Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Acknowledgements
- List of Abbreviations
- Introduction
- Chapter One The Origin of the MacBride Principles
- Chapter Two MacBride and the Campaign after the Publication of the Principles
- Chapter Three MacBride and the British Government
- Chapter Four MacBride and the Irish Government
- Chapter Five MacBride and the British Labour Party
- Chapter Six MacBride, the SDLP and Sinn Féin
- Conclusion
- Appendices
- Notes
- Bibliography
- Index
Introduction
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Acknowledgements
- List of Abbreviations
- Introduction
- Chapter One The Origin of the MacBride Principles
- Chapter Two MacBride and the Campaign after the Publication of the Principles
- Chapter Three MacBride and the British Government
- Chapter Four MacBride and the Irish Government
- Chapter Five MacBride and the British Labour Party
- Chapter Six MacBride, the SDLP and Sinn Féin
- Conclusion
- Appendices
- Notes
- Bibliography
- Index
Summary
For too long the United States has been involved, in my view, in a conspiracy of silence as to what goes on in terms of human rights violations in the north of Ireland and other issues. By having this hearing we break that silence.
(Representative Robert Menendez)I have always been impressed by the importance of the Irish-American vote and political influence in the United States.
(Seán MacBride)Irish-americans have, since the great emigration following the Famine, sought to influence successive United States administrations and Congress, to persuade them to intervene in the internal affairs of the United Kingdom and support those in Ireland seeking to obtain Home Rule and (eventually) independence for Ireland. They were singularly unsuccessful until well into the second decade of the undeclared civil war in Ireland. A decision was taken to open new fronts on the battlefield away from the trenches surrounding the Congress and the White House – the Washington ‘Beltway’ – to the cities and states of the nation. The weapon to be wielded was the power of the purse. Cities and states controlled their own pension funds' investment policies. The MacBride Principles, a set of affirmative action fair employment precepts, were drawn up in 1984. US corporations with Northern Ireland subsidiaries were urged to adopt these principles, which were aimed at ending employment discrimination against Catholics.
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- The Macbride PrinciplesIrish America Strikes Back, pp. 1 - 12Publisher: Liverpool University PressPrint publication year: 2009