PRESS RELEASE JAN 6 2016
DREW UNIVERSITY, N.J. TO HONOR FORMER CONGRESSMAN BRUCE MORRISON WITH PEACEBUILDER AWARD IN
DUBLIN, IRELAND. PRESIDENT MICHAEL D. HIGGINS WILL PRESENT AWARD TO MR. MORRISON JAN 10th CLUB NA
MUINTEORI PARNELL SQUARE 7.30 P.M. THIS EVENT IS PART OF THE DREW UNIVERSITY ANNUAL TRIP & IRISH
STUDIES CONFERENCE IN IRELAND.
www.taccireland.com
drewtransatlantic@gmail.com
Contact Niamh Hamill 087 2941232
# Drew University is a private, co-educational University located in Madison, New Jersey. The Transatlantic
Connections Program is a unique Drew University event, run by the Irish Studies Program at Drew University, in
partnership with the Institute of Study Abroad Ireland, based in Bundoran, County Donegal. www.isaireland.com
Each January, Drew University faculty, scholars and alumni visit Ireland for a week-long trip which includes a
special event, by the Center for Religion, Conflict and Culture at Drew University, to honor a significant PeaceBuilder who has contributed to the Irish Peace Process. This year, the Peace Builder award will be presented to
former Congressman Bruce Morrison, on Sunday January 10th at 7.30 p.m. at Club Na Muinteoiri, Parnell Square.
The President of Ireland, Michael D. Higgins, will present the award to Mr. Morrison.
In 1992, Bruce Morrison formed Irish Americans for Clinton-Gore, which recruited Bill Clinton to support an
activist agenda to assist in ending the Troubles in Northern Ireland. Clinton’s pledges during the campaign became
the basis of his work on the Irish Peace Process when in office. Morrison formed the Americans for a New Irish
Agenda to support and encourage these efforts. Morrison acted as a key intermediary between Gerry Adams,
leader of the Sinn Féin party, the White House, and the Irish government led by Albert Reynolds. Morrison,
O'Dowd, Bill Flynn (former CEO of Mutual of America Insurance Co.), Philanthropist Chuck Feeney, and Joe
Jamison and Bill Lenahan of the Irish American Labor Coalition were crucial in paving the way for Adams's
controversial visa into the U.S. in February 1994 to address the National Committee on American Foreign Policy
and for the Provisional Irish Republican Army's (IRA) ceasefire declaration of August 1994. Morrison continued to
play an active role in the Peace Process throughout the 1990s and conducted negotiations leading to the renewed
IRA ceasefire in 1997.
This event is followed by a four-day Drew University Irish Studies Transatlantic Connections Conference, which
takes place in Bundoran, Co. Donegal from Wednesday January 13th-Saturday January 17th. See
www.taccireland.com for details. ###