Two high-profile commemorations marking the 10th anniversary of the Belfast Agreement will be held in April and May this year.
Senator George Mitchell is to take part in both conferences which will each take place in Belfast. The April gathering will be organised by the US-Ireland Alliance, the May conference will be held under the auspices of Queen's University Belfast.
Along with Mr Mitchell, de- commissioning chief Gen John de Chastelain and former SDLP leader John Hume will also be taking part in the April series of events which will have the additional aim of promoting efforts to prevent suicide in Ireland.
Others taking part in April include Ulster Unionist Party leader Sir Reg Empey, former ministers at the Department of Foreign Affairs David Andrews and Liz O'Donnell, former Northern Ireland secretary Paul Murphy and former presiding officer of the Northern Ireland Assembly Lord Alderdice.
Founded in 1998 to develop a broader and deeper relationship between the two countries, the US-Ireland Alliance administers a variety of projects including the annual Mitchell Scholarship scheme whereby about 12 Americans are enabled to spend a year attending university in the Republic or Northern Ireland.
The Queen's University event, known as the Mitchell Conference, takes place on May 22nd and 23rd. Mr Mitchell is chancellor of the university and the conference will be part of the QUB centenary celebrations marking the college's attainment of university status in its own right.
The conference theme will be "How Conflicts End: Lessons from Northern Ireland 10 Years on from the Good Friday Agreement" and other participants include former president of Ireland Mary Robinson, former taoiseach Albert Reynolds, Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness, former UUP leader Lord Trimble, former Northern Ireland deputy first minister Seamus Mallon, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, journalist and author Conor O'Clery and Northern Ireland Chief Commissioner for Human Rights Monica McWilliams.
"The two days in May will bring people together from different walks of life, all of whom were integral to building peace and securing future stability," Mr Mitchell said.
