Currently at the Memorial & Museum

Father Alex Reid Receives the 2009 Reflections of Hope Award

April 19, 2009

Father Alex Reid was honored for his life’s work in the peace process in Northern Ireland at the 2009 Reflections of Hope Award dinner, Sunday evening at the Skirvin Hilton. In a special ceremony featuring traditional Irish songs and entertainment, Fr. Reid was presented the award by Kim Henry, First Lady of Oklahoma and Honorary Chair, Selection Committee; Judge Jerome Holmes, Chair, Selection Committee; Kari Watkins, Executive Director, Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum and Martin Rouine, Consul General of Ireland, Chicago. NBC news anchor Ann Curry delivered the keynote address and KFOR-DT NewsChannel 4 Anchor Linda Cavanaugh.

Fr. Reid's work was long term and behind the scenes. He brought to the Irish conflict two very important recognitions: (1) in order to have the space to initiate a peace process, you have to stop the atrocities being committed by both sides and (2) success in any peace process requires inclusion of all parties who speak for recognized constituencies. Even today, as dissidents continue outbreaks of violence, Father Reid’s philosophies are being used to promote peace. His goal was to stop the killing in Northern Ireland so peace could start, and it was his early work that persuaded the Irish Republican Army to put down their arms.

Fr. Reid has said, "You cannot do anything without the help of the Lord. Also, that the dignity of the human person is a prime moral value in all human affairs and dialogue. Respecting the dignity of the human person, is the only way to resolve political conflict."

The Reflections of Hope Award®, established in 2005 as part of the 10th anniversary commemoration of the Oklahoma City bombing, honors a living person or currently-active organization whose conduct exemplifies in an extraordinary fashion two core beliefs of the Oklahoma City National Memorial Foundation: that hope can survive and blossom amidst the tragedy and chaos of political violence and that, even in environments marred by such violence, peaceful, nonviolent approaches provide the best answers to human problems. More specifically, the Reflections of Hope Award recognizes a person or organization, in the United States or abroad, that have worked very successfully in a spirit of peace and nonviolence to selflessly better the lives of those around them, despite operating in an environment of political violence.

The Reflections of Hope Award was established by the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation in honor of Linda Lambert's service to the Memorial. Ann Curry's appearance was made possible through the generous support of the Ethics and Excellence in Journalism Foundation.

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