John Hume’s role in peace process

Sir — Last week, I attended the excellent film In The Name Of Peace: John Hume in America about Mr Hume’s efforts to get American politicians interested in the Troubles in Northern Ireland in the 1970s. Jimmy Carter, who served from 1977 to 1981, was the first American president to get involved even though his involvement was quite tentative at this stage. Thus the foundations were laid for greater American involvement through to Bill Clinton, bringing Sinn Fein/IRA in from the cold and culminating in the Good Friday Agreement.

There would never have been a peace process without John Hume. He remained true to his belief in peaceful means like Martin Luther King in America.

However, his belief in inclusive politics eventually led to him being marginalised and his party, the SDLP, being overtaken by Sinn Fein as the dominant force of nationalism in Northern Ireland. As Bill Clinton said in the film, it’s as if John Hume was no longer needed and people gravitated towards the DUP and Sinn Fein, the parties which would represent their particular views the strongest.

While the violence in Northern Ireland stopped, in certain ways society is more polarised now as 86pc of children are educated in single religion schools.

There are more “peace walls” now in Belfast than at the height of the Troubles.

This was wholly unintended by John Hume and sadly is being encouraged by the DUP and Sinn Fein for selfish electoral reasons. Tommy Roddy,

Galway