{"id":25172,"date":"2022-02-17T11:34:00","date_gmt":"2022-02-17T16:34:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/irishexaminerusa.com\/wp\/?p=25172"},"modified":"2022-02-19T10:37:32","modified_gmt":"2022-02-19T15:37:32","slug":"president-laments-lack-of-progress-on-education-integration-in-the-north","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/irishexaminerusa.com\/wp\/?p=25172","title":{"rendered":"President Laments Lack Of Progress On Education Integration In The North"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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President Higgins was speaking at an All-island Women\u2019s Forum event in Co Fermanagh (PA Images)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

President Michael D Higgins has expressed his disappointment at the lack of progress on integration of housing and education in the North.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The President was speaking at an All-island Women\u2019s Forum in Co Fermanagh, organized by the All-island Women\u2019s Forum and National Women\u2019s Council of Ireland, after the latter faced criticism for not inviting female members of the Government to speak at a rally in Dublin in March.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The No Woman Left Behind rally will hear from Sinn F\u00e9in president Mary Lou McDonald, Social Democrats co-leader Roisin Shortall, Labour TD Ivana Bacik, and People Before Profit TD Brid Smith.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, it has excluded speakers from Fine Gael, Fianna F\u00e1il and the Green Party.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Speaking at the forum event in Enniskillen on Thursday, Mr Higgins described peace-building, and specifically the role of women in it, as something that both he and his wife Sabina feel passionately about.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He said peace was \u201cmore than the absence of fighting\u201d, and expressed disappointment at a lack of progress on some of the aspirations of the Good Friday Agreement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Emphasizing the importance of the role of women in peace-building, he quoted one of the event organizers, Emma De Souza, pointing out how the former Women\u2019s Coalition party raised education, mixed housing, the reintegration of political prisoners, specific language on victims\u2019 rights, and the formation of the Civic Forum.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He said: \u201cHow disappointing then, that some of these vital provisions and aspirations have been allowed to languish.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cShamefully, education remains overwhelmingly segregated, mixed housing schemes continue to under-deliver, and the Civic Forum (the consultative body in Northern Ireland created in 2000 under the Good Friday Agreement, consisting of members of various civil society bodies) was unofficially disbanded after just two years in operation.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On education, Mr Higgins said 93% of schools in Northern Ireland \u201cremain segregated\u201d, adding that young people are also segregated by the languages they speak and the sports they play, \u201cwhere some schools offer Gaelic football and hurling, others provide rugby or cricket, usually exclusively\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He added: \u201cIntegrated education is not just needed, it is overwhelmingly wanted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSurely this is a matter on which we can all unite. I believe strongly that integrated education is a key element to a successful, inclusive and harmonious future in Northern Ireland.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mr Higgins said women remain \u201cpoorly represented\u201d in political life in Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland and Great Britain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He also urged greater recognition of the roles played by women in the peace process, including former minister of state for foreign affairs Liz O\u2019Donnell and then secretary of state Mo Mowlam.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThese two women focused on the importance of listening respectfully to the other side, of making a genuine attempt to understand the fears and concerns of those with opposing views,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

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