April Unity News
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PATRICK THOMAS THOMAS JOSEPH ÉAMONN JAMES SEÁN PEARSE McDONAGH CLARKE PLUNKETT CEANNT CONNOLLY Mac DIARMADA #Time4Unity UNITY# AM LE hAONTACHT NEWS NUACHT NA hAONTACHTA APRIL AIBREÁN 2021 THERE WILL BE IS FÉIDIRÉIRE AWriting forREFERENDUM Unity News Úachtaran Shinn Féin Mary Lou McDonald said: AgNUA scríobh do Unity News A dúirt ÚachtaranCHRUTHÚ Shinn Féin Mary Lou McDonald: “There is a growing conversation throughout Ireland about the constitutional “Tá an comhrá ar fud na hÉireann faoi thodhchaí bunreachtúil an oileáin ag dul i future of the island. It is an exciting and dynamic discussion about an méad. Plé corraitheach dinimiciúil atá faoi dheis nach bhfuil ag mórán i saol an opportunity few have in the modern world; to build a new society shaped from lae inniu; sochaí nua a chruthú ón talamh aníos ag na daoine. the ground up by the people. Tá an díospóireacht ar aontacht na hÉireann anois i gcroílár an chláir oibre The debate on Irish unity is now at the heart of the political agenda in a way pholaitiúil ar bhealach nach bhfacthas ó cuireadh an chríochdheighilt céad not seen since partition was imposed a century ago. Partition was a disaster for bliain ó shin. Tubaiste d’Éirinn, Thuaidh agus Theas ba ea an chríochdheighilt. Ireland, North and South. It divided our land, our people and our economy. Rinnean tír, an mhuintir agus an geilleagar a roinnt. The imposition of Brexit against the democratically expressed wishes of the Toisc gur cuireadh an Breatimeacht i bhfeidhm i gcoinne thoil mhuintir an people of the North has brought partition once again into sharp relief. The Tuaiscirt léiríodh tá béim mhór arís ar an mBreatimeacht. Tá neamhaird rialtas British government’s disregard of the majority vote against Brexit in 2016 is na Breataine ar vóta an tromlaigh i gcoinne an Bhreatimeachta in 2016 ag encouraging a rethink by many about the potential for a new Ireland, a shared spreagadh athmhachnaimh ó go leor faoin bhféidearthacht go mbeadh Éire nua Ireland. More and more people believe a new Ireland is possible. ann, Éire chomhroinnte. Creideann níos mó agus níos mó daoine gur féidir Éire Independent economic studies have shown that a United Ireland would bring nua a chruthú. economic and employment benefits. Civic society groups are campaigning and Taispeánann staidéir eacnamaíocha neamhspleácha go mbeadh buntáistí holding online events discussing Irish unity. Recently groups of trade unionists eacnamaíocha agus fostaíochta ann ach Éire Aontaithe a bheith ann. Tá grúpaí have joined together to play their part in the conversation and to advocate for de shaoránaigh i mbun feachtais agus ag reáchtáil imeachtaí ar líne ag plé Irish unity in the interest of workers’ rights. Irish America too, which played aontacht na hÉireann. Le déanaí tháinig grúpaí ceardchumainn le chéile chun a key role in the peace process, is joining in the conversation. Successive páirt a ghlacadh sa chomhrá agus chun aontacht na hÉireann a mholadh ar opinion polls have also shown increasing numbers of people wanting mhaithe le cearta oibrithe. Tá Éire Mheiriceá freisin, a raibh ról lárnach Irish unity. aige i bpróiseas na síochána, ag glacadh páirte sa chomhrá. Taispeánann Sinn Féin is not calling for a referendum to be held tomorrow or pobalbhreitheanna rathúla líon méadaitheach daoine atá ag iarraidh next week. There is a need for preparation and for a proper debate aontacht na hÉireann. and discussion. It is also important to note that many unionists are Níl Sinn Féin ag éileamh go reáchtálfar reifreann amárach nó already taking part in this conversation. an tseachtain seo chugainn. Tá gá le hullmhú agus le haghaidh So, the Irish government needs to lead the way. It should bring díospóireachta agus plé ceart. Tá sé tábhachtach a thabhairt faoi deara forward a white paper on Irish unity and convene a Citizens’ go bhfuil go leor aontachtaithe ag glacadh páirte sa chomhrá seo cheana Assembly/Convention inclusive of the entire island to address the féin. many issues arising from the process of constitutional change. Mar sin, caithfidh rialtas na hÉireann an bealach a threorú. Ba One thing we can be certain of – the referendum on Irish cheart dó páipéar bán ar aontacht na hÉireann a thabhairt Unity will take place. Sinn Féin members need to prepare ar aghaidh agus Tionól / Coinbhinsiún Saoránach a thionól now for it. That means being fully informed on all a chuimsíonn an t-oileán ar fad chun aghaidh a thabhairt the issues involved and persuading others in your ar an iliomad saincheisteanna a éiríonn as an bpróiseas circle of friends, family, work place and community athraithe bunreachtúil. of the merits of Unity. It means making alliances Rud amháin ar féidir linn a bheith cinnte de - beidh with others of like mind so that an unstoppable reifreann ann. Tá sé de dhualgas ar Phoblachtánaigh, mar momentum is created. That cannot happen without aon le daoine eile ar aon intinn, ullmhú don reifreann sin you.” chun a chinntiú mbíonn an lá linn. “ Mary Lou McDonald, TD Mary Lou McDonald, TD Inclusion and Reconciliation in the new Ireland Republicans believe that society must reflect and include Among the proposals that will be contained in the paper: the entirety of its people, not part of them. People have ‘Inclusion and Reconciliation in a New Ireland’ will be the rights and entitlements. Their human dignity must be provision of an all-island Charter of Rights to protect the 2021MARCH acknowledged and upheld. Inclusivity is vital. Equality is status, rights and aspirations of all citizens. It will reflect vital. MÁRTA the commitments in the Good Friday Agreement to the right In the North political and religious sectarianism poses to equal opportunity, the right of women to full and equal a significant challenge to this. As part of our desire for political participation and the right to freedom from sectarian a greater understanding of the issues involved and of INCLUSIONAND harassment, and much more. the measures needed to confront sectarianism and hate Proposals will also call for an anti-sectarian charter to be Sinn Féin this month commenced an internal dialogue on RECONCILIATION included in the pledge of Office for Ministers, MLAs TDs and local inclusion and reconciliation. A new policy document will be IN A NEW Councillors and an all island reconciliation strategy under the published shortly on these vital matters. IRELAND auspices of the North South Ministerial Council. A number of online meetings have been held by Declan So, as the discussion on the unity referendum and a united Kearney and others in our leadership. These have been very Ireland increases; as new ideas and proposals emerge with well attended and the conversations have been engaged, increasing momentum around the shape and form of that new positive and grounded in our republican philosophy. It is Ireland republicans need the most informed debate possible. important that these discussions are brought into every Everything should be on the table for discussion. That’s the way Cumann and Comhairle Ceantair. forward. While no one was able to travel to the USA this St. Unity Referendum.” Hibernians; the Brehon Law Society; Friends of Sinn Fein, IRISHPatrick’s Day because of the pandemicAMERICA restrictions it The initiative was supportedAND by the Ancient Order IRISH of USA; Irish American UNITY Unity Conference; James Connolly was still nonetheless a good couple of weeks for Irish American Labor Coalition; Ladies Ancient Order of the peace process, the Good Friday Agreement, the Hibernians. The ads also had the effect of generating demand for the referendum on unity and for the significant interest in the Irish media. campaign for a United Ireland. In addition a cross party group of Senators introduced Friends of Sinn Féin successfully fund-raised the a resolution in the Senate reaffirming bipartisan money to pay for major adverts in the New York support for the Good Friday Agreement and for the Irish Times, the Washington Post and the Irish American Protocol. Subsequently Úachtaran Shinn Féin Mary papers. Under the banner headline: ‘A United Ireland: Lou McDonald and Joint First Minister Michelle O’Neill Let the People have their say’, the message was clear. briefed the Congressional Friends of Ireland Caucus “The Good Friday Agreement has changed Ireland for on Capitol Hill. And later still Michelle joined with the better. Challenges remain but twenty-three years DUP leader and Joint First Minister Arlene Foster in a on Ireland continues to seek the full implementation conference call with President Biden and Vice President of the Good Friday Agreement. The Unionist electoral Kamala Harris. majority in the North is gone. Their rights, and the Once again the US administration made clear its rights of all, are guaranteed in a United Ireland. It support for the Good Friday Agreement. That would will be a welcoming home for all... As Americans, we not happen without the endeavours of United Ireland call upon our government and public representatives activists in North America. Thank you. Keep up the to urge the British Government to set the date for the good work. 32 The debate surrounding the reunification of Ireland has begun across a Tá an díospóireacht fá cheist athaontaithe Éireann faoi lán seoil in wide range of sectors. However, to date there has been a lackPLÉ of debate achan earnáil a bheag nó a mhór. Fairíor, is beag cainte atá déanta through the medium of Irish on the future of the Irish Language in an trí mheán na Gaeilge nó dioscúrsa fá thodhchaí na Gaeilge i stát uile- all-Ireland state. Éireann. To that end, Sinn Féin welcomes the establishment of Plé32. It has been Chuige sin, tá feachtas nua ar na meáin shóisialta curtha ar an fhód set up as a social media based campaign that seeks the promote the dár dteideal ‘Plé32’ leis a díospóireacht seo a spreagadh i measc na debate through the medium of Irish for the ever-growing number of Irish nGael.