Editor:
I write this on the 4th of July, a day marked for celebrating the success of what was viewed at the time as an American experiment.
People with different interests and religions came together to form a united nation. Since that era, and some would say starting long before, the Irish people have been engaged in a similar struggle to form a united nation.
There have been multiple armed conflicts and what for decades seemed to be insurmountable divisions in society. In 1998, with invaluable assistance and pushing from the United States, the Irish, north and south, agreed on a path of peace and reconciliation, which has not yet ended.
An end point, agreed to by the North, the Republic, the British and the United States there will be referenda in both parts of Ireland on whether to unite as a single country.
The time for the referendum is coming closer and closer. Many factors are contributing to increasing momentum towards unification of Ireland: Brexit means young people in the Republic enjoy greater educational and employment opportunities than their peers a few miles away.
Religious differences no longer fuel division to the degree they did for centuries. The economy of the Republic is much more vibrant and is growing faster than that of the North.
Proponents of civil society in Ireland must build bridges. To cite just one example, strong and vibrant organizations to advance the position of women exist on both sides of the border.
They should at least combine efforts even if they can’t combine in full. Along the same lines, there should be a comprehensive examination of ways to increase efficient delivery of service to people by combining rather than duplicating them.
All those things must, however, be supplemented by the work of America and, in particular, of Irish Americans. The United States has an ongoing role to play in fostering connections through economic investment in both the Republic and the North.
The United States also has an ongoing role to play in ensuring that the British government honors its commitments.
Without American support, it would be easy to see the British simply postponing a referendum in the North in perpetuity.
The United States also has a role to play in ensuring that the Republic does not backslide on its commitments, as it sometimes seems willing to do.
The Irish American Unity Conference and similar organizations are working hard to remind our government of its interests - both moral and economic - and of the need not to forget the essential role that this country has played in advancing the cause of peace, reconciliation and unification in Ireland.
We urge readers of the Irish Echo to speak up by contacting government and business leaders to tell them that Irish Americans view these issues as important and are watching.
John Guttmann, Washington, D.C.
John S. Guttmann is a member of the Board of Directors Irish American Unity Conference
