FORMER IRISH PRESIDENT SPEAKS OF THE ETHOS OF SOLIDARITY IN OMAGH
Former Irish president speaks of the 'ethos of solidarity' in Omagh
A LARGE and attentive audience gathered at Omagh Leisure Complex on Sunday evening to hear former Irish president, Mary Robinson, speak of how the 'ethos of solidarity' and communal spirit had helped individuals and the community as a whole, in their effort to move on through reclaiming their lives and their town after the devastation of the Omagh bomb five years ago.
The lecture, which took place two days after the fifth anniversary remembrance service, marks the first step in a new phase of the community moving forward, while still acknowledging the hurt and pain of the past.
Mrs. Robinson referred to the countless acts of kindness, neighbourliness and shared generosity in the aftermath of the atrocity, and the many events and projects such as the act of reflection one week after the bomb, the remembrance services, the establishment of the Omagh Community Youth Choir, and the Petals of Hope project which have all helped to develop community cohesion and the ethos of solidarity.
Drawing on her experiences as President of Ireland and as United National High Commissioner for Human Rights, Mrs. Robinson spoke of the value of being close to victims, of being with them, and listening to their sense of suffering, all of which she described as essential in the healing process.
As well as speaking to victims of terrorism in Ireland, she drew on her experience of listening to victims, of atrocities as far apart as East Timor and Peru tell their stories to Commissions for Reconciliation and Truth, and spoke of how this had helped them to recover and move forward in their lives.
Mrs. Robinson acknowledged that the quest for justice is an important part of the healing process. Responding to comments from several of the relatives of those who had died in the bomb, Mrs. Robinson acknowledged that "the pain is still raw, and the hurt is still there. The call for justice is preventing healing from taking place in a rounded way. For the community to move forward in healing, it is important to have a sense of justice being done and that there is accountability for what has happened." Referring to the people of East Timor, she spoke of witnessing deep feelings of anger, because the main perpetrators of atrocities had not been brought to justice.
Throughout her lecture, Mrs. Robinson returned repeatedly to the value of community solidarity in the healing process. She spoke words of encouragement in continuing to build on what has been achieved in the past five years, and saw developing and strengthening the community as a way to honour the memory of those who lost their lives in Omagh.
The chairman for the evening was the very Rev. Dr. John Dunlop, former Moderator of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland. He is widely regarded as one of Ireland's most outstanding clerics and is a strong advocate of dialogue between people of differing cultural, political and religious persuasions as a means of conflict resolution. He is an Eisenhower fellow and was the 2002 recipient of the EH Johnston Award from the Presbyterian Church in Canada for his work in inner city Belfast.
New phase
The chairman of Omagh District Council, Mr. Allan Rainey, in welcoming Mrs. Robinson and Dr. Dunlop, expressed his hope that the evening would see Omagh move into a new phase of learning from its terrible past.
"Those directly affected by the atrocity, and indeed the community as a whole have, through their strength, courage and determination, demonstrated their ability to triumph over adversity, and by continuing to move forward in a sense of togetherness and shared purpose, we can only continue to strengthen as a 'community," he said.
A LARGE and attentive audience gathered at Omagh Leisure Complex on Sunday evening to hear former Irish president, Mary Robinson, speak of how the 'ethos of solidarity' and communal spirit had helped individuals and the community as a whole, in their effort to move on through reclaiming their lives and their town after the devastation of the Omagh bomb five years ago.
The lecture, which took place two days after the fifth anniversary remembrance service, marks the first step in a new phase of the community moving forward, while still acknowledging the hurt and pain of the past.
Mrs. Robinson referred to the countless acts of kindness, neighbourliness and shared generosity in the aftermath of the atrocity, and the many events and projects such as the act of reflection one week after the bomb, the remembrance services, the establishment of the Omagh Community Youth Choir, and the Petals of Hope project which have all helped to develop community cohesion and the ethos of solidarity.
Drawing on her experiences as President of Ireland and as United National High Commissioner for Human Rights, Mrs. Robinson spoke of the value of being close to victims, of being with them, and listening to their sense of suffering, all of which she described as essential in the healing process.
As well as speaking to victims of terrorism in Ireland, she drew on her experience of listening to victims, of atrocities as far apart as East Timor and Peru tell their stories to Commissions for Reconciliation and Truth, and spoke of how this had helped them to recover and move forward in their lives.
Mrs. Robinson acknowledged that the quest for justice is an important part of the healing process. Responding to comments from several of the relatives of those who had died in the bomb, Mrs. Robinson acknowledged that "the pain is still raw, and the hurt is still there. The call for justice is preventing healing from taking place in a rounded way. For the community to move forward in healing, it is important to have a sense of justice being done and that there is accountability for what has happened." Referring to the people of East Timor, she spoke of witnessing deep feelings of anger, because the main perpetrators of atrocities had not been brought to justice.
Throughout her lecture, Mrs. Robinson returned repeatedly to the value of community solidarity in the healing process. She spoke words of encouragement in continuing to build on what has been achieved in the past five years, and saw developing and strengthening the community as a way to honour the memory of those who lost their lives in Omagh.
The chairman for the evening was the very Rev. Dr. John Dunlop, former Moderator of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland. He is widely regarded as one of Ireland's most outstanding clerics and is a strong advocate of dialogue between people of differing cultural, political and religious persuasions as a means of conflict resolution. He is an Eisenhower fellow and was the 2002 recipient of the EH Johnston Award from the Presbyterian Church in Canada for his work in inner city Belfast.
New phase
The chairman of Omagh District Council, Mr. Allan Rainey, in welcoming Mrs. Robinson and Dr. Dunlop, expressed his hope that the evening would see Omagh move into a new phase of learning from its terrible past.
"Those directly affected by the atrocity, and indeed the community as a whole have, through their strength, courage and determination, demonstrated their ability to triumph over adversity, and by continuing to move forward in a sense of togetherness and shared purpose, we can only continue to strengthen as a 'community," he said.
Further Information
Publisher: TYRONE CONSTITUTION
Ref: TC/1657
Published Date: 21-Aug-03
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