Bill Clinton hears powerful plea from Derry youth for restored Stormont and 'tolerant, liberal society'

The pleas were made by two students who addressed the former US President at the Hume Foundation’s ‘Making Hope and History Rhyme’ event to mark the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement (GFA) in the Guildhall on Tuesday.

Ellianna McBride, from Foyle College, and James Tourish, from St. Columb’s College, both 18, weren’t born when the accord was signed.

Elianna described how she was at ‘a decision-making crossroads’ about whether or not to leave home to pursue her adult life elsewhere like ‘too many’ had.

"Peace has however created the context for politics and for political institutions to work for our collective benefit. Those institutions need to function now.

"The lack of decision-making for pressing issues in health care, employment and education is failing our people.

"We need political stability if NI is to become a vibrant, innovative economy and a tolerant, liberal society desired by its young people,” she said.

James told the audience how the ‘moral duty’ of the post-GFA generations must be to ‘ensure that this island never sees violence and conflict ever again’.

"Let us work together not to find a unionist answer, nor the nationalist answer, but the right answer to the issues we all face today in society.

"The future will not always be smooth and certainly will not be without hardship but let us try because as the youth and the future of this island, if we don't then who will?”

85 photographs of Bill Clinton’s visit to Derry