NEW YORK (AP) — Hillary Rodham Clinton said Monday that bringing women to the table is crucial to establishing peace agreements that last.
The former secretary of state and likely Democratic presidential contender addressed a luncheon in New York where she was inducted into the Irish America Hall of Fame by Irish America magazine. On the eve of St. Patrick’s Day, the magazine praised Clinton for her work on the Irish peace process.
Clinton did not address the controversy surrounding her use of private email during her time as secretary of state at the event. Instead she spoke about her experience meeting women in Northern Ireland and made the case that their involvement was crucial to cementing lasting peace in the region, along with the Good Friday agreement.
She described sitting at a table in Belfast with women from both sides of the conflict and watching as they discovered how much they shared, over cups of tea.
“You cannot bring peace and security to people just by signing an agreement,” she said. “In fact, most peace agreements don’t last.” She said that when “the work of peace permeates down to the kitchen table, to the backyard, to the neighborhood, around cups of tea, there’s a much greater chance the agreement will hold.”
Previous inductees of the hall of fame include former President Bill Clinton, Vice President Joe Biden and media personalities Bill O’Reilly and Chris Matthews.