President Clinton, Mr John Sweeney, president of the AFL-CIO labour federation and Mr John Hume, MEP and leader of the SDLP, were given awards at the annual Flax Trust dinner in Washington.
The Flax Trust has been sponsoring job creation projects in deprived areas of Belfast to help community relations since 1977. It is supported by US politicians and corporations and is run by Sister Mary Turley and Father Myles Kavanagh.
President Clinton's award of bog oak was received on his behalf by the White House legal counsel, Mr Jack Quinn. Mr Hume, introduced by Congressman Joe Kennedy, spoke to the guests by telephone link from Derry. Mr Sweeney, whose parents came from Co Leitrim, was introduced by Congressman Ben Gilman.
