THOUGHT LEADERSHIP
BRINGING IT
HOME
Roseann Kelly , Chief Executive of Women in Business , challenges us to maintain the shared vision of a prosperous Northern Ireland that will attract our diaspera home .
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n recent years we have seen initiatives north and south of the border aimed at presenting the island of Ireland as a promised land for the vast Irish and Ulster diasporas to consider longingly as an investment destination as well as a place to return to permanently .
Martin O ’ Muilleoir ’ s 2014 initiative and Northern Ireland Connect ’ s parallel efforts to appeal to the thousands of Irish and Ulster descendants dotted around the world looked full of promise and provided realistic optimism . Thousands did come back . But only for a holiday .
As I headed to Liverpool to visit my post graduate children recently , it was clear to me that they would not be part of a returning diaspora .
Nor would thousands of others . My great hope that they would come home and work here , was dashed .
My children were now part of the Northern Ireland “ brain drain ” statistic , swept away from here as the political squabbles became too big to ignore .
Who could expect them , never mind inward investors , to come home and work for a lot less money , in a place that has no leadership , no government , remains a divided society and has a segregated education system ?
Just eight months ago we had an election campaign where real issues such as health , education , jobs and social justice were talked about working for all the people .
Leaders talked of their shared vision for a prosperous Northern Ireland for everyone . We had hope of a new era , one of long term plans , one with a 12.5 per cent corporation tax point , with a new improved Programme for Government , a new era of cooperation and a commitment to making Northern Ireland , if not great again , at least workable .
This was a place that was going to attract the big global companies , become the new Silicon Valley with the high paying jobs and become an international standard vibrant tourist destination .
Now the leadership has brought out the old barriers , the talk is of fraud and corruption , we have a collapsed executive , a “ brutal ” election is looming and a hard Brexit coming .
All the ills and flaws of old divisions and sectarianism , an inability to reconcile and a tribal outlook have conspired to paint us as the back water we tried so hard to not become .
Alexander Pope said : “ Blessed is he who expects nothing , for he shall never be disappointed .” It ’ s not good enough but it ’ s the best we have when we consider the future right now .
The Northern Ireland business community has proven that it can bypass Stormont and continue apace , providing growth and economic hope but it cannot do this in the long term in the absence of political leadership and vision , strategic planning and an agreed programme for government .
Hope lies with the businesses of which there are more than 80,0000 in Northern Ireland .
Right now , in the absence of any sensible vision , leadership or reconciliation , the business community needs to lead by example , it must cooperate and collaborate and it must do its best to continue to grow .
QUOTABLEQUOTE
Alexander Pope said : “ Blessed is he who expects nothing , for he shall never be disappointed .” It ’ s not good enough but it ’ s the best we have when we consider the future right now .
It ’ s over to us to keep the hopes alive to make Northern Ireland a place where people want to work and live .
36 www . businessfirstonline . co . uk