Photo impression of conference on the Good Friday Agreement
On 25 May, Schouwburgstraat hosted an conference on the 25th Anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement. This event brought together a panel of speakers who were either involved in the negotiations or who have first-hand experience of Northern Ireland and insight into the outcome of the Agreement.
The speakers include: David Cooney, Secretary General of Ireland’s Department of Foreign Affairs from 2009 to 2014, former Ambassador to the United Kingdom and a member of the Irish Government team for the negotiation of the Good Friday Agreement. Bronagh Hinds, a key participant in the Good Friday Agreement negotiations for the Women’s Coalition and the former Deputy Chief Commissioner of the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland. And Dr Katy Radford, Chair of British Council Northern Ireland’s Advisory Committee and UK Electoral Commissioner with responsibility for Northern Ireland. Dr Joost Augusteijn, the foremost specialist on Irish Affairs in the Netherlands, was the moderator during the roundtable that followed.
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Panel members David Cooney, Bronagh Hinds, Dr Katy Radford with the ambassadors of the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland with the convenor Dr. Joost Augusteijn -
Ambassador Brendan Rogers (Republic of Ireland) speaking about his personal recollections of The Troubles -
Ambassador Joanna Roper (United Kingdom) talking about the significance of the peace in Northern Ireland for international cooperation -
Speakers together with the ambassadors of Republic of Ireland, United Kingdom, Rwanda, Luxemburg and Bulgaria. -
Dr Augusteijn asking Bronagh Hinds about the experience in the negotiations between nationalist and unionists as a member of the Women’s Coalition -
Dr Karen Smith challenging the panel to delf a bit deeper. -
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The reception afterwards enabled many lively discussion, with many students of various Leiden programmes showing their interest and involvement in peacemaking efforts