Former US President Barack Obama has received an honorary doctorate from Queen’s University Belfast (QUB), praising Northern Ireland’s progress towards peace while warning that democracy and stability cannot be taken for granted.
According to BBC during a ceremony at the university, the 44th US president highlighted the importance of the Good Friday Agreement and urged young people to help build a more peaceful and inclusive society.
“The Good Friday Agreement is still a shining example of what can happen when people put aside old wounds and choose peace,” Obama told university staff and students.
Reflecting on his previous visit to Northern Ireland in 2013, Obama acknowledged the progress made in the region but said significant challenges remained for younger generations.
He warned that peace and democratic values required continuous effort, drawing comparisons with developments in the United States and other countries.
“Peace and democracy are not inevitable. They have to be chosen, again and again,” he said.
During a separate appearance at Belfast’s O2 Arena, where he spoke with award-winning writer and journalist Susan McKay, Obama also discussed the conflict between Israel and Palestine.
The Belfast Telegraph reports that he described the ongoing violence as deeply troubling and called for an end to hostilities before meaningful progress towards a lasting settlement could be achieved.
“It should pain everybody. It’s a distillation of us being trapped in history and a tribal, elemental, unforgiving divide. It’s a sort of madness,” Obama said.
He acknowledged the history of persecution suffered by Jewish people and the reasons behind the establishment of a refuge for them, while also recognising Palestinian grievances over the loss of land.
Obama criticised the approach of Israel’s current government, arguing that its military strength brought a responsibility to pursue a more sustainable path towards peace.
He warned that relying on military power without making concessions could undermine Israel’s moral standing and fail to resolve the underlying conflict.
“It is not sustainable to press upon them a condition that no-one would accept for themselves,” he said, referring to Palestinians.
Obama also said Palestinians needed a strategy that recognised Israel’s military superiority and the reality that both peoples would continue to live in the region.
He condemned Hamas’s 7 October attack, arguing that the violence had done little to advance the prospects of meaningful political change.
At the Queen’s University ceremony, Obama heard from Emma McAllister, a first-year Law with Politics student from north Belfast.
McAllister had initially connected with the university through a cross-community programme that supports young people from Ardoyne and the Shankill in accessing educational and leadership opportunities.
Responding to her experience, Obama emphasised the importance of creating opportunities for young people from different backgrounds to work together.
“That’s what peace makes possible. And it’s what Queen’s and the supporters in this room are helping to make real,” he said.
In his closing remarks, he encouraged students to continue contributing to positive change.
“And that is to keep showing the way,” he added.
Queen’s President and Vice-Chancellor, Professor Sir Ian Greer, welcomed Obama and praised his contribution to peace, dialogue and public service.
“We are privileged to welcome President Obama to Queen’s,” Greer said.
He added that Obama’s work had made a lasting impact internationally, particularly in Northern Ireland.
Honorary degrees at Queen’s are awarded to individuals who have achieved distinction or provided significant service across fields including business, education, medicine and the arts.
Previous recipients include former Manchester United footballer Gary Neville, boxer Carl Frampton, poet Seamus Heaney, former Irish President Mary McAleese and playwright Brian Friel.
Obama’s visit combined recognition of his contribution to public life with a message about the need to protect democratic institutions, sustain peace and ensure that future generations continue to benefit from Northern Ireland’s progress.
