Sir, - I believe that the Great Famine which started with the failure of the potato crop in 1845 changed the Irish character and culture. It was a turning point in our history. It strengthened our character and transformed us into a more generous race, made us very conscious of the sufferings of others, deepened our faith, fortified us for the difficult years ahead. It modified our culture, making us more refined and very sensitive to the feelings of others and more aware of the disasters of today in many parts of the world.
The Irish are one of the most generous nations in the world and I believe give more per capita each year to relieve the suffering of people in the Third World. Those who emigrated to America and Canada are equally generous. Some made it to the top, and brought credit on this land of ours. Men like John F. Kennedy, Senator Mike Mansfield make us proud that we are Irish.
The Great Famine brought the best out of our forbears, made them tough, stubborn and persevering, moulding them and us into a unique race which deepened our religious beliefs, which we propagated around the world, by the great diaspora after the famine. That diaspora continues to this present day, as our educated youth are to be found in many parts of the world, making a significant improvement to its development. Our missionaries too have given themselves generously to bringing the good news to so many countries around the world, making a valuable contribution to the development of peoples.
The disturbed world is presently witnessing one of the greatest movement of peoples of all time. With an estimated 60 million refugees and displaced people on our planet, and about another 40 million migrant workers, bringing the total of mobile people to about 100 million. It is a grim picture going into the third millennium, a great challenge for all of us, because it must be the concern of us all. Whether we like it or not we are our brother's keepers.
We in Refugee Trust see this great challenge and we have teams of volunteers in Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Bosnia and Uganda, giving themselves wholeheartedly to serving them, not merely materially but by reconciliation, and peace-making. Mother Teresa was once asked: "How can we transform the world." Her simple and immediate reply was: "We must begin with ourselves." - Yours, etc.,
Chairman, Refugee Trust, Stillorgan, Co Dublin.