Óstálann an tUachtarán Ó hUigínn taispeántas ‘Peace Heroines’, i mbun coimeádaíochta ag HerStory, in Áras an Uachtaráin
Dáta: Céa 29th Már, 2023 | 14:51
Le linn na hócáide tugtar ómós d’ionchur suntasach agus ríthábhachtach na mban i dtógáil na síochána
Inniu, d’óstáil Uachtarán na hÉireann, Mícheál D. Ó hUigínn, léiriú speisialta den taispeántas ‘Peace Heroines’, i mbun coimeádaíochta ag HerStory, in Áras an Uachtaráin.
I mbliana tá comóradh 25 bliana ann de Chomhaontú (Bhéal Feirste) Aoine an Chéasta, a síníodh 10 Aibreán 1998.
Leis an gcomóradh seo a aithint i gceart, bheartaigh an tUachtarán ócáid a óstáil a thabharfaidh ómós d’ionchur suntasach agus ríthábhachtach na mban i dtógáil na síochána ar oileán na hÉireann.
Sa taispeántas seo, a bhfuil painéil faisnéise agus portráidí maoinithe ag HerStory mar chuid de, déantar ról na mban i dtógáil na síochána i dTuaisceart Éireann ó leibhéal an phobail go leibhéil rialtais.
Dá bharr, déantar réimse leathan guthanna agus peirspictíochtaí a chraobhscaoileadh. I measc na scéalta sin tá Bridget Bond, Monica Patterson, Ruth Agnew, Bernadette Devlin McAliskey, Inez McCormack agus Dr Mo Mowlam, gan ach a bheagán a lua.
Lonnaithe ag croílár an taispeántais tá naoi bportráid mhóra ón ealaíontóir físe FRIZ. I measc na bportráidí tá Pat Hume, Bronagh Hinds, Eileen Weir, Susan McCrory, Saidie Patterson, Monica McWilliams, Pearl Sagar, Anne Carr agus an Banbharún May Blood.
Bhí cuid d’ábhar na bportráidí i láthair ag imeacht, cosúil le Bronagh Hinds, Susan McCrory, Monica McWilliams agus Anne Carr. Bhí Áine Fryers, Kate Fearon, Joanne Fitzpatrick agus Liz O’Donnell ann freisin, gach duine acu i measc 30 bean a raibh a scéalta mar chuid den taispeántas.
Bhí an t-ealaíontóir FRIZ, Melanie Lynch agus Katelyn Hanna ó HerStory i measc na n-aíonna, agus bhí Tim Atwood i láthair chomh maith, agus é ag freastal ar an imeacht thar ceann Fhondúireacht John agus Pat Hume.
Thug an tUachtarán Ó hUigínn agus an tOllamh Monica McWilliams, bunaitheoir Chomhghuaillíocht Ban Thuaisceart Éireann, aitheasc ag an imeacht. Ba í an tUasal McWilliams duine de bheirt bhan a bhí páirteach i gcainteanna na nUilepháirtí maidir le todhchaí Thuaisceart Éireann.
Ina aitheasc, dúirt an tUachtarán Ó hUigínn:
“In our hosting of the ‘Peace Heroines’ exhibition, curated by HerStory, here at Áras an Uachtaráin, we acknowledge and pay tribute to what was an important and emancipatory contribution.
I am delighted to see the role of co-operation and the power of partnerships explored in this exhibition, partnerships such as Peace People, Women Together, Peace Players, Derry Peace Women, the special dynamic that has been forged between Shankill and Falls Women’s Centres through the leadership of Eileen Weir and Susan McCrory, and of course the Northern Ireland Women’s Coalition.
The Women’s Coalition, in its rejection of traditional partisan sources of division within what was male-dominated politics, played a vital role in the delivery of an alternative context that could carry the Good Friday Agreement. Its founders, drawn from both of the main opposing traditions, sought to work together, transcending the old tribal divides, and focussing instead on creating a common, agreed, shared future, united by the cause of bringing women’s concerns to the negotiating table, and ensuring an inclusive peace accord.
Groups such as the Shankill Women’s Centre and the Falls Women Centre – formed as locally based groups to provide education for women, but who have since gone on to flourish and develop into their current roles as key providers for training, health awareness, childcare and young women’s activities in the Greater Shankill and West Belfast areas respectively – are the peaceful future, playing an important, indeed vital role, in the promotion and achievement of a sustainable, inclusive warm future in Northern Ireland for all, one that is demonstrating the critical importance of cross-community engagement and the benefits of active citizenship and democratic participation which will serve as a means to forging an agreed, peaceful, perhaps even emancipatory, future.
We have an obligation to work towards the goal of moving peace from paper to experience, to the texture of lives lived that carry the remembered experience of terrible loss, cruelty, humiliation and indifference. This can only be done with the inclusion of women at the core of every step of this process, their voices, their rich experiences and their expertise.
Yes, we have achieved much on this island by working together for a peaceful resolution, to face up to historical wrongs, to heal the painful wounds of what we refer to as the ‘Troubles’, but there remains so much to be done to achieve an island at lasting peace with an ability to recall ethically, transact that history, and to live harmoniously together.
I know that the women of Ireland, North and South, will continue to rise to this challenge, as they have done on so many occasions before, as we carve out a future of sustained, inclusive peace and reconciliation on our shared island. Let us celebrate then the great contribution that women have made, to building and sustaining peace, to inclusion, equality and sustainable society and economy, and let us commit to working together to build on this progress, helping to end all forms of discrimination and inequality on an island at peace.”