About to speak at beautiful Queen's University in Belfast to talk about all that’s been achieved in the 20 years since the Good Friday Agreement, and what the future can hold for all of us. facebook.com/QUBelfast/vide…
I do not come today as an authority with all the answers—only you will find those—but as a friend who knows how hard the people of Northern Ireland have worked and suffered to transcend old conflicts. You deserve a future worthy of that struggle.
It’s crucial that however it comes out, Brexit should not be allowed to undermine the peace and prosperity that has been so dearly won here.
Democracy is a habit. It must be practiced again and again. Yes, that means voting. But it also means debating and compromising, participating in shared institutions, and honoring the rights and needs of all citizens.
The world is watching. Northern Ireland has been a symbol to people everywhere of democracy’s power to transcend divisions and deliver prosperity, peace, and progress. We need that symbol, that reality, now more than ever.
