A delegation from Northern Ireland, including John Hume, a member of the British parliament who received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1998 for his efforts to promote peace at home, will be visiting Atlanta on Friday, Feb. 18.
Dr. Alasdair McDonnell, deputy leader of the Social Democratic and Labour Party and a member of the delegation, would like to meet with representatives of Georgia companies interested in learning more about the advantages of investing in the area around Belfast, Northern Ireland’s capital.
“During the last 11 years of peace, Belfast and Northern Ireland have offered an incredible investment opportunity and seen its economy come out of the doldrums,” James Gaffey, founder of Ireland House, Georgia, told GlobalAtlanta.
Ireland House, Georgia, is a foundation that Mr. Gaffey set up to support Irish-related activities here. When he learned of Mr. Hume’s upcoming visit to New York and Washington, he extended an invitation for him to come to Atlanta.
Mr. Hume, who was last in Atlanta in 1999, accepted and appearances have been scheduled for him at Emory University and Georgia State University. He received the Martin Luther King Prize for Non-Violence during his 1999 visit to Atlanta.
Mr. Hume was a key figure in the 1998 Good Friday Agreement, which was reached between the British and Irish governments and ratified in an island-wide referendum.
He is to be in the lobby of Georgia State’s Rialto Theater at 1:30 p.m. and at Emory’s Claus M. Halle Institute for Global Learning in White Hall at 4 p.m.
To schedule a meeting with Dr. McDonnell or to learn more about the delegation’s visit, call Mr. Gaffey at (770) 448-0685 or send an email to jfgaffey@bellsouth.net.