Peace at Last...
Speakers: Brian Currin, Guillermo Barredo
Chair: Simon Hughes MP
Wednesday 16 February: 6.30-7.30pm
The Basque conflict has claimed more than 1,000 lives in its 43-year history. Truces, ceasefires and peace negotiations have come and gone, and in many quarters a weary cynicism greeted ETA’s recent declaration that it was giving up ’the armed struggle’. But the man at the centre of the process to move ETA away from violence thinks that this time things really are different.
Brian Currin is a remarkable figure. A human rights lawyer, he played a leading role in the struggle to end apartheid in South Africa, and was appointed by Nelson Mandela to head the Currin Commission into amnesties and indemnities left unresolved by the former government. His work with Republican and Loyalist paramilitaries in Northern Ireland in the run-up to negotiations led to other key roles in the province, including appointment by the UK Government to co-chair the NI Sentence Review Commission to manage the early release of prisoners - a role that continues.
Brian has been working on the Basque conflict since 2004. Drawing on his experience in South Africa and Northern Ireland, in December 2009 he worked with the Abertzale Left leadership to draft a statement that committed them to the Mitchell Principles on the irreversible and exclusive use of non-violence in pursuit of their political goals. His efforts since then have resulted in ETA’s recent declaration of a permanent, unilateral and verifiable ceasefire. On Monday 14 February he announced the five members of the International Contact Group, whose mandate - agreed by most of the political parties, social groups and trade unions in the Basque Country - is to help bring about political normalisation in the region’.
Guillermo Barredo is also a lawyer, former Chairman of the British Chamber of Commerce for the north of Spain and the current Vice Chairman. Throughout his career he has been committed to the defence of civil liberties in the Basque Country, and is a charter member of Fundacin para la Libertad, a charity that promotes freedom of expression and fights intolerance. He has a deep knowledge of the situation in the Basque country and has also taken part in debates and forums on Quebec and Ulster.
For venue details please contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
