12 February 1998 Edition
Growing US support for Cearta
By Ned Kelly
THE last three weeks have seen the continued rise in American support for Cearta, the pressure group set up to campaign for human rights for Six County nationalists.
The Massachusetts State Senate became the first US state to throw its weight behind the group's Charter for Change when it passed a resolution supporting the call for guaranteed democratic rights and fundamental change in the Six Counties. Massachusetts was also the first state to embrace and endorse the MacBride principles.
Cearta has led a highly successful campaign to get individuals and organisations to support the need to dismantle Six County institutions historically linked with injustice and discrimination. This includes `root and branch' reform of all aspects of the legal system and the disbanding of the RUC.
In America among those passing resolutions in support of the Cearta principles are Massachusetts State; Rockwood County; New York City Council; the Uniformed Firefighters Association; the North Californian Service Employees Union; the Northeast Council of State Labour Federations; the 400,000 strong American Postal Workers Union; the National Health Care Workers Union; and Joint Council 16 of the Teamsters.
Meanwhile in Belfast, Inez McCormack, regional secretary of UNISON, has also pledged her support to the principles of the Charter, saying, ``initiatives directed at ensuring justice and fairness on an inclusive basis urgently need to be made a reality.''
THE last three weeks have seen the continued rise in American support for Cearta, the pressure group set up to campaign for human rights for Six County nationalists.
The Massachusetts State Senate became the first US state to throw its weight behind the group's Charter for Change when it passed a resolution supporting the call for guaranteed democratic rights and fundamental change in the Six Counties. Massachusetts was also the first state to embrace and endorse the MacBride principles.
Cearta has led a highly successful campaign to get individuals and organisations to support the need to dismantle Six County institutions historically linked with injustice and discrimination. This includes `root and branch' reform of all aspects of the legal system and the disbanding of the RUC.
In America among those passing resolutions in support of the Cearta principles are Massachusetts State; Rockwood County; New York City Council; the Uniformed Firefighters Association; the North Californian Service Employees Union; the Northeast Council of State Labour Federations; the 400,000 strong American Postal Workers Union; the National Health Care Workers Union; and Joint Council 16 of the Teamsters.
Meanwhile in Belfast, Inez McCormack, regional secretary of UNISON, has also pledged her support to the principles of the Charter, saying, ``initiatives directed at ensuring justice and fairness on an inclusive basis urgently need to be made a reality.''