Northern Ireland

John Hume: In his own words

John Hume at his Investiture as Knight Commander of the Pontifical Equestrian Order of St Gregory the Great by Bishop Edward Daly at St Eugene's Cathedral in Derry in 2012. Picture by Margaret McLaughlin
John Hume at his Investiture as Knight Commander of the Pontifical Equestrian Order of St Gregory the Great by Bishop Edward Daly at St Eugene's Cathedral in Derry in 2012. Picture by Margaret McLaughlin John Hume at his Investiture as Knight Commander of the Pontifical Equestrian Order of St Gregory the Great by Bishop Edward Daly at St Eugene's Cathedral in Derry in 2012. Picture by Margaret McLaughlin
By Seamus McKinney

JOHN Hume drove his political message home by repeating mantras such as "spill our sweat, not our blood" and "you can't eat a flag".

The following are his views on a range of issues expressed in his own words.

• On humanity - Difference is of the essence of humanity. Difference is an accident of birth and it should therefore never be the source of hatred or conflict. The answer to difference is to respect it. Therein lies a most fundamental principle of peace: respect for diversity.

• On personal ambition - I never thought in terms of being a leader. I thought very simply in terms of helping people.

• On human rights - The basis of peace and stability, in any society, has to be the fullest respect for the human rights of all its people.

Read more:

  • John Hume's Nobel prize speech set out challenge to political leaders 
  • Nobel peace prize placed John Hume in elite company 
  • Pressure of search for peace laid bare at Greysteel funerals 

• On conflict - All conflict is about difference; whether the difference is race, religion, or nationality.

• On Ian Paisley - If the word 'No' was removed from the English language, Ian Paisley would be speechless.

Ian Knox cartoon 4/8/20 
Ian Knox cartoon 4/8/20  Ian Knox cartoon 4/8/20 

• On the IRA - They believed that Britain was in Ireland defending their own interests, therefore the Irish had the right to use violence to put them out. My argument was that that type of thinking was out of date.

• On civil rights - The civil rights movement in the United States was about equality of treatment for all sections of the people, and that is precisely what our movement was about.

• On the new millennium - We're much closer together in the world today than we ever were in the past. Given that it is a much smaller world, we are in a stronger position to shape that world. As we enter the new century, and a new millennium, let us create a world in which there is no longer any war or any conflict.

• On respect - In Northern Ireland, we should have institutions that respected the differences of the people and that gave no victory to either side.

• On the future - Let us commit ourselves to spilling our sweat and not our blood.

• On Europe after the Second World War - If I had said: ‘Don’t worry. In 30 years’ time we will all be together in a new Europe, our conflicts and wars will be ended and we will be working together in our common interests’, I would have been sent to a psychiatrist. But it has happened.

• On agreement - When people are divided, the only solution is agreement.

Read more:

  • John Hume: In pictures
  • Hume loved Derry and it loved him
  • Family upbringing shaped John Hume's thinking