“We are the children of the peace process. We are united.”
A group of young activists in Northern Ireland has made an impassioned case to both Theresa May and Leo Varadkar as the threat of a hard border looms large.
The Taoiseach is set to travel to Brussels on Wednesday for a series of Brexit-related meetings.
UK Prime Minister Theresa May, meanwhile, continues to push for Britain’s separation from the European Union despite significant criticism and high profile internal disagreements.
The key issue of the backstop remains much-debated, with many people fearful of the return of difficult and violent times.
One such group lobbying for protection of the backstop is Our Future, Our Choice; a collective of young people who refer to themselves as children of the peace process.
They have launched an official appeal that calls on the Irish government and members of the UK parliament “to stand firm on the commitments made during the peace process, and in the Good Friday Agreement”.
They note that the backstop “isn’t just Brexit jargon” but the “only guarantee that we won’t see a return to the customs posts and security checks of the past.
“As children of the peace process, we are united in wanting our futures protected and stopping a return to the violence of the past.
“We don’t have a government here in Northern Ireland – and our MPs either don’t sit or are selling us out. We are voiceless in Westminster. And yet our futures will be most affected, so we’re appealing directly to you; asking you to listen to us – and to speak up for us.”
The group goes on to underline that the next few weeks will represent some of the most important in Northern Ireland’s history and could define the lives of its citizens for years to come.
Their petition is available to sign here.
“Please ensure we’re not forgotten – and that our futures are protected,” they ask.
You can watch Our Future, Our Choice’s plea in video form below.
Listen up @theresa_may:
Don’t you dare appease @Jacob_Rees_Mogg by tearing up the backstop.
We are voiceless in Westminster. We rely on you to stand with us. Sign here:https://t.co/YfpOQWIytq
Sincerely,
Young people of Northern Ireland pic.twitter.com/c9sijr2KbS— Our Future, Our Choice (@OFOCBrexit) February 1, 2019
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