25 Years Since Good Friday Agreement: Reflecting on Ireland's Journey to Peace + AUKUS & Coffee/Climate Change.
This year's St Patrick's Day marks both the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement, which ended conflict in Northern Ireland, and 100 years of commitment to global cooperation.
Dear readers,
Greetings from Washington D.C where I’ve been for St. Patrick's Day!
Today was jam-packed with meetings with Treasury, the State Department and embassies, but I was also thrilled to join the Irish Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Leo Varadkar for the official St. Patrick's Day event earlier tonight. Ireland has been a trusted partner for years and their increasing aid budget, reaching over 1 billion euros for the first, is a testament to their unwavering commitment to global cooperation.
I have always felt a profoundly strong and very personal connection to Ireland’s inspiring literary history and its remarkable ability to inspire the world with its rich heritage and national story. This year holds significant symbolism as it marks the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement, which officially put an end to violence in Northern Ireland and ushered in an era of peace and prosperity for the entire island of Ireland.
Earlier this year, during the week between Christmas and New Year's, my wife, cousin, and his wife joined me in Belfast. We spent time learning about the rich history of Ireland and gained insight from both sides of the conflict during one of the city’s renowned ‘black taxi’ tours. Visiting the historic Peace Wall in Belfast was a definite highlight and allowed me to reflect on the lasting legacy of the Good Friday Agreement.
“The tragedies of the past have left a deep and profoundly regrettable legacy of suffering. We must never forget those who have died or been injured, and their families. But we can best honour them through a fresh start, in which we firmly dedicate ourselves to the achievement of reconciliation, tolerance, and mutual trust, and to the protection and vindication of the human rights of all.”
Declaration of Support, Good Friday Agreement, 1998
Signed in 1998, the Good Friday Agreement brought an end to the decades-long sectarian conflict in Northern Ireland by establishing a power-sharing government and promoting cross-community cooperation. And while today the Peace Wall in Belfast is considered a reminder of the historical conflict, it also arguably serves as a symbol of hope for reconciliation and peace between the Catholic and Protestant communities.
This year, Ireland is celebrating annother important milestone - 100 years of internationalism and peacebuilding under the theme of "Ireland in the World". From the moment it achieved home rule, Ireland committed itself to promoting peace and cooperation on the global stage, exemplified by its early membership in the League of Nations. As a nation of storytellers, Ireland has always had a unique ability to connect with people and promote its values through the power of narrative. This year, in an impressive display of soft power, Irish ministers are visiting 74 cities worldwide as part of the largest-ever St. Patrick's Day programme, spreading the message of Ireland's commitment to peace and internationalism. To get a glimpse of this inspiring journey, check out the accompanying video that their foreign ministry put together.
On Silicon Valley Bank’s Collapse…
A lot has been written about the reasons why. Perhaps one of the more ridiclous assertions was this argument that appeared in WSJ…
If you want to find out more about so-called E.S.G., what these three letters stand for and a bit about the backlash, I recommend checking out the Daily’s podcast from this week about it.
The Latest On Climate Change and Coffee
Its become a theme of these newsletters to talk about coffee and the ongoing impact of coffee. On this note, a new study recently came out suggesting that we can expect “ongoing shocks” to climate change.
The Road to Paris Recording
Many thanks to the 160 of you who joined Global Citizen last week for a briefing on The Road to Paris. If you missed it, you can catch the recording here, and be sure to join the WhatsApp group to stay in the loop on all things Paris Summit related here,
If you’re keen to co-host a Paris Summit briefing in partnership with Global Citizen, please reach out to victor.grau@globalcitizen.org and we can set something up!
Global Citizen Film Screening & Panel Discussion on the Future of ODA in Afghanistan and Germany’s Role
This week, Global Citizen co-hosted a reception in Berlin that brought together more than 100 Global Citizens, influencers and Members of Parliament, focussing on the situation in Afghanistan, the role of German development aid, and what’s needed to improve the living conditions of women and girls.
In partnership with the local NGO Visions for Children Global Citizen screened the documentary “3 Songs for Benazir” followed by a panel discussion, moderated by Global Citizen’s Senior Advocacy Director Friederike Meister.
The panel, featuring Hila Limar, Visions for Children’s CEO, Schahina Gambir, MP and Afghanistan Spokesperson for the Green Party, and Deutsche Welle Journalist and author Waslat Hasrat-Nazimi, discussed what Germany’s responsibility in Afghanistan entails and how to deal with an agonizing Taliban regime and its impact on women and girls, minorities and education.
When the Taliban took over in August 2021, Global Citizen launched an urgent petition to the German Government urging the continuation of ODA and humanitarian aid for the Afghan people. The petition was signed by more than 61,000 Global Citizens and contributed to unlocking ODA funds in 2022.
Pictures © Lorelai Fotografie | Laura Kießling
Why Australia 'should worry' about global food security
This week, our partners at the International Fund for Agriculture and Development (IFAD), met with foreign affairs and trade officials in Canberra, where they delivered a key message: Australians should be worried about food security, both in the region and globally. IFAD’s trip came in response to the demand from Pacific islands and other developing member states for more support, not through the handouts-type approach, but support in terms of hand-ups. Globally, the UN estimates that 828 million people are going hungry every night around the globe. Ending extreme poverty is linked with food security, and Australians should be aware of what's happening in the global food space, as well as in the Pacific. Read more about IFAD’s trip in the Canberra Times here.
My Statement re: Australia’s support Climate Change post-AUKUS
I provided the following statement for The Guardian Australia’s political news feed following this week’s AUKUS announcement in San Diego:
My Weekend Reading List
Britain and healthcare unions agree on pay rise proposal after months of strikes
How the Iraq war altered US politics and led to the emergence of Trump
That’s all for this week! Hope to have more updates from the rest of the globe next week.
As always, if you’re enjoying the weekly newsletter format, and want even more, you can subscribe to my Substack here where I publish reviews, lists and articles on a regular basis.
All best,
Mick