A Letter From Irelanda Chara, I am on the road again, in Washington D.C. this week for meetings and events to mark Saint Patrick’s Day. It will come as no surprise that this is not my first rodeo. I first came in 2007 with Martin McGuiness when he was Deputy First Minister. Times have changed since then. We have experienced political ups and downs, challenges and crises, and periods when the institutions were suspended. Throughout all of this, the US position has been constant; the protection and promotion of the Good Friday Agreement. Progress was made due to the steadfast support of the United States. The return of government in the North and the re-establishment of the North-South Ministerial Council provided a positive background to this year\’s gathering. The visit by Michelle O’Neill as First Minister makes it historic. There is nothing but goodwill for Ireland in Washington this week. Political, civic, and business leaders want our process to succeed. In a world of global uncertainty and the conflict in Gaza, our process remains a beacon of hope. In all of our meetings, the situation in Gaza has been raised. The Sinn Féin and the Irish position of an immediate ceasefire, rending aid, respect for international law, and the development of a process to deliver a two-state solution was outlined. Discussions have centered around any possible lessons from Ireland. It was raised that the conflict in Ireland was once deemed intractable. And now we have had over 25 years of relative peace. Conflicts are doomed to remain intractable unless there is a paradigm shift. For over 25 years, US government policy in Ireland deferred to Britain. It was deemed to be an internal matter for Westminster. The conflict continued until the paradigm shifted. The development of a peace process centered in Ireland was matched by a fundamental shift in US foreign policy. The Clinton administration broke with London, provided a visa for Gerry Adams, and appointed a special envoy. The pursuit of peace, facilitated by the US, became the priority. And it worked. A change in policy can create the space for a peace paradigm to develop. The building of peace requires a break from past policies that have sustained conflict. Have a good weekend, and a Happy Saint Patrick’s day. Is mise, Ciarán Ciarán Quinn is the Sinn Féin Representative to North America | 
