American Senator George Mitchell, the mediator in the talks that produced the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement, will be in conversation with Monica McWilliams on Friday 10 February, 1-2 pm, in the Great Hall at Queen’s University Belfast. The event is free and open to the public, but tickets must be reserved by contacting Mr Brett Walker ([email protected] / 028 9097 1346).
The event is hosted by the Institute at Queen’s that bears the Senator’s name: the Senator George J Mitchell Institute for Global Peace, Security and Justice.
It seems certain Mitchell and McWilliams will have plenty to talk about, as topics could range from the upcoming Northern Ireland elections, to Brexit, to the early days of the Trump Presidency.
Mitchell served 15 years as Senator from Maine, including as Senate Majority Leader from 1989 to 1995. He was President Bill Clinton’s special envoy for Northern Ireland (1995-2001) and President Barack Obama’s special envoy to the Middle East (2009-2011). He also served ten years as Chancellor at Queen’s.
McWilliams is a professor in the Transitional Justice Institute at Ulster University. She serves on a three-person panel established by the Northern Ireland government to make recommendations on the disbandment of paramilitary organizations in Northern Ireland. McWilliams co-founded the Northern Ireland Women’s Coalition and was elected as a delegate to the Multi-Party Peace Negotiations (1996-1998). She was also an MLA (1998-2003).
Disclaimer: I work in the Mitchell Institute.
Gladys is a Professor of Sociology at Queen’s University Belfast and a member of the Royal Irish Academy.
She is also a runner who has represented Ireland and Northern Ireland. She blogs on religion and politics at gladysganiel.com
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