President Biden branded Belfast a city "that's alive with commerce, art and inspiration", telling his audience during his April visit that "the dividends of peace are all around us".
Now the President's fellow-Irish Americans can get to see those dividends for themselves at the annual Belfast International Homecoming on 28-29 September.
Taking as its theme, 'Unstoppable Belfast', the tenth Homecoming celebration will showcase the very best of Belfast to a high-powered diaspora audience. And leading the international delegation to the Homecoming will be a significant delegation from American Irish Legislators Society in Albany, NY, led by newly-elected Society President Senator Brian Kavanagh.
"The goal of the Homecoming is to encourage our global family to invest its time, treasure and talent in Belfast," says event co-founder Connla McCann. "We aim to surprise and inspire our guests during their stay and to make them all ambassadors for Belfast going forward."
Among this year's special guests will be:
E. Neville Isdell, Interim President of the World Wildlife Fund and founder of the EPIC Emigration museum in Dublin. Isdell lives between South Africa, Barbados and Atlanta, where he once served as global chair of Coca Cola.
The connection between Irish America and Belfast has always been strong, and this special event ensures our bond will remain unbreakable. @newbelfast @BelfastHome @TitanicQuarter @TitanicBelfast #Belfast #Ireland pic.twitter.com/YZtiC4jrrF
— Chief Jay Hart (@Chief_JHart) October 28, 2022
Betty Yee, Outgoing Controller of California and Gubernatorial Candidate for California 2026 (USA)
Kamal Al-Solaylee, Author ‘Brown’, ‘Return: Why We Go Back To Where We Come From’ (Canada)
Such an honour to be asked to write the invocation for the Belfast Homecoming banquet at the City Hall this evening. I was humbled to read it to all the amazing leaders who work hard to make Belfast the amazing City it is. 💚 #GoodNewsMovement #GreenBelfast pic.twitter.com/gWgg4YcBpl
— Rev Karen Sethuraman (@KarenSethuraman) November 4, 2021
"Belfast, like all cities, continues to face multiple challenges," added McCann, "but its trajectory is always upwards — not least because the Irish diaspora around the world has its back. We're absolutely delighted to call that diaspora home to see the positive changes that peace has wrought and explore ways in which they can invest in the Belfast of tomorrow."
Anyone interested in attending the Homecoming can email Connla McCann direct. The emerging agenda and further details can be found online.
