Write a commentSouth Armagh MLA Megan Fearon was recently invited to take part in a US Government Exchange project along with five other MLAs by the US Consulate General.
The event aimed to further long-standing and deep ties between the United States and Ireland and the MLA has described the trip as an “extremely worthwhile event.”
“The Department has a long track record of supporting emerging and existing leaders in politics and across civil society in Ireland. A number of Ministers in the Executive, as well as Members of the legislative Assembly, are alumni of these programs,” said Consul General Daniel Lawton.
“As part of our ongoing support for Northern Ireland’s devolved government we are providing a unique opportunity for ten key local participants to gain a better understanding of democratic processes in the United States.
“The program will include visits to local state legislatures in Washington D.C, Boston, Massachusetts and Arkansas.”
Ms Fearon returned from the exchange last week “This was an extremely worthwhile event that has certainly left all those involved with a lot to think about
“As we attempt to build a fair and representative democracy here in Ireland it is always worth finding out more about the practices of other countries.
“In addition to the practical benefits this project is one of many strands that allow Ireland to maintain its special relationship with the US, a relationship of huge historical importance but one that also holds enormous economic potential for the future.
“With one in six Irish people now living abroad, many of them forced to seek work in other countries by the austere regimes of right wing governments in Britain and the south, it’s important that we maintain current and develop new diplomatic links around the world.”
