By Grainne Ni Aodha, PA
President Michael D Higgins has said his thoughts are with the children in Israel and Gaza this Christmas, while also thanking migrants in Ireland who “enrich our culture”.
He said nations should “redouble their efforts for a ceasefire” and work harder towards finding resolutions to conflicts.
He also said climate change now represents an “existential battle” and that hunger, inequality and biodiversity loss have all been exacerbated by climate change, which is “amplifying global poverty, forced migrations, and famine”.
“This Christmas, we are conscious that, across the world, there are many people facing the most horrific of circumstances of war and displacement,” he said.
“We think in particular of all the children in Gaza and Israel, places known to many as a Holy Land, and that has been darkened by the taking of so many lives, and too many young lives in particular, in recent months.
“All of our hearts are made heavy by these terrible losses. So many families across our own island too will still be feeling the loss of family members to conflict, as this year we marked the 25th anniversary of the signing of the Good Friday Agreement.
“We Irish are all too aware of the horrors that can be committed, including the distortion and abuse of religious difference, when violence is allowed to quench the desire for a shared peace.
“However, history tells us, and we are conscious of it, that peace can be built, however fragile and cautious those first initial steps must be.”
He thanked “in a special way” the Irish Defence Forces members who are in Lebanon this Christmas.
“Their absences from home will mirror the experiences of many others who, owing to various circumstances, find themselves forcibly separated from the embrace of their loved ones,” he said.
“In that spirit, may I express my gratitude to the migrants who now call Ireland their home. Their presence enriches our culture, contributes to our society, bringing as they do experiences, traditions, and perspectives that make us stronger as a nation.
“As we celebrate this Christmas season, may it be a time for understanding and appreciation for one another. Let us embrace the values of tolerance and mutual respect, recognising that our differences are the threads that weave the intricate rich fabric of our shared identity.
“We, as Irish people, are all too aware of how, for so many different reasons, people have had cause to move from their places of birth in search of a better life, of security itself.
“We Irish do not put a boundary to our concerns for justice. We remember the solidarity that Irish people have shown over the decades with those vulnerable across our planet, with those seeking freedom, human rights as in South Africa, for example, or the ending of dictatorship, as in the case of the one that came to power in Chile 50 years ago.
“Christmas is a time of hope. At this time, in the deepest darkness of winter, we anticipate and celebrate the triumph of light over dark, of dreams still realisable over the setbacks of the past.”
He added: “May I wish all the Irish at home and abroad, and those who live and work with them, a very happy and peaceful Christmas and a new year full of promise, health and fulfilment.”
