"When It Comes to Irish Peace, Hillary and History Rhyme" - Hillary helped peace in NI [View all]

[KitSileya]

http://irishamerica.com/2015/03/when-it-comes-to-irish-peace-hillary-and-history-rhyme/

By Niall O'Dowd, Founding Publisher
April / May 2015

Hillary Rodham Clinton’s role in the Irish peace process is often underestimated but there were few people more important.

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During that trip and subsequently, Hillary Clinton played a leading role in creating the links between the White House and leaders on the ground that would be so important in subsequent years.

Her visits to the Falls and Shankill Roads in Belfast to meet working-class women from both communities were especially important. She helped empower key women at a time in the conflict when women’s voices were hardly heard. She played a major role in setting the groundwork for the formation of parties such as the Women’s Coalition, which was to play an essential role in cross-community bridge building in the vital years when the peace process was being bedded down.

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Hillary used the example of her peace efforts in Northern Ireland on her future global travels. Soon after being named Secretary of State she met with a small group of Irish-American leaders and spoke of her hopes that Irish Americans would meet and give advice to other diaspora leaders such as Pakistani and Indian Americans, revealing to them how the Irish diaspora helped end the conflict in Northern Ireland.