A DELEGATION from the United States attended a symposium organised by Relatives For Justice at the Europa Hotel this week where the issue of legacy was on the agenda.
The event which was attended by representatives from the Police Ombudsman’s Office, the PSNI’s legacy unit, the Executive Office, the Commissioner for victims and survivors, gave the delegates a chance to gain an understanding of how each organisation is working with victims and survivors in their quest for justice.
The US delegation was made up of representatives from the Ancient Order of Hibernians and the Ladies Ancient Order of Hibernians. While in the North, they also travelled to Tyrone where US citizen Liam Ryan was killed by off duty members of the UDR during the conflict.
Among those speaking at the event were human rights lawyers Niall Murphy from KRW Law and Patricia Coyle from Harte, Coyle and Collins solicitors. The delegation also heard from Mark Kelly whose sister Carol Ann was killed by a plastic bullet, Fiona O’Hagan whose husband Bernard was shot dead at Magherafelt College in 1991 and Bosco Kennedy whose brother James was killed in the Sean Graham Bookies massacre.
The delegation also visited Springhill in West Belfast to hear from the families of the Springhill Massacre victims and met with the relatives of the New Lodge Six.
DELEGATION: The group also attended an event in the Europa Hotel organised by Relatives For Justice
“While the delegation are here, they are meeting the US Ambassador to Ireland in Dublin along with the leaders of the parties and the Department of Foreign Affairs,” Mark Thompson from Relatives for Justice said.
“They are raising the issues around legacy at all of these meetings and for them, this is the biggest issue that they are dealing with in the United States at the moment.
“That goes across a number of organisations including the Brehon Law Society, the Irish-American Unity Conference, the AdHoc committee which is chaired by former Congressman Bruce Morrison and Jim Walsh.
“They are seeking the full implementation of the Good Friday Agreement including the Stormont House Agreement."
Mark added that when Brandon Lewis has visited the US in recent months, he has asked to meet this delegation and that they have met in Washington and New York.
“They have told him that justice must be delivered as part of the Good Friday Agreement and that they will do everything in their power to prevent an amnesty for British soldiers," he continued.
“Martin Galvin and Sean Pender finished the symposium by saying that they need to go back to the US and continue the work. They have said that when they go back, their new hashtag will be No Justice – No Trade.
“The delegation was made up of close associates of the likes of Nancy Pelosi, Brendan Boyle and Richie Neal.
“Sean Pender said that in the US they currently can’t get agreement between Republicans and Democrats but the one issue that unites both sides of the House is the full implementation of the Good Friday Agreement and Stormont House.”
