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Post by earl on May 9, 2008 12:54:46 GMT
A plea for the demolition of Belfast's 40 peace-lines has come from the Mayor of New York.
Michael Bloomberg said Northern Ireland had much to offer, but suggested that "another important step was needed".
He said it was "in the interests of peace and prosperity" to remove the barriers.
The mayor made his remarks while addressing the First and Deputy First Ministers, assembly members and American visitors at Stormont.
Speaking on the benefits of partnership between Northern Ireland the United States, he said:
"The historic cultural barriers between the two communities here are slowly coming down," said Mayor Bloomberg who was in Belfast for the investment conference.
"And the sooner they do, and the sooner the physical barriers come down as well, the sooner the flood gates of private investment will open."
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Post by Jim on May 9, 2008 13:56:31 GMT
If Michael Bloomberg is willing to live beside one for 6 months then okay.
There are still a lot of trouble around those parts and as much as I hate the sight of the things some of them are needed still, which is stupid-as but can't be helped atm.
Has he ever saw them? They aren't a Berlin wall, you can go freely between them, they mainly seperate alley-ways between the backs of two houses, around the falls/springfield anyway. Some cut through streets but a lot had been taken down.
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Post by Harry on May 9, 2008 16:22:44 GMT
It is the trend that instead of coming down, new ones are being built or enlarged. He is right but i can't see it for sometime. I don't live on a peace line so have no idea on the effectiveness of the walls and whether residents support them.
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Post by Bilk on May 9, 2008 19:27:24 GMT
It is the trend that instead of coming down, new ones are being built or enlarged. He is right but i can't see it for sometime. I don't live on a peace line so have no idea on the effectiveness of the walls and whether residents support them. It's usually residents who ask for them Harry, because whether we like it or not there are still loads of areas where the tension is high. |
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Post by Wasp on May 9, 2008 20:14:13 GMT
It is the trend that instead of coming down, new ones are being built or enlarged. He is right but i can't see it for sometime. I don't live on a peace line so have no idea on the effectiveness of the walls and whether residents support them. It's usually residents who ask for them Harry, because whether we like it or not there are still loads of areas where the tension is high. Very true Bilk and there are plenty of people from both sides that are nothing short of sectarian bigots who would jump at the chance of attacking one of themuns. |
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Post by Harry on May 11, 2008 11:20:13 GMT
It is the trend that instead of coming down, new ones are being built or enlarged. He is right but i can't see it for sometime. I don't live on a peace line so have no idea on the effectiveness of the walls and whether residents support them. It's usually residents who ask for them Harry, because whether we like it or not there are still loads of areas where the tension is high. Thats what i thought Bilk. It must be terrible to have to want a big peace wall built next to your house. What sort of a life is it for those poor people on both sides of the walls  |
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Post by earl on May 12, 2008 15:54:53 GMT
If Michael Bloomberg is willing to live beside one for 6 months then okay. There are still a lot of trouble around those parts and as much as I hate the sight of the things some of them are needed still, which is stupid-as but can't be helped atm. Has he ever saw them? They aren't a Berlin wall, you can go freely between them, they mainly seperate alley-ways between the backs of two houses, around the falls/springfield anyway. Some cut through streets but a lot had been taken down. I think you've missed his point Jim. I hope he's hinting at a change in attitudes between both communities to allow a situation to occur where the walls can come down. I don't think he's suggesting just getting rid of them as it stands and seeing what happens. |
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Post by Jim on May 12, 2008 17:08:20 GMT
Ofcourse hes hinting at the change and I would agree with him slightly on the matter but to call for them to be taken down is a bit far when he's probably never saw them, or experienced life around those walls. Even I haven't, I live close to them but not directly beside them.
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Post by Harry on May 12, 2008 17:12:13 GMT
Pull down NI peace walls: Paisley
Northern Ireland has more than 40 peace walls
First Minister Ian Paisley has said that he would like to see work begin on taking down Northern Ireland's peace walls.
Speaking at ministerial question time Mr Paisley welcomed the Mayor of New York Michael Bloomberg's recent call for the structures to be demolished.
However, he said that local communities would ultimately be responsible for making the decision.
"Outsiders pulling down walls will accomplish nothing," said Mr Paisley.
"But when those on both sides of the wall mutually come to agreement and say we are taking down these walls, then we will have won a great victory and I look forward to that victory being sealed over and over again in these areas where there has been great trouble in the past days."
More than 40 so-called peace walls have been erected in sectarian flashpoint areas in Belfast, Londonderry and other parts of Northern Ireland.
During last week's investment conference Michael Bloomberg said the wall should be removed "in the interests of peace and prosperity".
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Post by Harry on May 12, 2008 17:16:05 GMT
Its alright all the boys saying what they would like to see happen to these walls but how do we get there. How do we convince those on either side of the walls that those baddies on the other side aren't really that bad.
How do we undo hundreds of years of hate and 30+ years of war?? I'd like to see Paisley give some ideas on how to bring the walls down. I'd like to see Paisley undo the seeds of hatred that that bastard planted
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Post by Bilk on May 12, 2008 18:48:56 GMT
Its alright all the boys saying what they would like to see happen to these walls but how do we get there. How do we convince those on either side of the walls that those baddies on the other side aren't really that bad. How do we undo hundreds of years of hate and 30+ years of war?? I'd like to see Paisley give some ideas on how to bring the walls down. I'd like to see Paisley undo the seeds of hatred that that bastard planted What should happen is, instead of Big Ian and Marty appearing on tv smiling like cheshire cats, and telling us what a wonderful job they are doing bringing people together. They should be out there on the coalface doing just that. There are people on both sides pissed at both parties. Why don't they start telling us what exactly it is this wonderful assembley is going to do to bring about the conditions whereby these walls can come down? |
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Post by Jim on May 12, 2008 19:58:33 GMT
The assembly hasn't even been up for a year yet, it takes a lot of time to convince people, no one ever said things would change the day the assembly took over from direct rule, and thats a mistake too many people make.
they "know" what they want and they want it yesterday.
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Post by earl on May 13, 2008 8:37:49 GMT
Its alright all the boys saying what they would like to see happen to these walls but how do we get there. How do we convince those on either side of the walls that those baddies on the other side aren't really that bad. How do we undo hundreds of years of hate and 30+ years of war?? I'd like to see Paisley give some ideas on how to bring the walls down. I'd like to see Paisley undo the seeds of hatred that that bastard planted The peace walls are probably confounding the issue. Now that the communities in these areas are isolated from each other, to the point of probably hardly seeing any folk whatsoever from the other side. Imaginations start to run wild. There be monsters on the other side of that wall. Not people. Then you have kids growing up in these environments, probably never having experienced a society non-segregated in this way and to them this is normal and those 'monsters' on the other side are to be feared, despised, and fought with if ever a chance arises. It's a sad state of affairs. |
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Post by earl on May 13, 2008 8:38:05 GMT
Pull down NI peace walls: Paisley Northern Ireland has more than 40 peace walls First Minister Ian Paisley has said that he would like to see work begin on taking down Northern Ireland's peace walls. Speaking at ministerial question time Mr Paisley welcomed the Mayor of New York Michael Bloomberg's recent call for the structures to be demolished. However, he said that local communities would ultimately be responsible for making the decision. "Outsiders pulling down walls will accomplish nothing," said Mr Paisley. "But when those on both sides of the wall mutually come to agreement and say we are taking down these walls, then we will have won a great victory and I look forward to that victory being sealed over and over again in these areas where there has been great trouble in the past days." More than 40 so-called peace walls have been erected in sectarian flashpoint areas in Belfast, Londonderry and other parts of Northern Ireland. During last week's investment conference Michael Bloomberg said the wall should be removed "in the interests of peace and prosperity Snap!! |
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