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President of the Irish Association
This is the 70th anniversary of the Irish Association, which was formed in 1938 with the principal objective of
developing communication, understanding and co-operation between all people of Ireland both North and South.
The Association is a non-party political and non-sectarian Association which aims 'to make reason and goodwill
take the place of passion and prejudice in Ireland, North and South'.
On the island of Ireland, 2008 is a period of major change; devolution in Northern Ireland, with elected representatives
taking forward the peace process and significant economic success in the South; some common sense developments such
as the increase in immigration and the challenges of globalisation. During the past seven decades, the Irish
Association has made a real contribution to the growth of tolerance, reconciliation, mutual trust and human rights.
We are now faced with a challenge to transform and sustain the dynamism to continuously recreate generative platforms
and processes to enable new forms of relationships to emerge on the island of Ireland.
Over the last number of years the Association has organised a range of events designed to promote dialogue and
understanding on a range of cultural, economic and social relations on an all island basis.
The success of the Annual Conference last year has encouraged us to build on these achievements and to provide a
platform to stimulate discussion about the next 70 years of the Irish Association; how to create new spaces for
new forms of relationship to emerge and to develop healthy social political interaction that respects diversity
and inclusivity addresses the interests of people and communities in Ireland.
As President of the Association it is my firm belief that the organisation has a vital role to play in developing
and promoting dialogue particularly at this time of significant political, social and economic change. It gives me
great pleasure therefore to highlight in this publication some of the previous work of the Association in promoting
this agenda and in continuing this work in 2008.
Professor Pauline Murphy
President
Irish Association for Cultural, Economic and Social Relations
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