Hume family distance themselves from new Peacemakers Museum

The family of the late John Hume have distanced themselves from the newly opened Peacemakers Museum.

The new museum, which opened to the public on Monday, features John Hume and two Sinn Féin politicians, former Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness and Mitchel McLaughlin.

The museum highlights the roles of the three men, all of whom are from the Bogside area, and the roles they played in the run-up to the Good Friday Agreement in 1998.

The Good Friday Agreement brought an end to 30 years of conflict, known as the Troubles. John Hume is regarded as a key architect of the agreement.

He, along with former UUP leader David Trimble, won the Noble Peace Prize for the efforts in bringing about an end to the conflict.

However it has emerged that the wife of the former SDLP leader and Foyle MP, Pat Hume opposed plans for the museum because of the absence of a "fundamental commitment to inclusivity".

In a statement issued on Tuesday, the Hume family published correspondence between Mrs Hume and the museum in April 2020 just a few months before Mr Hume died in August that year.

In the email, Mrs Hume stated: “I return to the fundamental concept. If John were well, he would invite you to change from a focus on three politicians, two of whom represent one view.

“He would invite you to focus on a diversity of political views and political lives. To him, this level of just inclusion would be vital and non-negotiable.

“In the absence of this fundamental commitment to inclusivity, he would not wish to be involved.

“With all that is happening at present, we do not wish to be contacted again about this unless the concept has changed to become truly inclusive.”

The Hume family said they had received further emails from museum organisers, the Gasyard Trust, and said that their mother received text messages, but did not receive a revised concept of the museum following her initial correspondence.

“We as a family cannot understand why you have chosen to focus on such a narrow range of political perspectives”, adding that “inclusiveness was foundational to our father’s political work”, a another emailed stated.

The Executive Office (TEO), which provided £1.8m to the project's development, has admitted it did not carry out "sufficient due diligence" over concerns previously raised by the Hume family.

An independent review of the process, TEO stated that while it was regrettable there was not better communication, the review found there was no breach of the terms of the funding offer.

Auditors recognised it was “regrettable that there was not better communication with the Hume family in April 2021”.

In a statement, the SDLP said: "It is unacceptable, frankly, that the wishes of the Hume family, including those of Pat Hume, were not respected by those involved in the development of this project."

"Their explicit objections were founded in the narrow ethos and focus of the project which has expunged the diverse narratives and experiences that John sought to bring together in peace.

"John Hume’s legacy isn’t something that should be used for funding applications.

“The SDLP has raised significant concerns on a number of occasions with the Executive Office as a key funder of the project and we are entirely dissatisfied with their response."

The Peacemakers Museum and the Gasyard Trust have been approached for comment.