Page 17 - The Gonzaga Record 1989
P. 17
Ireland's Youth and 1992
Peter Sutherland (1964), Attorney the demands of our age. It is a res-
General in 1982 and Ireland's former ponse which has also brought about
European Commissioner, ts now profound changes in the attitudes of
Chairman of A/B. young people and their perspectives
on life. Whilst some may argue this
At many stages in human history response has been excessively focused
contemporary man, looking at the on economic self-interest, the funda-
world around him, has considered that mental objective in the integration
he was living in a uniquely challenging process has been to bring peoples
time. The profound changes taking together who have been long divided
place so quickly today in the political by war and strife in new relationships.
and economic environment in which In many ways it has been required
we live, justify the claim that the to respond to economic realities also
opportunities and threats, particularly in trying to create an environment
to our young, are unparalleled. Some which will allow for the stimulation of
of these changes have been stimulated sufficient growth to employ our
by rapid advances in technology and young. It is seeking to rediscover old
particularly in communications. They values and put new energy into
have been facilitated by the manner in achieving long cherished goals. How-
which the world has contracted ever, it is doing much more than
through the ease with which we can simply placing old ideas in new
move from one place to another and packaging. Whilst the challenge is a
the rapidly increasing capacity to challenge to reject introverted
transmit information electronically. nationalism it is also a challenge to
However, the technological advances positively create conditions where
have been matched by political develop- people can move freely as Europeans
ments which reflect a growing recogni- within this new economic space. Mrs
tion of global, and more specifically Thatcher in her Bruges speech in
regional, interdependence. September 1988 spoke with some feel-
Viewed historically, the develop- ing of her rejection of the idea of
ment of Europe - its trade, its indus- creating an 'ldentikit' European. It
try, its science and culture-has been may be argued that she was tilting at
conditioned by interstate rivalry and windmills, for the idea behind the
competition. There have, of course, process of European integration is not
been attempts to unite Europe in the to homogenise Europeans but rather,
past, but always under the hegemony whilst maintaining our separate iden-
of a particular group. This interstate tities and cultures, to foster a
rivalry - often manifested through recognition of all that we share and
military and colonial activity - was also to provide an economic environ-
actively brought to an end by the ment which allows us to maximise our
shattering impact of World Wars 1 talents and opportunities.
and 2. The gradual process of Euro- 1992 will be seen as a major event in
pean integration which had com- post-war affairs and a rededication to
menced with the Paris Treaty in 1951 the process of European integration.
and has further been developed, par- Its main thrust may be economic but it
ticularly under the Treaty of Rome, represents far more to most Euro-
represents a remarkable response to peans. It does not exist in vacuo and
15
Peter Sutherland (1964), Attorney the demands of our age. It is a res-
General in 1982 and Ireland's former ponse which has also brought about
European Commissioner, ts now profound changes in the attitudes of
Chairman of A/B. young people and their perspectives
on life. Whilst some may argue this
At many stages in human history response has been excessively focused
contemporary man, looking at the on economic self-interest, the funda-
world around him, has considered that mental objective in the integration
he was living in a uniquely challenging process has been to bring peoples
time. The profound changes taking together who have been long divided
place so quickly today in the political by war and strife in new relationships.
and economic environment in which In many ways it has been required
we live, justify the claim that the to respond to economic realities also
opportunities and threats, particularly in trying to create an environment
to our young, are unparalleled. Some which will allow for the stimulation of
of these changes have been stimulated sufficient growth to employ our
by rapid advances in technology and young. It is seeking to rediscover old
particularly in communications. They values and put new energy into
have been facilitated by the manner in achieving long cherished goals. How-
which the world has contracted ever, it is doing much more than
through the ease with which we can simply placing old ideas in new
move from one place to another and packaging. Whilst the challenge is a
the rapidly increasing capacity to challenge to reject introverted
transmit information electronically. nationalism it is also a challenge to
However, the technological advances positively create conditions where
have been matched by political develop- people can move freely as Europeans
ments which reflect a growing recogni- within this new economic space. Mrs
tion of global, and more specifically Thatcher in her Bruges speech in
regional, interdependence. September 1988 spoke with some feel-
Viewed historically, the develop- ing of her rejection of the idea of
ment of Europe - its trade, its indus- creating an 'ldentikit' European. It
try, its science and culture-has been may be argued that she was tilting at
conditioned by interstate rivalry and windmills, for the idea behind the
competition. There have, of course, process of European integration is not
been attempts to unite Europe in the to homogenise Europeans but rather,
past, but always under the hegemony whilst maintaining our separate iden-
of a particular group. This interstate tities and cultures, to foster a
rivalry - often manifested through recognition of all that we share and
military and colonial activity - was also to provide an economic environ-
actively brought to an end by the ment which allows us to maximise our
shattering impact of World Wars 1 talents and opportunities.
and 2. The gradual process of Euro- 1992 will be seen as a major event in
pean integration which had com- post-war affairs and a rededication to
menced with the Paris Treaty in 1951 the process of European integration.
and has further been developed, par- Its main thrust may be economic but it
ticularly under the Treaty of Rome, represents far more to most Euro-
represents a remarkable response to peans. It does not exist in vacuo and
15
