Senator George Mitchell:

I agree this is a very important tool both in the education of the specific individuals and also in broadening the base of support in the society as a whole for actions to solidify progress. I was active in support of an effort that was led by Baroness May Blood, who, tragically, passed away recently, to encourage integrated education in Northern Ireland. I strongly favour student exchanges as a way of bringing improvements in both societies, that is, the society that sends and the society that receives. In fact, there are two scholarship programmes that have been named after me to encourage exchanges between the United States and Ireland, both the Republic and Northern Ireland, for both graduate students and community college students. Such exchanges are of benefit, as I said, to both societies.

Ms Gildernew's question, although she did not ask it specifically, points up the importance of maintaining an open border. I cannot tell the committee how surprised I was when I first went to Northern Ireland to meet with people on both sides of the Border who lived relatively close to it but had never crossed it and whose impressions of the other society were rooted in circumstances that may have existed 50 years earlier but no longer obtained. Exchanges of people, particularly of students, are especially important.

I have also been involved in programmes that actively solicit to bring children from both communities to the United States during their summer vacations. The programme started in dealing with Israeli and Palestinian students and was expanded to include youngsters from both communities in Northern Ireland. I think it is an invaluable tool in trying to garner understanding and to benefit both the individuals themselves and the society as a whole on both sides. I commend Ms Gildernew on that and I encourage it very strongly. It is a truism and a cliché but young people are the future of the society and upon them will rest decisions that are maybe not identical to those being made now but that are similar in nature. Even if by some miracle the current issues are resolved within the coming weeks and the Assembly and Executive are functioning, we know there will be other issues down the road. Having young people who have been exposed to different points of view and understand better those with whom they deal is invaluable for any society.