THIRTY politicians from Ireland, Northern Ireland and Britain leave for the US today for a week-long seminar at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University called Managing Change In A Diverse Society.
The participants were chosen by their party leaders following letters from the organisers asking them to nominate future political leaders. This, of course, begs the question as to whether the chosen ones are the party members viewed as destined for the top.
FF is sending Rory O'Hanlon; FG nominated Frances Fitzgerald; the PDs selected their candidate in Clare, Mary Mannion; Labour has Brian Fitzgerald and DL Catherine Murphy. The contingent from the North includes Dodie McGuinness of Sinn Fein and Billy Hutchinson of the PUP.
It's not a junket. Each day is filled from beginning to end with lectures on topics such as affirmative act ion and organising distrusting communities. There is a day trip to Martha's Vineyard on Wednesday which ends with dinner at the home of novelist William Styron. At the end, they will all receive a certificate,