The National Irish
Freedom Committee (NIFC) will engage in cultural related
activities to raise the cultural and historical level of
consciousness amongst those of Irish heritage to ensure that our
cultural heritage, values, and traditions are preserved for
future generations of Irish-Americans.
To fully appreciate
our unique cultural heritage we must understand that culture is
more than the appreciation of Irish music, dance and literature.
Our culture encompasses language, family life, religious
beliefs, ceremonies, games, wars, and famines; in essence it
includes all distinct human activities and experiences passed on
from one generation to another. The study of our culture and the
various traits that combine to form its' system of values helps
us to understand who we are as a people. Our cultural heritage
is fashioned by centuries of repression and subjugation. It has
endured wars, famine, plague, religious prosecution, plantation,
language suppression, draconian laws and more recently political
prosecution.
There are many Irish
Cultural organizations here in the Unites States performing
valuable work to preserve our cultural heritage. Irish based
companies have staged world-class productions in every major
cultural center here in the United States and throughout the
world. Irish-Americans have contributed in no small way to the
success of these productions i.e., as in the case of Riverdance
where the main performers were Irish Americans. The NIFC
acknowledges these organization and companies for their
contributions in preserving and fostering our cultural heritage.
Down through the
centuries Ireland has produced some of the world's greatest
scholars, writers, poets, and artists. Because of prejudice and
intolerance many of these talented individuals left Ireland to
practice their art elsewhere. Others who were forced to leave
Ireland because of political activism, man-made famine, or lack
of opportunity became in their own right renowned statesmen,
politicians, judges, doctors, businessmen and women in their
adopted countries. All of these individuals make us proud of our
Irish roots and we cherish their contributions to our proud
heritage.
There are other
organizations in the United States and elsewhere engaged in
charitable work caring for Irish émigrés who have fallen on hard
times because of sickness, addiction, lack of education or
mental illness. The Irish authorities ignore the plight of these
unfortunate individuals and unashamedly stand by while
charitable organizations struggle to care for them.
The policy of
successive Irish 26-county governments since home rule in 1922
has been to encourage emigration, then disown and disenfranchise
those who leave. For instance, Irish citizens living abroad are
denied the right to vote in elections in Ireland. Governments in
most other countries allow their citizens living abroad to vote
in elections in their homeland. The NIFC views this unfortunate
and shameful situation to be an inherent part of our cultural
heritage and lauds these organizations that have taken on what
by right is the responsibility of the Irish authorities. The
NIFC will do its part to support these organizations.
The Irish Diaspora
consists of over 70 million people scattered throughout the
world. It is estimated that over 40 million of these reside in
the United States. As with others living elsewhere in the world,
Irish Americans have a much different perspective of historic
events as they unfold in Ireland and elsewhere than our cousins
living in Ireland. These different viewpoints are shaped by many
factors including geography, vestiges of colonial repression,
exposure to other cultures, government and religious
institutions laws and individual freedoms. The NIFC considers
the Irish in America and Irish-Americans to be well informed and
capable of independent thought and judgment with respect to the
political, economic and social life of Ireland.
To this end the NIFC will support other Irish-American
organizations engaged in raising the level of awareness of our
cultural heritage. In addition to supporting other
organizations, the NIFC will pursue its own initiative; to raise
the level of awareness of Irelands' struggle for its
independence in a reunited sovereign nation free to determine
and charter its own destiny. This initiative will concentrate on
providing our supporters and other interested individuals with
information with respect to books, movies, websites and videos
that depict Ireland's struggle for independence and the plight
and sacrifices of its sons and daughters down through the
centuries.
