THE US Senator who helped broker Northern Ireland’s historic Good Friday Agreement is to visit Liverpool next week to deliver a keynote public lecture.
Senator George Mitchell will give a speech on the challenges facing western democracies in the 21st century at the Philharmonic Hall on April 24, as part of Liverpool John Moores University’s Roscoe lecture series, sponsored by law firm DLA Piper, of which the politician is global chairman.
The senator’s visit coincides with the 10th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement, a major milestone on the road to eventual peace in Northern Ireland.
Philip Rooney, managing partner at DLA Piper’s Liverpool office, said: “It is a real coup to have a statesman of this stature visiting the city during its year as Capital of Culture. It is particularly appropriate as he’s a great man of peace, and it is now 10 years on from the Good Friday Agreement. He is held in high regard not just in the US, but across the world, both for his diplomacy and his uprightness.�
As well as his work in Northern Ireland, Senator Mitchell was asked by President Bill Clinton to serve as chairman of an international fact-finding committee on the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians in the Middle East. More recently, he has spoken about the threat of climate change and what steps can be taken to curb it.
Mr Rooney added: “His lecture will deal with sustainability and green issues, of which he is a great champion, and the way in which the world’s resources can be shared between the wealthy countries, and those less fortunate.
“I am sure he will also touch on his experience in Northern Ireland, and on the need for reconciliation where there has been conflict in the past. He has those skills and will be able to give some insights into how people who have irreconcilable differences can be brought together.�
During his short stay in the city, the senator will also visit the Liverpool Tate gallery, where DLA Piper has sponsored a series of major exhibitions.
George Mitchell served a total of 14 years in the US Senate, becoming majority leader in 1989. He left the Senate in 1995 and since then has held a number of high offices and received numerous awards, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civil honour bestowed by the US Government.
TICKETS for the Roscoe lecture on Thursday, April 24, which starts at 6pm, are free, but must be obtained in advance by emailing b.mace@ljmu.ac.uk, or calling 0151 231 3852.