IIEA

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Institute News

John Hume – European

IIEA5th August 20202min

 

A central element of John Hume’s philosophy, and a key part of his powerful message, was a deep belief in Europe.  Through the 1980s and 1990s, as International Secretary of the Labour Party, I attended SDLP Annual Conferences and variety of gatherings of European socialist parties at which John spoke repeatedly and eloquently of the relevance of the European project for the Irish peace project.

In the European Parliament in September 1994, John Hume, acknowledged the support he had received from parliamentary colleagues in his campaign of dialogue and persuasion:

“Throughout this I have been very much inspired by my experience of Europe.  Because what we have here, with the Council present and the Commission present in this Parliament, is the greatest achievement of conflict resolution in the history of the world.  When we look back fifty years and see 35 million people dead across this Continent for a second time in this century, we must ask who could have stood up and forecast that we would all be here today – the Council, the Governments, the Commission and representatives of the people at war….we have here in this house the message of peace for everywhere.

Let us now apply to our small island the same principles and let us do what Europe did, build institutions which respect our diversity but which allow us to work our common ground together which is economics; as I often say, let us spill our sweat not our blood and in so doing begin the evolutionary healing process of breaking down barriers of prejudice, distrust and hatred that have divided our people for centuries…”

In these words, in particular in his references to the development of institutions, John Hume reflected the views of the father of the European project, Jean Monnet, who had argued that “Men are essential to change but institutions are vital to see it through.  It is institutions which govern relationships between men; they are the true cornerstones of civilization.”

Ten years later, in 2004, John Hume said farewell to the European Parliament, after a quarter of a century of membership and conscious of his failing health.  He spoke of his personal debt to the Parliament:

“I also owe a lot to this parliament and to Strasbourg in terms of my own thinking. I always tell the story of the first time I came here in 1979. I went for a walk across the bridge from Strasbourg in France to Kehl in Germany and I stopped and meditated. I thought then that if I had stood there thirty years ago at the end of the Second World War…and had said to myself ‘don’t worry, it’s all over, they will all be united very soon’, I would have been sent to a psychiatrist.”

Of course, it happened, and its reality became a founding principle for John Hume as he earned the Nobel, Ghandi and Martin Luther King peace awards, insisting that “the principles at the heart of the European Union are exactly the same as the principles at the heart of our special agreement in Northern Ireland.”

Tony Brown, Founding Member of the IIEA

Institute News

I was honoured to see, at first hand, the work of an Irish patriot – RIP John Hume

IIEA4th August 20201min

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Following the sad passing of John Hume, politician and Nobel Prize-winning peacemaker, Michael Collins, IIEA Director General and Former Irish Ambassador to the United States and Germany, said:

“John Hume’s was the voice that key American politicians listened to over three decades when The Troubles in Ireland were at their most extreme. Working in the US during these years, and later again as Ambassador in Washington, I was deeply grateful that John Hume saw the importance of America for achieving a just and lasting peace in Ireland.

His consistent message of non-violence and political inclusivity made a real difference. He connected powerful politicians with the realities of Ireland and played a huge part in dissuading those Irish Americans who were inclined, at that time, to support the IRA. His was the authentic voice of constitutional nationalism, the gold standard, around which America rallied.

I vividly remember being with him in the White House in 1993 when the Hume/Adams talks were being subjected to massive criticism by some in Ireland. The pressure on him was enormous. The strain was evident. But then, as always, John was a man of vision and courage. It was that vision and that courage that opened up the path to the peace that we enjoy in Ireland today.

Maurice Fitzpatrick’s wonderful documentary, “John Hume in America – In The Name of Peace”, shows how John Hume brought America into the Irish peace process. It would not have happened without his extraordinary work and personal sacrifice. For me, and for many, he was indeed Ireland’s greatest.”

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Careers

Future of Europe Researcher position available now

IIEA4th August 20202min

The Institute of International and European Affairs, a leading independent think-tank based in Dublin, Ireland, is seeking a full-time Researcher for the research department. The successful candidate will manage two or three portfolios in the area of European and International Affairs. 

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Careers

Administrator/Accounts Assistant – Position available immediately at the IIEA

IIEA30th July 20203min

 

Administrator/Accounts Assistant   – Position available immediately at the IIEA

The Institute of International and European Affairs is Ireland’s leading international affairs think tank. We are an independent, not-for-profit organisation with charitable status. Our aim is to provide a forum for all those interested in EU and International affairs to engage in debate and discussion, and to evaluate and share policy options.

We are seeking an energetic, experienced and dynamic individual to work on a full-time basis between the administration and accounts departments. The role will be shared equally across the two departments.

Administration duties and responsibilities:  

  • General receptionist duties – answering the phone, taking accurate messages and relay in a timely manner to colleagues
  • Ensuring meetings/events are entered accurately in the outlook calendar
  • General Administrative support as delegated for Admin department and Research/Membership departments
  • Assisting in screening of CV’s received for open job competitions and referring them to the relevant line manager for review
  • Setting up interviews during recruitment process
  • Manage and liaise with Individual Members re new membership, invoicing, updating salesforce CRM platform (training provided)
  • Managing events lists, updating attendance lists post events on Salesforce database
  • Booking taxi’s and couriers are required
  • Ordering office stationery and supplies as appropriate
  • Printing and collation of relevant papers for various committee meetings
  • Sending event invitations when other staff members are on leave and managing responses for same

Accounts Department Duties and Responsibilities: 

  • Memberships – invoicing, taking payments, pursuing payments
  • Creditors – input of invoices, reconciling statements
  • Credit Card – input transactions, tracing receipts
  • Payroll – assisting with input and payment
  • HR – transcribing contracts, upkeep of HR files
  • Responding to emails
  • All accounts filing
  • Assisting with month end procedures, audits
  • General Accounts administration

Skills / Qualifications

Essential: 

  • 2 years’ + experience in a similar role
  • Team player with an open and friendly personality and a can-do attitude
  • Good Excel, Word and email IT skills. Candidates need to be very comfortable using IT systems to carry out key parts of their roll
  • Sound understanding of general accounts processes/bookkeeping
  • Working to tight deadlines
  • Strong internal and communication skills
  • Strong sense of ownership and accountability.
  • Ability to liaise clearly with other staff members and members
  • Practical approach and application

Desirable:  

  • Qualification in bookkeeping desirable
  • Previous experience as an Accounts Assistant supporting a busy finance department
  • Experience using Database/Salesforce desirable but not essential

This job description is intended as a summary of the primary responsibilities and qualifications for this position. The job description is not intended as inclusive of all duties an individual in this position might be asked to perform or that may be required to do either now or in the future.

Application details:

  • The initial deadline for applications is Wednesday 20 August 2020. Applications will be processed upon receipt and interviews will take place on a rolling basis until the position is filled
  • Due to the expected volume of applications, we will only be able to respond to successful applicants
  • Salary is negotiable, depending on experience
  • To apply please send a CV and covering letter stating your availability in your cover letter.  with the subject line ‘Administrator/Accounts Assistant Position’ – Applications to Fionnuala Keane by email – jobs@iiea.com

 

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EnergyClimate & SustainabilityHome Featured AnalysisClimate & Sustainability BlogEnergy BlogBlog

 Germany: Steering the Winds of Change

IIEA20th July 20208min

Germany holds the Presidency of the Council of the EU and the Presidency of the North Seas Energy Cooperation for the remainder of 2020. It is using these platforms to promote the abundant potential of offshore wind energy in Europe. The next six months present an opportunity for Germany to steer the EU towards advancing the European Green Deal through the development of offshore technologies and the provision of finance opportunities for offshore wind projects.

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