By Ireland for a World BEYOND War, April 6, 2023
The visit to Ireland by U.S. President Joe Biden to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement, which helped to bring peace to the people of Northern Ireland, should be an important occasion towards further improving the prospects for lasting peace, reconciliation and cooperation for all the people and communities on the island of Ireland, as well as improving political, economic and community relationships between the people of Ireland and Britain. It is regrettable, however that the political institutions in Northern Ireland, which are a vital part of the Good Friday Agreement, are not functioning at present.
Successive Irish Governments have been justifiably portraying the peace process in Northern Ireland as a positive example as to how other conflicts internationally could be resolved. Unfortunately, and tragically, the Irish Government seems to have abandoned a noble tradition of applying the peace principles that have underpinned the Northern Ireland peace process towards helping to resolve the many violent conflicts internationally that have cost the lives of many millions of people especially in the Middle East and more recently in Ukraine.
The Good Friday Agreement includes in paragraph 4 of its Declaration of Support the following statement: “We reaffirm our total and absolute commitment to exclusively democratic and peaceful means of resolving differences on political issues, and our opposition to any use or threat of force by others for any political purpose, whether in regard to this agreement or otherwise.”
The word ‘otherwise’ at the end of this statement clearly indicates that these principles should also be applied to other conflicts at international level.
This statement reaffirms Article 29 of Bunreacht na hÉireann (the Irish Constitution) which states that:
- Ireland affirms its devotion to the ideal of peace and friendly cooperation amongst nations founded on international justice and morality.
- Ireland affirms its adherence to the principle of the pacific settlement of international disputes by international arbitration or judicial determination.
- Ireland accepts the generally recognised principles of international law as its rule of conduct in its relations with other States.
Consecutive Irish Governments have reneged on their constitutional, humanitarian, and international law responsibilities by actively supporting U.S. led wars of aggression in the Middle East by allowing U.S. military to transit through Shannon airport. While the Irish Government has justifiably criticised the Russian invasion of Ukraine, it has wrongfully failed to criticise U.S. and its NATO allies’ invasions and wars of aggression in Serbia, Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya and elsewhere.
The visit of President Biden to Ireland is an opportunity for the Irish people to let him and the Irish Government know that we are fundamentally opposed to all wars of aggression, including what evidence is increasingly confirming as the U.S.-led proxy war against Russia that is costing the lives of hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian and Russian people, and is destabilising Europe.
President Biden, traditionally the Irish people ‘Served Neither King nor Kaiser, but Ireland!’
Nowadays, in order to achieve a World BEYOND War, the majority or the Irish people have repeatedly stated that they want to serve ‘neither NATO nor Russian military imperialism‘. Ireland must act as a peacemaker and have its neutrality respected both at home and abroad.
One Response
Let these folks live in the manner that they have been doing for time in memorial. If want to remain independent and neutral!