Florida Irish Activist Shawn Sidway Latest Recipient of Irish American Peace Prize
Posted By: April 10, 2019
CAPITOL HILL. Tuesday, April 9, 2019—— A dedicated Irish Activist from the state of Florida has been presented with the Irish American Peace Prize. Appropriately enough, the Prize was presented in front of the Rayburn House Office Building, where recipient Shawn Sidway had been lobbying. Among the offices, he visited was that of Congressman Alcee Hastings (D-FL), the new Chair of the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (U.S. Helsinki Commission), which previously held many Congressional Hearings on human rights in Northern Ireland. It is greatly hoped that Chairman Hastings, who has a deep commitment to social justice, equality, and human rights, will continue this grand tradition
The Irish American Peace Prize Prize was instituted last year by the Capitol Hill-based Irish National Caucus to ” to honor and recognize individuals who have struggled for Irish justice over the past 50 years.”
Caucus president, Fr. Sean Mc Manus explained when he launched the Irish American Peace Prize: “We believe this Prize was needed to bring balance, truth and a sense of realism to the whole history of the past 50 years. And, I felt that I had a duty to launch the Irish American Peace Prize in order to honor real people who have been ignored: individuals who bore the heat of the day, who were not ‘sunshine patriots,’ and who were not afraid to take a stand when it was not fashionable or easy. The reality is that many Irish-Americans were too scared or disinterested to take a stand, and some just emerged when it was easy and had no cost…”
The beautiful plaque that goes with the Irish American Peace Prize bears the Irish National Caucus’ famous logo: the Dove of Peace super-imposed on the Shamrock, with the Caucus’ motto and founding principle:’Ireland, too, has the right to be One Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.’ The plaque states that the recipient is receiving the Irish American Peace Prize for dedication to that founding principle.”
Fr. Mc Manus said:” We are honored to honor Shawn Sidway for his dedication. He has shown keen appreciation for the work we do on Capitol Hill, and he has a very realistic awareness that there remains much to be done for justice and peace in Ireland and that the US Congress has a key role to play.”
Shawn Sidway said: “I am deeply honored to receive the Irish American Peace Prize. I have traveled to Northern Ireland many times. During my visits, I experienced the natural beauty of the land and the horror of conflict. I have never forgotten the reality of what I saw there, and I became determined to become a voice for those who had theirs violently taken away. There is much work yet to be done, and I am honored to play a part in our struggle to attain social justice, equality, and human rights”.
