Hume, who died Monday at age 83, shared the 1998 Nobel Peace Prize with the Protestant leader of the Ulster Unionist Party, David Trimble. Their efforts ended the sectarian violence that plagued the region for three decades and left more than 3,500 people dead. Starting out as a civil rights activist, Hume fought for equal rights in what was then a Protestant-ruled state. Although he advocated for a united Ireland, Hume believed change could not come to Northern Ireland without the consent of its Protestant majority. He also realized that better relations needed to be forged between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland and between London and Dublin.

Source: International New York Times August 05, 2020 13:18 UTC