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.
