Sinn Féin at South African Conference on Conflict Resolution

Sinn Féin MLA Raymond McCartney, will attend a conference in South Africa this week to discuss the transition from conflict into peaceful political struggle. He will be accompanied by party members Séanna Walsh and Bairbre de Brún MEP.
The event is co-hosted by the Berghof Research Centre for Conflict Management and the South Africa Institute for Justice and Reconciliation. The conference will be introduced by Mac Mahraj, South African Minister and former political prisoner in Robben Island.
The event is a four-day conference to discuss how liberation movements move into political struggle and there will be representatives from various countries such as Sri Lanka, Colombia and Nepal. The conference is taking place in Cape Town.
Commenting on the conference Raymond McCartney said:
“I am looking forward to the opportunity to discuss the implications of the Irish Peace Process and its impact on politics and history within Ireland and also on Republican thinking.
“I also look forward to hearing other views from across the globe and hope that the Irish experience can help transform areas where conflict still exists.
“Part of the event will include a visit to Robben Island and as a former political prisoner I will be very interested to see how South Africa has used a former prison site in the reconstruction of South Africa.”