Homecoming to celebrate those who have made the city their home

The event, which connects Belfast with diaspora around the world, will acknowledge the work of 13 individuals including second Permanent Secretary to the Cabinet Office Sue Gray, Belfast City Council Climate Commissioner Debbie Caldwell and founder of the Join Her women’s network Lori Gatsi-Barnett.

The recipients will be installed as Belfast Ambassadors during a gala dinner at Belfast City Hall which will hear from Pekka Timonen, Mayor of Lahti, Finland, the EU Green capital for 2021.

Back for its seventh annual event on Thursday, November 4, Belfast International Homecoming will this year focus on the climate emergency and the need for a green economy as the COP26 Conference takes place in Glasgow.

The thirteen nominees to be installed as Belfast Ambassadors are:

Sue Gray, Second Permanent Secretary to the Cabinet Office

Debbie Caldwell, Belfast City Council Climate Commissioner

Lori Gatsi-Barnett, founder of the Join Her Network

Anurag Deb, Paralegal at KRW Law

Councillor Ruairi Kelly, Glasgow City Council

Conal Harvey, Chair of Titanic Belfast

Conor Fegan, Barrister at Francis Taylor Building Chambers

Keith Farley, managing director and vice president of Aflac Northern Ireland

Nell Watson, Tech Ethicist at Researcher and Reformer

Patricia Canning, assistant professor of Forensic Linguistics, Stylistics and Rhetoric at Utrecht University

Shona McCarthy, chief executive of Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society

Terry Stevens, founder and managing director of Stevens and Associates Swansea

Hugh Haughian, senior director of Customer Growth, MRP, Philadelphia.

Praising each of the new nominees to be installed, Duncan Morrow, director of Community Engagement at Ulster University, said they were all ‘thoroughly deserving of the Belfast Ambassadors title’.

He continued: “Each of these recipients have made an outstanding contribution to our society and are thoroughly deserving of the Belfast Ambassadors title.

“Through principled dedication to making their own lives better, they have made positive impacts across Belfast and the world in sectors including, law, education, tourism, and international and community relations.

“This should not go without recognition.

“We look forward to celebrating with the 13 recipients on Thursday at Belfast International Homecoming and pushing forward the agenda of Belfast’s response to climate change through the hard work and determination of its people, both those from here and those who have chosen Belfast as their home.”

The Belfast International Homecoming will also off a curated series of discussions that includes a wide range of views on the most significant technologies and trends of the year. The organisers value diversity of ideas and perspectives from the speakers and audience and are proud to bring varying points of view to the stage.

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