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Visit by Deputy Secretary of State for Europe and Eurasian Affairs Colleen Graffy Highlights Richness of U.S.-Irish Cooperation: March 7, 2007 |
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| Colleen Graffy visiting Caritas College, where she met with participants in a program designed by the National Foundation for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE). The students presented Colleen Graffy with some of their products. |
The visit by Deputy Secretary of State for Europe and Eurasian Affairs, Colleen Graffy, focused attention on the broad range of engagement between the U.S. Embassy in Dublin and the people of Ireland. Graffy was not only engaged with some of the top policy thinkers in Ireland but also non-traditional counterparts in the Irish Community including secondary school students and young ethnic community leaders.
Graffy visited a girls’ secondary school, Caritas College, where she met with the participants in a program designed by the National Foundation for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE). NFTE began in the United States as a program to reach out to disadvantaged youth and teach them self-confidence and encourage them to stay in school by teaching students how to develop their own small business. The program has been expanded overseas and is operating in several schools in both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. Several students showed Graffy the products that they had created for sale to earn extra income. DAS Graffy proudly showed other people throughout her visit the beaded bracelet she had received as a sample for the entrepreneurship projects.
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| Ambassador Thomas C. Foley with Colleen Graffy. |
Ireland is currently witnessing a large change in the make-up of their population by the rapid growth of new immigrants. Graffy had a rousing discussion with young ethnic community leaders around the role of Islam in the “new” Ireland. Graffy solicited suggestions on how the U.S. Embassy and government could be more engaged with the Muslim community to help them develop as they become more integrated into Irish society.
This year is the 50th anniversary of the Fulbright Educational Exchange Program in Ireland. As one of the many events to celebrate the occasion the Fulbright Commission put together an art exhibit by former Fulbright recipients. DAS Graffy accompanied the U.S. Ambassador to Ireland, Thomas Foley, in opening the exhibit. The event was attended by about 300 former Fulbright recipients, friends, and supporters of the Fulbright program.
 | (L-R: Nora Owen, former Irish Minister for Justice, Colleen Graffy, Jill Donoghue, IEA and Johnny Ryan, IEA at the Institute for European Affairs.) |
The Institute for European Affairs, the premier think tank in Ireland, hosted a roundtable discussion with Colleen Graffy and well-known expert Magnus Ranstrop on how to deal with the spread of violent radicalism in Europe.
Graffy addressed the role that public diplomacy must play in reaching out to communities to break the isolationism which can often lead to a feeling of disenfranchisement and can be the seedbed for radicalism. The discussion was attended by about 75 of the leading academician, journalists, and government people in Dublin.
The successful visit by DAS Graffy strengthened the already strong ties between the United States and Ireland and highlighted new paths for cooperation.
