Former US Senator George Mitchell delivered a keynote address at Queen's University Belfast for its 'Passing the Torch' event on Wednesday, April 16.
As US President Bill Clinton's Special Envoy to Northern Ireland, Senator Mitchell presided over peace negotiations in Northern Ireland which culminated in the signing of the Good Friday Agreement in April 1998.
The following year, Mitchell was installed as the eighth Chancellor of Queen’s University Belfast, a position he held for 10 years.
In recognition of his work in Northern Ireland, Senator Mitchell was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the Truman Institute Peace Prize, and the United Nations (UNESCO) Peace Prize. On the 20th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement, he was awarded the Freedom of Belfast City.
Queen's University Belfast said that during Wednesday's event in Whitla Hall, a panel of young people including both school and university students discussed how they can use their voices and the political structures available to them to shape change with key themes including the importance of education, the role of women in politics and inclusivity in politics.
Hundreds of school pupils aged 15-17, as well as Queen's students, were in the audience for Mitchell's address on Wednesday.
"A wave of hope, sustained by you"
Addressing the young audience directly on Wednesday, Senator Mitchell urged the young people to take ownership of their future, saying: “You, the young people of this island, are needed here in order to sustain this ongoing peace.
"Do not let your truths and your dreams leave when there is so much to be done at home.”
He added: “Hope, then, meets hope. And that hope creates an overwhelming wave. This is what our peace needs: a wave of hope, sustained by you, so that it moves forward, and crashes onto other shores.”
Senator Mitchell also reflected on the ongoing work required to maintain peace: “The peace we have created and enjoyed since 1998 must evolve. The work is constantly unfinished. We must acknowledge the past, but not become beholden to it.
"It is our job to become continually new.”
"We pass the torch to you"
Senator Mitchell went on to say: "Perfection is impossible, but one must at least aspire toward it.
"There are costs and there are benefits to every action. But one thing is for sure - the costs will be mighty if we choose to go back to the old division.
"There needs to be an iron-clad guarantee that all of the work is done in good faith and that nobody comes out feeling as if they have lost.
"The future is not about losing. It is about gaining. And it is therefore - once again - about sharing. Sharing ideas. Sharing plans. Sharing successes. And, yes, if they occur, sharing losses.
"Going forward, we need to be prepared for any mistakes we might make. We must be agile enough to recorrect where necessary. We need to listen across the divides. We need to be fully informed. We need to tune out the disinformation. We need to shoulder the burdens together.
"We must not get distracted by the buzzing bees of those small-minded people who want to narrow the laneways of our thought. We must build consensus. We need to embrace difficulty and not allow any natural human differences - geographical, religious, even aspirational - to cleave us open.
"It is often said that every conflict is a battle of the story that we tell. That is true. But it is also true that every resolution comes in the manner that we listen.
"In short, we need to listen to one another. And listen well.
"In many ways the people of this island have become advance scouts for the journeys of the rest of the world. I am here today to ask you to take the job of the future seriously. Do not let us down. Listen. Consider. Move forward.
"I make this call to teachers, to artists, to leaders, to works, to business, to non-profits, to community organizations, to civil servants, but most of all to our young people: you are the leaders and the lightning rods of tomorrow.
"We pass the torch to you."
You can watch former US Senator George Mitchell's full remarks at Queen's University Belfast here:
"There's more to do"
On hand on Wednesday was James Lawless TD, Ireland's Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science.
Addressing the gathering, Lawless said: "I am taken by the title of today’s event – Passing the Torch. Responsibility for sustaining peace now rests with all of us living on this island.
"Senator Mitchell, you were the person who enabled their participation and gave voice to people who were marginalised in a divided community. You created the context, where the focus shifted from the past to the future. You never sought for any person to forget their past and heritage; you painted the future for all.
"The young people in this room are the future of this island. The leaders, the thinkers, the makers, the creators. Whether from Cork or Derry, Dublin or Downpatrick — they all have something in common: they are the generation who can build a future that is more inclusive, more connected, and more united in purpose than ever before.
"We've come a long way. But there’s more to do — and the journey belongs to them now."
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