Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource "Voices That Must Be Heard" Articles Description An account of the resource The Independent Press Association (IPA) translates articles from the ethnic press (when necessary) and distributes them via web and fax newsletter to mainstream and ethnic press, government offices, nonprofits, and interested individuals. Voices That Must be Heard was designed by the Independent Press Association staff in New York City in response to the horrifying events of September 11. After Sept. 11th, Voices focused on the South Asian, Arab and Middle Eastern communities in New York. Since February 2002, the project has expanded, selecting articles from the broad range of ethnic and community newspapers throughout the city. Here, the Archive has preserved the Voices collection from its inception until November 2002. VTMBH Article VTMBH Article: Edition 36 VTMBH Article: Article Order 9 VTMBH Article: Title Doherty denied visa to return to United States VTMBH Article: Author Jack Holland VTMBH Article: Publication Irish Echo VTMBH Article: Original Language English VTMBH Article: Translator VTMBH Article: Section briefs VTMBH Article: Blurb VTMBH Article: Keywords VTMBH Article: Body For almost nine years, former IRA fugitive Joe Doherty fought to stay in the United States while the British government tried to extradite him, and when that failed, the U.S. administration tried to deport him. During those years, from 1983-92, Doherty became a rallying point for many Irish Americans, who saw him as a symbol of resistance to British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and her hard-line policies in Northern Ireland. He was also living proof that the British and U.S. governments attempts to characterize the IRA as mindless gunmen were propagandistic nonsense. Now, he is fighting to get back to the United States, the scene of his long struggle, so far without success. Just over two weeks ago, Dohertys application for a visa to come to the United States was turned down. This is the second time that Doherty has been refused by the U.S. authorities since he got out of prison in Northern Ireland in November 1998. This time, the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies had invited him to contribute to their upcoming conference in Baltimore from Nov. 7 to 10. Along with Alistair Little, a former loyalist paramilitary, he was asked to give a presentation to the plenary session entitled Trauma and Reconciliation -- The Case of Northern Ireland. The Americans were very interested, Doherty said last week from Belfast. They said theyd love to have us over there. He also brought with him a list of his convictions. Included on Dohertys conviction sheet were those of possessing explosives and murder -- the latter relating to a gun battle between the IRA and the British undercover squad the Special Air Services in Belfast in 1980 during which Capt. Herbert Westmacott, a 28-year-old SAS officer, was killed. The interviewer was sympathetic, Doherty said of his trip to the consulate. He waited 10 days. Then, at the beginning of September, the call came saying he was not welcome back in the country where, in the 1980s, he had helped write a bit of legal and political history. His case drew attention to the conflict in Northern Ireland and led to controversial changes to the U.S.-British extradition treaties. He became an eloquent spokesman for militant Irish republicanism. Since then, Joe Doherty has become an eloquent spokesman for reconciliation. He has gone from being a wanted IRA man to a community worker, specializing in helping troubled and disadvantaged youths. He is based in the Ashton Center in North Belfast and works in both loyalist and nationalist areas. He has been in Kosovo on a youth project and intends to return there within the coming months with a group of Catholic and Protestant youths from North Belfast. There are a lot of parallels between Northern Ireland and Kosovo, Doherty said. Talking to Serbs is a bit like talking to Unionists. There are new realities they cant face. They resist change. Its about identity. In April of this year, Dr. Oscar Daly of the department of psychiatry at Lagan Valley Hospital near Hills borough, who heard Doherty speak at a symposium in Edinburgh. Daly wrote to an official in the U.S. Consulate office in Belfast regarding Dohertys visa applications. I think we have a major opportunity to share the experiences we have had here in Northern Ireland with the worlds leading experts in the field of psychological trauma, he wrote. Acknowledging the difficulties in relation to his application, Daly stressed that Dohertys sole purpose in coming to the United States would be to take part in the conference. The letter and recommendation, including one from the deputy first minister, did not succeed in overcoming the current administrations policy on issuing visas, which has been made much tighter since September 11th. Observers also believe that because Doherty initially entered the United States on false papers, the likelihood of him being granted a waver is slim. Doherty is disappointed but quietly determined. Ive met a lot of ex-cops and soldiers, he said. We need to have an understanding. I was the man in the balaclava with the AK-47. But behind that, I was the kid who grew up during the civil rights riots with a stone in his hand. I wanted to talk about that in the United States. Of course, he would like to return to the United States for other reasons too. I want to get to New York one day to thank all the people who supported me, he said. When called, a spokesman for the U.S. Consulate in Belfast would only say, We cant comment on individual cases. VTMBH Article: Line Breaks 1 VTMBH Article: Date 2002-09-01 VTMBH Article: Thumb VTMBH Article: Article File VTMBH Article: Hit Count 75 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Doherty denied visa to return to United States 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. unknown Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. article Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2002-09-01