Such a sad day here in Northern Ireland saying goodbye to a true giant of a leader who was the instrument of peace here and a tireless campaigner for civil rights. The peace process in Northern Ireland and the subsequent Good Friday Agreement would not have happened without him and for that I am forever grateful.
"Difference is an accident of birth" was something he often said. "Our quarrel is not about religion even though that is was it is often described as .... it is about identity." This was and still is the truth of our situation here and he was the first person who really was able to speak about it openly and fairly. This speech he gave to the Nobel Committee is well worth a listen if you're interested.
I had the privilege of meeting John once and he was a lovely gentle man and today he has been honoured by political leaders all over the world as well as on both sides of our community here and has been described as our Martin Luther King.
John Hume - Rest in Peace. We will not see your like again.
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ReplyDeleteI'm so sorry to hear about this loss of a great man. That is the best quote I have ever read about diversity. When I left Sweden everyone was the same, a Swede and I longed for diversity, to learn about the differences in mankind. I have never understood why people always seem to want to stick with their own kind instead of reaching out and learning about other cultures.
ReplyDeleteI"ve never been able to understand that either Inger - diversity is what makes the world beautiful I think.
DeleteI had no idea he had died. He was a great man and that is a wonderful quote.
ReplyDeleteA great man indeed and there's no-one here with the same charisma to follow on from him.
DeleteHi Fil - I sure hope there are people like John Hume in this world - we need them. He stood the test of time that's for sure ... and it must have been special meeting him ... a memory to treasure. So sad he's left us ... take care - Hilary
ReplyDeleteYes indeed Hilary - I think perhaps Jacinta Ahern has the same ethos - we certainly could do with more people like John at the minute.
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