Mass education has been the driving force behind Ireland’s peace and prosperity, President Mary McAleese has told an audience in San Francisco University.
Mrs McAleese, on a week-long trip to the west coast of the United States, said the task of finding peace in Ireland “has taken literally centuries.”
“For the seeds of hatred and mistrust, which gave rise to conflict among neighbours, generation after generation, were sown deep in our history as an unhappily and immorally colonised people,” she said at a ceremony at the University of San Francisco during which she was conferred with an honorary degree.
“Those toxic seeds proved to have a very, very long shelf-life.
“In this university I can say without fear of contradiction that it is no accident that peace emerged in the generation which is the best-educated and most accomplished in our history.
“With the analytical skills and the confidence of mass second and third-level education there grew space for new thinking and for the compromises on all sides that peace agreements such as ours needs.”
Mrs McAleese spoke of Ireland’s history that has “faced and transcended colonial domination, poverty, famine, waves of emigration, sectarianism and conflict”.
“This is the first generation in our history to have known a confluence of peace and prosperity," she said.
“With our newfound power, which was largely underpinned by widened access to education, we have built a generous, just and agreed peace with our long-estranged neighbours and a globalised, entrepreneurial economy of opportunity, openness and innovation. “
Mrs McAleese arrived in the US yesterday for a seven-day stay which will see her travel to California, Oregon and Arizona.
The purpose of the visit is to strengthen Irish-American trade, technology, business and cultural links. Later today, she will attend the American Ireland Fund Women's Lunch, followed by a reception at the United Irish Cultural Centre.
Tomorrow the President will speak at a business event at Stanford University attended by representatives of key Silicon Valley companies. She will also officially open San Francisco Youth League GAA fields and attend a reception hosted by the Irish Immigration and Pastoral Centre, a self-help organisation run by and for Irish immigrants.
On Saturday Mrs McAleese will depart for Oregon where she will unveil a replica of the Clonmacnoise Cross of the Scriptures in Portland to commemorate the Irish who travelled there during the Famine. She will also address a business lunch hosted by Enterprise Ireland and attend a reception to mark the 70th anniversary of the All-Ireland Cultural Society of Oregon.
The President will attend events in Phoenix, Arizona and Los Angeles before returning to Dublin next Wednesday.
