THE North of Ireland has made tremendous progress over the last number of years and it is time for society to take the final step out of conflict by dealing with the legacy of the violence.
Speaking to several hundred people in Belfast yesterday, the Co-Chairs of the Consultative Group on the Past, Lord Robin Eames and Denis Bradley, also urged Northern Ireland's political leaders to lead society to a truly shared and reconciled future.
Lord Eames said, "Sometimes we can take the achievement of the last ten years for granted and forget how far we have come from the dark days of the violence. Our society has made huge progress and we must never forget that.
"This has been achieved through hard work, by taking difficult decisions, and by challenging everyone in society. By asking what sort of future we want and how that can be achieved. We know that one size does not fit all and we are not imposing a one size fits all approach.
"But we are recommending a one stop approach. One package and one framework that people can opt into when they feel it is right for them to do so. One package that offers many different options for individuals and communities."
Denis Bradley added, "A massive section of this report sets out a framework whereby the calls for justice, the pleas for truth, or often both, can be addressed. We have heard your pleas and we say you are right.
"And we have proposed the best way that we can construct to deliver justice and truth so that you too can move on.
"It is our best attempt at providing a level playing field for all - an alternative to public inquiries, an alternative to the justice system. These are the only tools currently available but they are not fit for the purpose of dealing with our past conflict and allowing us to move forward in a reconciled way.
"We have proposed a Legacy Commission which will, during its five year mandate, and through processes of reconciliation, justice and information recovery, promote peace and stability in Northern Ireland.
"We now need to take the next step – dealing with the legacy of our troubled and violent past. This is the final and most difficult challenge for a society moving out of conflict. Finding ways to do this was never going to be easy.
"Our politicians have been lauded for what they have achieved and rightly so but if the accommodation stays only at the political level we end up with a society that is in relative peace but is still begrudging of each other. Politicians need to give us a vision."
