Sujet 1 - Partie 2 · Bac Anglais, monde contemporain Métropole 2022

Document A

Ireland is finally recognising the potential of its diaspora

Ireland is a small country with a huge diaspora. It is estimated that more than 70 million people across the globe claim some degree of Irish ancestry or affiliation. This diaspora is a unique reservoir of goodwill, support and “soft power” for Ireland. No other western European country can draw on such an extraordinary resource. […]

As acting taoiseach 1 Enda Kenny said in a foreword to the first comprehensive statement of official policy on the diaspora, Global Irish: Ireland's Diaspora Policy, published just over a year ago, the history of the global Irish is integral to the story of the Irish nation:

“The voice of this small nation is hugely amplified by the many millions around the globe who are Irish by birth or by descent or by affiliation. Our diaspora are an important part of our story as a nation. They are part of who we are as a people, what we have done and where we have gone in this world.”

We have […] the first Minister for the Diaspora Jimmy Deenihan, and diaspora engagement is a core element of Irish foreign policy. The significance of the huge exodus of Irish people for at least four centuries is now finally recognised by an Irish State which, since its foundation in 1922, saw emigration as an embarrassment and affront to Irish self-government. […]

So what does the diaspora mean to modern Ireland today? Personal contact between emigrants and family and friends in Ireland is of course the most tangible connection between Ireland and its emigrants. In one respect, the consciousness of a diaspora is found in the many relationships that now cross oceans and national borders. For the “lost generation” 2 who have left since 2008, keeping in touch with home is a vital activity while living abroad. Family members may not describe their loved ones as being part of the global Irish, as they hope this exile will only be a temporary expedient.

This wave of emigration will affect the development of Irish society for decades to come.

The Irish Times, April 12th, 2016

1 Prime Minister

2 people affected by the financial crisis

Document B

Ireland has become an “unlikely diplomatic superpower,” says The Economist

In its latest issue, The Economist, a London-based newspaper, discusses how Ireland has emerged as an “unlikely diplomatic superpower” in global politics, despite suffering one of the worst economic crashes in the state's history barely a decade ago.

Ireland's growing status on the world stage was recently re-affirmed by Paschal Donohoe, the country's finance minister, becoming president of the Eurogroup, an influential group of Eurozone finance ministers. The trend is there for everyone to see.

Last month, for instance, Ireland won a seat on the United Nations Security Council, beating off the likes of Canada, while Philip Lane, the former head of Ireland's Central Bank, is now the brains behind the European Central Bank in spite of Ireland's ignominious recession in 2008.

Irish Commissioner Philip Hogan is the European Union Commissioner for Trade, while Irish politicians very much shaped the EU's response to Brexit through their concerns over the border in Northern Ireland.

Politicians and diplomats from Ireland have taken a multi-faceted approach to international diplomacy that has ensured that Ireland is viewed favorably in virtually every corner of the globe. […]

Ireland won its seat on the UN Security Council with a different approach altogether, including handing out free tickets to Riverdance 1 and U2 2. In essence, Ireland played on its stereotypes and its world renowned musical quality to triumph over Canada, who could only offer Celine Dion in return.

Ireland has always played on its stereotypes to improve diplomatic relations with foreign countries, that is no secret. But the St. Patrick's Day niceties aren't just limited to America. In reality, Irish ministers jet off around the globe, improving relations with far-flung places like South Korea as they go.

Ireland's financial performance over the past decade has endeared it 3 to the richest countries in Europe, while its background of a poverty-stricken vessel of the British Empire has endeared it with the poorer countries in southern Europe.

Its history of emigration, meanwhile, means that there are prominent Irish communities and political organizations in countries the world over, particularly in America and Britain.

For a small country on the outskirts of Europe, Ireland hasn't done too badly.

Irish Central, July 2020

1 Irish dancing show

2 famous Irish rock band

3 made it dear

Document C

[Irish] Central Statistics Office, August 31st, 2021

Traduisez en français le passage suivant du document A (l. 18-23):

So what does the diaspora mean to modern Ireland today? Personal contact between emigrants and family and friends in Ireland is of course the most tangible connection between Ireland and its emigrants. In one respect, the consciousness of a diaspora is found in the many relationships that now cross oceans and national borders. For the "lost generation" who have left since 2008, keeping in touch with home is a vital activity while living abroad.