Liberal International Award for UMass Boston’s Padraig O’Malley
Padraig O’Malley, the John Joseph Moakley Professor of Peace and Reconciliation at the University of Massachusetts Boston, today received the twenty-third Liberal International Freedom award in Brussels at the European Parliament. The award recognizes O’Malley’s outstanding contribution in support of peace and democracy throughout the world. Past recipients of this award include Chen Shui-bian, Aung San Suu Kyi, Mary Robinson, Vaclav Havel, Benazir Bhutto, Corazon Aquino, and Asma Jahangir.
Professor O’Malley, who is based at UMass Boston’s John W. McCormack Graduate School of Policy Studies, has played a crucial role in negotiating talks for a political reconciliation in Iraq by bringing the warring Sunni, Shia, and Kurd factions together for discussions with veteran peace negotiators from Northern Ireland and South Africa. Two rounds of secret meetings were held in Helsinki, as well as a third round in Baghdad, which culminated with the signing of the Helsinki II Agreement in July 2008. More information about O’Malley and his other works and publications can be found at www.mccormack.edu/chair.
“Padraig O'Malley’s work has honored Joe Moakley in the most profoundly important way possible. He has rolled up his sleeves and worked with the people of deeply divided societies to help them understand and reconcile their grievances,” said Steve Crosby, dean of the McCormack School. “And he has designed a unique new strategy for reconciliation: Using as facilitators those who have suffered from similar brutal divisions; for example, taking leaders from South Africa and Northern Ireland to work with the Iraqis. We are very proud of his work.”
Liberal International, with headquarters in Brussels (www.liberal-international.org), is the world federation of liberal and progressive democratic political parties. It was founded in 1947 to strengthen liberal protection from totalitarianism, fascism, and communism. It has since become the pre-eminent network for promoting liberalism, individual freedom, human rights, the rule of law, tolerance, equality of opportunity, social justice, free trade and a market economy.
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