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S2642 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD Ð SENATE March 20, 1997 NORTHERN IRELAND WOMEN'S collapse under the weight of a renewed ter- being.'' The greatest good women can bring COALITION rorist onslaught while everyone awaits a new to the political talks, Fearon believes, is the Government in Westminster, will the Wom- ability to ``Untaint the concept of com- Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. President, ear- en's Coalition survive? It has been a rocky promise, because we have always had to com- lier this week, I met with Monica nine months since the Stormont talks and promise. It's a dirty word to men.'' Com- McWilliams of the Northern Ireland the Separate Forum meetings began, in promise may be a long way down the road, Women's Coalition. She and Pearl many respects a baptism of fire for these but there's one thing the men in the other Sagar were the only two women par- women with little experience of life at the parties could do straight away to show they ticipating in the Northern Ireland political coalface. Perhaps for that reason, are reformable. ``They've only recently been peace talks, so ably chaired by our the Women's Coalition seems nowhere near able to start calling us the Women's Coali- as depressed as the other parties by the lack tion, before that it was always the Ladies' former Senate colleague George Mitch- of progress. Coalition. They couldn't get their heads ell, when they began last June. A sense of humour helps. Monica around it. The only time they use women The Northern Ireland Women's Coali- McWilliams, a senior lecturer in social pol- was when they prefixed it with whingeing or tion is composed of Unionist and Na- icy at the University of Ulster, and Pearl whining.'' Sagar, an east Belfast community worker, tionalist women who have united in f common cause for peace and for an end need thick skins to survive the bearpit that to religious discrimination in Northern is the forum, a body boycotted by Sinn Fein and the SDLP. Ten days ago, for instance, HONORING ARNOLD ARONSON ON Ireland. The Coalition serves as an elo- the DUP MP Rev. William McCrea told the HIS 86TH BIRTHDAY quent voice of civility in an often un- Forum in his best Old Testament delivery: Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. President, I am civil climate. It is especially important ``As long as I live, I'll have a mission, which here along with a number of my col- that women's voices continue to be is to teach those two women to stand behind leagues to honor Arnie Aronson on his heard in the search for an end to the the loyal men of Ulster.'' So Sagar and McWilliams burst out singing Stand By Your 86th birthday, which was March 11. violence and a peaceful future for Arnie eminently deserves his reputa- Northern Ireland. Man. ``He was raging,'' McWilliams laughs, adding: ``You can be shocked by the abuse tion as one of the greatest founders of Monica McWilliams talks frankly you get. I had to ask the chair to call order the civil rights movement. and effectively about her commitment three times. At one stage, Ian Paisley Junior Throughout his long and brilliant ca- to inclusive peace talks and an end to started mooing.'' May Blood knows why they reer, he has been a leader in every the violence in Northern Ireland. are treated like this. ``It's because we're stage of the struggle for equal justice making inroads, they're threatened by us. Speaking about the intransigence of for all Americans. Over half a century some in the talks, she has said, ``We're The strange thing is, I would know the DUP quite well, living and working on the ago, in 1941, he headed the Bureau of naming them, we're blaming them, and Jewish employment problems, a one- we're shaming them.'' She has called Shankill. Now outside they're one thing, but I can meet them inside the talks and it's as person agency in Chicago that inves- on the IRA to restore its cease-fire, and if I didn't even exist. I can understand where tigated discrimination against Jews. called on the British Government to they're coming from, but you can't be think- There were no fax machines, no cel- admit Sinn Fein to the peace talks ing like that now. They've got to realise that lular phones, no computers then, no when the cease-fire is restored. women have as much part to play here and I television setsÐjust one person with an Monica McWilliams and her col- think this is what really bugs men.'' But it's iron will to eradicate discrimination. leagues in the Coalition have shown a not just the way they are treated by their Arnie recognized that the plague of great deal of courage in their involve- political equals that irks the Women's Coali- discrimination would not be overcome ment in the political process. Ms. tion. The media, they claim, aren't prepared unless victims of different races and re- McWilliams recently had her car van- to take them seriously either. Last month, Blood, McWilliams and Sagar were invited to ligions joined together. As Arnie once dalized, but as she bravely stated, Number Ten for talks with the prime min- said, ``the struggle for civil rights can- ``That's okay, as long as there's ister. A half-hour meeting ran on for an hour not be won by any one group acting by peace.'' and a quarter. But neither the BBC nor UTV or for itself alone, but only through a Mr. President, the Women's Coalition in Northern Ireland covered the event. The coalition of groups that share a com- offers real hope for a better future for Belfast Telegraph gave it 300 words. Northern Ireland. I ask unanimous con- ``If it had been any of the other parties, mon commitment to equal justice and sent that a recent article about the Co- they would have been all over them,'' says equal opportunity for every Amer- Kate Fearon, a 27-year-old think tank assist- ican.'' alition which appeared in the Man- ant director. ``The problem is, we tend to get chester Guardian in England be printed At that time, Arnie also formed the into the press only when we are being badly Chicago Council Against Religious and in the RECORD. treated by the other parties and it's easy to Racial Discrimination, a coalition of There being no objection, the article reel off such stories.'' They are all frustrated was ordered to be printed in the at the lack of recognition they have received religious, labor, ethnic, civil rights, and social welfare organizations. His RECORD, as follows: for the behind-the-scenes work going on at organization was immensely successful [From the Guardian, Feb. 17, 1997] the talks. The confirmation of former US Senate leader George Mitchell as chairman, in addressing the problems of discrimi- WOMEN ALL TOGETHER NOWÐIF THE POLITI- for example, in a marathon session running nation. CAL TALKS IN NORTHERN IRELAND COL- into the early hours of the morning. For over 30 years, from 1945 to 1976, LAPSE, WILL THE WOMEN'S COALITION SUR- The drafting of an ``Order in Council'' VIVE? Arnie was program director for the Na- which could immediately enact the North re- tional Jewish Community Relations (By David Sharrock) port's proposals on regulating parades was In its corridors of power, the political bro- another coup. Labour's Mo Mowlam com- Advisory Council, a coalition of na- kers of Northern Ireland's future have mented: ``If the Women's Coalition can tional and local Jewish agencies. Dur- weighty issues on their minds. Here comes produce draft legislation with such speed and ing this period, he worked on every Monica McWilliams of the Women's Coali- with very little administrative back-up, why major piece of civil rights legislation, tion, being tackled by one of Ian Paisley's can't the Government?'' Blood thinks a and every major civil rights issue. In Democratic Unionists lieutenants. Constitu- major spin-off from their party has been the 1954, after the historic Supreme Court tional reform? Bill of Rights? Cross-border promotion of women into public roles by the decision in Brown versus Board of Edu- bodies? Well no, actually. It's about the other parties. Brid Rodgers of the SDLP has cation, Arnie organized the Consult- trouser suit she's wearing. Doesn't she a much higher profile now than 12 months realise that ladies ought to wear skirts? It's ago, while women in Sinn Fein have always ative Conference on Desegregation. not easy being a woman politician in Ulster. been active but rarely received the recogni- This organization provided much-need- All the main parties have them, but as the tion they deserved. The loyalist Progressive ed support to clergy members who were DUP's Iris Robinson opined just three years Unionist Party even has its own women's ex- under fire for speaking out in favor of ago, their role has been that of the ``ordinary ecutive. the decision. He coordinated the cam- housewife'', more often in the kitchen brew- ``Iris Robinson's not saying `I'm only a paign that resulted in 1957 in the enact- ing the tea than in the conference hall mak- housewife' now. She regards and presents ment of the first civil rights laws since ing policy. herself as a credible representative of her Not any more. When John Major called an party.

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