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http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/politics/mcguinness-meets-israelis-and-arabs-in-donegal-peace-meeting-14275568.html?r=RSS
By Noel McAdam
Tuesday, 21 April 2009
Paramilitary leaders turned politicians have attended a ground-breaking meeting of Israeli and Palestinian representatives in the Irish Republic.
Both Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness, a former IRA second-in-command in Londonderry, and Progressive Unionist Billy Hutchinson, a convicted former member of the UVF and former MLA, attended the Combatants for Peace seminar in Donegal.
They spoke with 15 former Palestinian militants and 15 Israeli war veterans, whose contact at the meeting which finished at the weekend would be regarded as treachery on their home soil.
Mr McGuinness, whose party leader Gerry Adams is preparing a report on the Middle East situation for new US envoy George Mitchell, said the militant Hamas, Palestinians and Israel government would have to talk eventually.
“You have a duty to negotiate. Whether you leave it for another 10 or 20 or 50 years, you will end up having to, so do it now and save lives,” he said.
According to a report in the Times, Mr McGuinness said it was the early 1990s when the IRA realised it could not defeat the British Army.
“We had a responsibility to challenge ourselves to find a way to break the vicious cycle of conflict and bring our political opponents into an inclusive negotiation.”
Mr Hutchinson said: “The thing that cemented the process for me was that republicans were on a parallel road.”
Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams will host East Coast & West Coast Open Forums
In New York City, the forum will be held at the Hilton Hotel (6th Avenue & 53rd Street) on Saturday, June 13, 2009 between Noon & 3:30PM.
In San Francisco, the forum will be held at St Anne’s Hall (Funston Ave, between Irving & Judah) on Saturday, June 27, 2009 between 2:00PM-5:00PM. For more info on West Coast, email [email protected] or call 415-794-1916.
Proposed Program: Introduction by Mr. Adams, Special guests & speakers, open microphones for audience questions/statements, all individuals and organizations welcome, submissions accepted.
No Entry Charge; All interested are encouraged to come & participate.
Paid for by the Friends of Sinn Fein, Inc, 116 John Street, 29th Floor, New York, New York, 10038. This organization is registered with the Department of Justice, Washington, DC, under the Foreign Agents Registration Act as an agent for Sinn Fein. This material and the registration statement are on file and available for inspection at the Department of Justice. Registration does not imply approval by the US government.
We would like to thank everyone who attended the Easter 1916 commemoration at Holy Cross cemetery on Easter Sunday. Sinn Fein National Chairperson Declan Kearney was the main speaker, we have uploaded his speech to youtube and are providing the links below for those that could not attend and if you would like to share with friends and family members .
Thank you.
Declan Kearney 1 in San Francisco Easter Sunday 2009
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gLHgzHnq4OE
Declan Kearney 2 San Francisco Easter Sunday 2009
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dk9X9uvpN64
Friends of United Ireland
http://www.westtyronesinnfein.com/news/12565
Published: 15 April, 2009
Tyrone republicans converged in Carrickmore on Easter Sunday to commemorate Irelands patriot dead. The Commemoration was the centrepiece to a weekend that had seen over 30 graveside commemorations and parades in Coalisland on Easter Saturday and Ardboe on Easter Monday.
Bunting, flags and posters adorned the parade route and all the approach roads to Carrickmore and many homes in the area flew the National Flag.
A republican colour party led the parade which also consisted of numerous marching bands and banners of various committees and Sinn Féin cumainn throughout the county.
The parade converged at the republican Garden Of Remembrance in Carrickmore following the traditional parade around the town.
There Barry McElduff MLA was the Main speaker.
Before his main address there were a number of wreaths laid, the Republican Roll Of Honour and Roll of remembrance were recited as was the proclamation of 1916. Statements were also read on behalf of the leaderships of Sinn Féin and Ógra Shinn Féin.
In his main address Barry McElduff said Tyrone had a proud tradition of republican struggle:
"Tyrone republicans have always been to the fore in the struggle for Irish freedom. Whether that have been through the contributions of Thomas Clarke, Alice Milligan, Joseph McGarrity or indeed in more recent times Volunteers of the Tyrone Brigade of the IRA.
He continued: "Tyrone has suffered as a result of the British occupation of our country but we remained unbowed and committed to our republican objectives. The only political settlement that will satisfy republicans is the end of British rule in Ireland and the establishment of a 32 county democratic socialist republic as set out in the proclamation of 1916.
http://www.sinfein.ie
LOUGHMACRORY - In one of the biggest crowds witnessed in recent years, approximately 400 people attended the annual Loughmacrory commemoration at the graveside of Brothers Gerard and Martin Harte. For full story and pic, click on to: www.westtyronesinnfein.com/news/12541
DRUMRAGH - On Saturday Republicans assembled at the graveside of poet, playwright and Republican, Alice Milligan. For full story and pic, click on to: www.westtyronesinnfein.com/news/12540
POMEROY - A crowd of approximately 200 people attended the graveside commemoration for Vol. Seamus in Pomeroy on Easter Sunday. For full story and pic, click on to: www.westtyronesinnfein.com/news/12539
KILLYCLOGHER - Over 70 people attended the Easter Commemoration at the graveside of veteran Republican, Charlie Ferris in Killyclogher graveyard. For full story and pic, click on to: www.westtyronesinnfein.com/news/12536
DRUMBOE - West Tyrone Sinn Féin MP MLA Pat Doherty says that "republicans are now engaged in nation building - a phase of struggle described by James Connolly described as the re-conquest of Ireland by the Irish people." For full story and pic, click on to: www.westtyronesinnfein.com/news/12538
STRABANE and CRANAGH - West Tyrone Sinn Fein MLA Claire Mc Gill addressed local republicans at commemorations at Cranagh and Strabane Cemetery on Easter Sunday. For full story, click on to: www.westtyronesinnfein.com/news/12537
http://www.relativesforjustice.com
Responding to news that British Home Secretary Jaqui Smith MP has intervened to have secret files relating to the Hillsborough Disaster made public and available to the families of those bereaved Relatives for Justice Director Mark Thompson said:
'RFJ have a long association of solidarity with relatives of those bereaved at Hillsborough. Several years ago we had the privilege of hosting the Belfast launch of the book 'Hillsborough' by Professor Phil Scraton, who worked with the bereaved families and survivors, which examined in detail the events leading up to the disaster, the subsequent cover-up, and the legal battles by the families.
'RFJ support fully the search for the truth and justice by the families and survivors of the Hillsborough Disaster and in that context we welcome this intervention by a British Home Secretary that secret files and information concerning the full extent of what happened to be now made available.
'In relation to Ireland this latest intervention by British Home Secretary Jacqui Smith MP shows that when the political will exists then interventions can be made which are in both the interests of the families bereaved and the wider public. It is in that context that we would call on the British Government to also move the restrictions preventing the publication of the Stalker/Sampson Reports and the three investigations by Lord Stevens spanning 14-years which examined shoot-to-kill and collusion respectively.
'The political conditions that prevailed at the time when these investigations were conducted and reports completed no longer exist. We are now in a new political post conflict environment in which transparency and openness should become the norm. Continuing secrecy and suppression of information concerning hundreds of murders is not in the public interest. Indeed failure to deal with the full facts will only serve to undermine political institutions and public confidence thus underlining the necessity of full disclosure of these reports.
Importantly hundreds of families here in the North live daily with the effects of official British government policies that were practiced during the conflict. That conflict is now over and the relatives bereaved require the truth about the full extent of those official policies much in the same way those affected by Hillsborough need the truth.
'In terms of Stalker/Sampson we are talking 27 years ago which predates Hillsborough by 7 years - surely these families should not wait any longer in order to find out the full circumstances surrounding the killings of their loved ones.' ENDS
http://www.iauc.org/
(From the IAUC: Please read the instructions below, care of Pól Brennan and his defense campaign. We only have 7 days to act to stop Pól's deportation! Copies of your letters of support should also be sent to President Obama, Vice President Biden, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and Senate Majority Leader, as well as your own Congressional representatives and anyone else you feel may be supportive.
Below is a message from Pol, Also find attached Fact Sheet from Homeland Security)
April 17, 2009
Friends and supporters,
I have been informed by ICE that my appeal has been denied and an order of removal has been served on me. I am to be deported ASAP we have one last avenue open to us.
I am asking for people and organizations that have supported me in my fight to remain in the US to write to the Director of Homeland Security, Janet Napolitano, on my behalf pursuant to section 212(d)(3)(B)(i) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA)
The secretary of Homeland Security may conclude in her sole unreviewable discretion to not apply certain of the terrorist related grounds of inadmissibility at section 212(a)(3)(B) of the INA.(See attached Fact Sheet).
NOW is the time for a strong and concerted letter writing campaign to Janet Napolitano, Director of Homeland Security.
Please be aware of the items listed below to follow when writing your letters to Homeland Security. While some of these might be a "no-brainers" to some; it is there for those who've not found themselves in a position of writing to a judge or an elected official before now. All of these are of equal AND paramount importance!
1) We CANNOT write directly to Homeland Security; letters MUST be written and addressed to Director Janet Napolitano, Department of Homeland Security BUT MUST BE MAILED TO Pol's attorney in an UNSEALED envelope:
Attorney Marc Van Der Hout
Van Der Hout, Brigagliano & Nightingale
San Francisco Office
180 Sutter Street
5th Floor
San Francisco, CA 94104-4001
Phone: 415-981-3000
Fax: 415-981-3003
Write your letter and put it in an UNSEALED envelope and address this letter to:
Director Janet Napolitano
Department of Homeland Security
Washington, DC 20528
Then you can open the letter with words to the effect of: "The Honorable Director Janet Napolitano:" (or an opening to that effect - addressing the Director and including the esteem and decorum due to her), Put this UNSEALED envelope into another envelope AND seal this one and address it to:
Attorney Marc Van Der Hout
Van Der Hout, Brigagliano & Nightingale
San Francisco Office
180 Sutter Street
5th Floor
San Francisco, CA 94104-4001
PLEASE NOTE: IN THE LOWER LEFT CORNER OF THE ENVELOPE TO Atty. Van Der Hout, WRITE – RE: POL BRENNAN
2) TIMELINESS... Letters need to be sent NOW to allow time for Marc Van Der Hout to compile them and forward them to Homeland Security.
3) If you are writing on behalf of an established Irish Organization, a Law Firm, a Political Party or Organization, a Church or from a professional organization such as an educational institution, a trade union, or the like,
- PLEASE WRITE YOUR LETTER on your Organization's letterhead! It will stand out and capture the attention and carry greater weight.
4) CLARITY AND BREVITY: We anticipate (and hope) that Homeland Security, through this and other forums, will receive a great number of letters... an OVERABUNDANCE of letters is great! Given that, be factual and state your support, but be BRIEF AND TO THE POINT! Make every effort to keep your communication to a page and BY ALL MEANS, DO NOT EXCEED two pages (anything more than one and one-half pages tends to be set aside and not read!),
If you have any questions in this regard, please send them to [email protected] or [email protected] or phone Mike at 949-370-2970 straight away!
I thank you for all you've done to date. Now I ask that you ramp it up a notch and take the time to write your letter on my behalf .
Many Thanks to All,
Pol Brennan
# A88 785 324
Irish Detainee
http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/environment/stormont-facing-a-climate-change-rift-14275565.html?r=RSS
By David Gordon
Tuesday, 21 April 2009
Stormont First Ministers Peter Robinson and Martin McGuinness have told MLAs that climate change is “one of the most serious problems” facing the planet.
But their Executive colleague Sammy Wilson — the man in charge of the Department of the Environment — has declared himself to be “not exercised” by his own carbon footprint.
The three ministers made the comments in written answers to Assembly questions tabled by Sinn Fein’s Daithi McKay.
Their replies have again highlighted the conflict between the |official policy of the Executive and the Environment Minister’s deeply sceptical views on whether climate change is man-made.
In their joint written answer, Mr Robinson and Mr McGuinness stated: “It is clear that climate change is one of the most serious problems facing the world.
“While we recognise that it |requires action internationally, we are determined to play our part in addressing this challenge.”
The First Ministers also cited official targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions here and to increase the percentage of electricity from indigenous renewable sources.
“All departments and ministers are committed to the delivery of these ambitious targets as we move forward,” they added.
Mr Wilson has infuriated environmentalists since his appointment as Environment Minister last year by rubbishing their arguments on mankind’s contribution to climate change.
He blocked a Government advertisement campaign on climate change, describing it as part of an “insidious propaganda campaign”.
The Assembly’s Environment Committee responded by passing a vote of no confidence in Mr Wilson.
But the DUP minister hit back, calculating the carbon footprint of many of his critics on the committee.
He was then asked about his own footprint in a written question tabled by Mr McKay.
Mr Wilson’s newly-published reply stated: “I have not studied my carbon footprint because I am not exercised about it.
“I was simply giving the information to members who seem to be deeply concerned by the matter.”
In one of his repeated strongly-worded defences of his position, the Environment Minister said late last year: “I’ll not be stopped saying what I believe needs to be said about climate change.
“Most of the people who shout about climate change have not read one article about it.”
The DUP’s manifesto for the 2007 Assembly election stated: “It is important that we in Northern Ireland not only look after our own environment but also play our part in global issues such as tackling climate change.”
http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/visteon-workers-to-ignore-eviction-order-14275552.html?r=RSS
By Lisa Smyth
Tuesday, 21 April 2009
None of the workers threatened with eviction from Visteon's west Belfast site are expected to appear at a hearing at Belfast High Court today.
Workers holding a sit in protest at the factory in protest at the way they have been treated by the company have been served with a notice of eviction by administrators KPMG which stated that they must leave the site by today.
However, the former employers were expected to ignore the deadline and not attend legal proceedings regarding their ongoing protest at the High Court today.
A source from Unite last night said the eviction notice had not named any specific people and that there would be no-one from Unite representing the former Visteon employees in court today.
Today’s deadline comes just hours after West Belfast SDLP MLA Alex Attwood tabled an emergency question to Enterprise Minister Arlene Foster on the situation. “It was telling that the Minister confirmed that despite attempts to talk to the head of Ford Europe, to date her phone calls have not been received. This says much about Ford and their treatment of a workforce in west Belfast that has served Ford well through thick and thin,” he said.
Hopes of a resolution to the long-running Visteon dispute were dashed last week after the union representing workers at the closed car parts factory rejected a new severance pay offer from their former employers.
Visteon had offered to make an immediate cash payment equivalent to 16 weeks of workers’ previous pay, with additional payments to be made over time.
No-one from KPMG was available to comment.
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/world/2009/0421/1224245068256.html
MARY FITZGERALD, Foreign Affairs Corresponden
Tue, Apr 21, 2009
IRISH DIPLOMATS were among those to stage a walkout at a UN conference on racism in Geneva yesterday, in protest at a speech made by Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad during which he denounced Israel as “the most cruel and racist regime”.
Daithí Ó Ceallaigh, Ireland’s ambassador to the UN in Geneva, and three other Irish officials, left the conference chamber along with other EU delegates after Mr Ahmadinejad “crossed the line” in his tirade against Israel, according to diplomatic sources.
Several protesters, some wearing multi-coloured wigs and red clown noses, had been removed by security guards after they shouted “Shame! Shame!” and “Racist! Racist!” as the Iranian president prepared to give his address. Mr Ahmadinejad, in a rambling speech which was applauded by some delegates, railed against Israel, saying it had been established following the second World War “under the pretext of Jewish suffering”.
Speaking through a translator, the Iranian leader continued: “They sent migrants from Europe, the United States and other parts of the world in order to establish a totally racist government in the occupied Palestine . . . In compensation for the dire consequences of racism in Europe, they helped bring to power the most cruel and repressive racist regime in Palestine.”
EU delegates had made “contingency plans” before Mr Ahmadinejad’s speech because of fears he might “overstep the mark”, one European diplomat said.
“As soon as he started to address the question of the Jewish people and Israel, we had no reason to stay in the room,” explained French ambassador Jean-Baptiste Mattei.
French president Nicolas Sarkozy later described Mr Ahmadinejad’s speech as “an intolerable call to racist hatred”.
British ambassador Peter Gooderham condemned what he said were “offensive and inflammatory” comments.
“Such outrageous anti-Semitic remarks should have no place in a UN anti-racism forum,” he added.
UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon accused Mr Ahmadinejad of using his speech on the first day of the conference “to accuse, divide and even incite”, contradicting the very purpose of the meeting.
The Iranian president’s remarks make it “significantly more difficult to build constructive solutions to the very real problem of racism”, Mr Ban, who sat directly behind Mr Ahmadinejad during his speech, added.
Last night the Czech Republic, which currently holds the EU presidency, announced it was withdrawing from the conference in a national capacity.
UN high commissioner for human rights Navi Pillay, however, said the best response to what she described as “objectionable” political grandstanding was to “reply and correct, not to withdraw and boycott” the conference.
“The overall atmosphere was quite sour. One now has to ask if today’s events have the potential to unravel the whole thing,” a diplomatic source said last night. “We will have a better idea tomorrow.”
Even before yesterday’s opening speeches, the conference, held to review progress on the implementation of commitments made at the 2001 World Conference against Racism in Durban, had been overshadowed by controversy. Several countries, including the US, Germany, Canada and Australia, decided to boycott the week-long event because of concerns that Muslim states would use it as a platform for denunciations of Israel and calls for “defamation” of religion to be defined as racism.
Some diplomats feared a repeat of the bitter wrangling that marred the Durban gathering, which saw delegates clash over the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the issue of slavery reparations. The US and Israel walked out of the Durban conference following attempts – which later proved unsuccessful – by some participants to equate Zionism with racism.
Meanwhile, Israel yesterday recalled its ambassador to Switzerland in protest at a meeting Swiss president Hans-Rudolf Merz held with Mr Ahmadinejad on Sunday during which Mr Merz pressed the case of Iranian-American journalist Roxana Saberi, who has been jailed in Tehran.
© 2009 The Irish Times
Updated: 10/4/2009
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