Minister Lawless honours Senator Mitchell at Queen’s University event marking 27 years of the Good Friday Agreement
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Ó: An Roinn Breisoideachais agus Ardoideachais, Taighde, Nuálaíochta agus Eolaíochta
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Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science James Lawless today addressed an event at Queen’s University Belfast honouring Senator George Mitchell’s pivotal role in the peace process, and marking 27 years since the signing of the Good Friday Agreement.
The event brought together pupils and young people from schools across the island of Ireland for a keynote address by Senator Mitchell, who chaired the talks leading to the 1998 Agreement. The event celebrated the legacy of the Agreement while encouraging a new generation to build on the foundations laid by its architects.
Speaking at the event, Minister Lawless said:
"I am taken by the title of today’s event – Passing the Torch. Responsibility for sustaining peace now rests with all of us living on this island.
"Senator Mitchell, you were the person who enabled their participation and gave voice to people who were marginalised in a divided community. You created the context, where the focus shifted from the past to the future. You never sought for any person to forget their past and heritage; you painted the future for all.
"The young people in this room are the future of this island. The leaders, the thinkers, the makers, the creators. Whether from Cork or Derry, Dublin or Downpatrick — they all have something in common: they are the generation who can build a future that is more inclusive, more connected, and more united in purpose than ever before.
"We've come a long way. But there’s more to do — and the journey belongs to them now."
The Minister’s engagements continued with a series of meetings with the Vice Chancellor of Queen’s University Belfast Professor Sir Ian Greer and his staff, focussing on the importance of North-South collaboration in higher education and research.
Notes
Photos will issue to picture desks from Queen's University Belfast.