REMARKS BY PRESIDENT MCALEESE AT THE LAUNCH OF THE COMMUNITY MEDIATION SERVICE
REMARKS BY PRESIDENT MCALEESE AT THE LAUNCH OF THE COMMUNITY MEDIATION SERVICE ON BEHALF OF PAVEE POINT TRAVELLERS CENTRE
Cuireann sé áthas ar mo chroí bheith anseo libh inniu agus tá mé thar a bheith buíoch do Eamonn McCann as an chuireadh a thug sé dom. Go raibh maith agaibh as fáilte fíorchaoin a chur romham.
I am delighted to have this opportunity to return to Pavee Point and I would like to thank you all for the very warm welcome you have given me. I would like to especially thank Eamonn McCann for inviting me to launch this Mediation Service. From the excellent exhibition I have just seen, I know that it is just one of a wide range of programmes and initiatives which you are implementing, but it is an especially important one. I remember well the early days of Pavee Point many years ago when it was just a dream of people like the great champion of the travellers – John O’Connell. Today’s Pavee Point is a tribute to all the hopes, dreams and hard work of those who believed in it then, believe in it now and who are working to give it a strong voice in the new Millennium.
Our country is going through a period of unprecedented prosperity and economic progress. We can be justifiably proud of this. But the extent to which we can judge ourselves to be a success as a society, cannot be measured purely in economic statistics. It also depends on how fairly and equally those opportunities are shared among our people – on the quality of life they have, on their access to education and employment, on the extent to which every individual counts, and is made to feel that he or she counts, as a valuable member of our community.
We are not yet at that point. Some would argue that we are moving away from it – that as affluence increases, so too does selfishness and prejudice. I’m not sure that is necessarily so, for we are coming to realise that the more people that are marginalised and excluded, the weaker the centre and the more impoverished our society as a whole. Our aim should be to enable every individual, whatever their circumstances, to feel part of the centre, to have a society without margins or marginalised.
This does not mean accepting individuals only on our terms – only if they think like us, act like us, speak like us. It would be sadly ironic if, as Ireland becomes more multi-cultural and ethnically diverse, our capacity to respect those of a different culture, background, colour or creed, diminished rather than increased. Lack of respect comes from a lack of understanding between people. One definition of ‘prejudice’ is of ‘an unfavourable opinion, formed beforehand and based on inadequate facts’. It comes from a sense of fear, a narrow-minded determination to put across one’s own point of view rather than listening to that of others. And in the charged atmosphere of accusation and counter-accusation, of generalisations and insults, any encounter becomes a forum for re-opening old wounds rather than building bridges of understanding and accommodation.
That is why this mediation service is so important. It provides a mechanism for defusing the emotive atmosphere which so often clouds the actual issues. It encourages people to listen to each other’s perspectives, fears and needs as they actually are – not as the other side imagines them to be. And through learning to communicate, it opens up the possibility of real understanding. It enables people to see that their side does not have a monopoly on the truth, that it is ultimately to the benefit of all if common ground can be created. And from that common ground, it opens the door to a new-found sense of respect. To an appreciation that diversity, far from being a threat, can be a source of enrichment to all.
Such bridges are not easy to build. We have seen in Northern Ireland how difficult it is to undo the damage that years of anger and bitterness have caused. Each step forward on the pathway towards reconciliation brings new setbacks and obstacles. But it is important to persist, to constantly renew hope, because the ultimate goal is worth striving for.
The same is true for the Traveller community and our society as a whole. We all have a stake in building a future which respects and celebrates diversity – a generous, sharing Ireland that encompasses many traditions and cultures and creates space for all its people.
The mediation service that I launch today is a tribute to John O’Connell’s innovative thinking. In his involvement with the Traveller community he has often taken the difficult road and indeed in his other work he is prepared to be associated with unpopular causes.
When John and his colleagues started Pavee Point, they were taking a brave step in asserting the cultural rights and identity of Travellers. Since then Pavee Point has played a very important role in developing acceptance of cultural diversity in Ireland. I warmly commend all of you for your work in building those bridges of understanding and respect. Your work is making a real difference, and I wish you every success in the future.
Go gcúití Dia bhur saothar daoibh.