras.
There are all kinds of little
processes and different soil, gravel or sand mixes which you can use for
bringing on your seeds but I’m a lazy gardener. I just put the seeds into
a pot of whatever loam I have to hand and let nature do its work.
When the seeds have sprouted the
saplings can be kept in pots for years before planting out. Apart from chestnuts
I plant only native species. They are good for keeping the air clean. Good for
native insects. For native birds and other creatures. Good for the
climate and nature. Trees are also great presents. They can mark the
birth of a new baby or immortalise the memory of a fallen friend. Trees are
good for remembering the living and the dead. They are about the
future.
That is why Freedom Trees are
important. Crann Na Saoirse can be planted now in the knowledge that they
will grow tall in a free Ireland.
So why not plant your own Crann Na
Saoirse. Or if you have the space or access to public land or commonage, a
hill or mountain side - with permission- why not plant A Freedom
Forest? Even ten or twenty trees planted two metres apart will
look well once they get going. Is there space in your housing estate? Or your
farm? Your garden? Your sports ground.
Native trees are are also
good for biodiversity. No one could object to that. So get growing.
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