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Belfast Live
Belfast Live
National
Niall Deeney

12 steps to tackle peace process 'crisis' set out at Derry summit

Restoring Stormont, tackling paramilitary groups, and adapting the Good Friday Agreement are some of the actions needed to address a peace process in "crisis", a peace summit in Derry has heard.

Organised by the John and Pat Hume Foundation, the summit took place at Ulster University's Magee campus on Friday.

Academics, community workers, young people and former politicians took part in the event to reflect on the "progress of peace and reconciliation" since the Good Friday Agreement.

Read more: Labour leader Keir Starmer believes Windsor Framework will end Stormont deadlock

A report based on what the Hume foundation described as "months of engagement with peacebuilders, local communities and young people across the island of Ireland" has now been put out for consultation.

Summarising the views of nearly 600 people from various summits, citizens assemblies and workshops, the report sets out a series of 'actions' to tackle a peace process described as being "in crisis".

The actions include 'ensuring functional leadership', formulating an 'inclusive peace plan', tackling paramilitarism and integrating education.

Former PUP leader Dawn Purvis, now the vice chair of the Hume foundation, said the summit dealt with the "unfinished business of the Good Friday Agreement".

Speaking to Belfast Live, she said: "I joined the foundation at its inception a couple of years ago and we've been involved in creating a number of events and seminars around the unfinished business of the Good Friday Agreement.

"One of those events is happening today [Friday], the Peace Summit, which is the culmination of a number of conversations since October last year both with civic society and with young people.

"They have produced a consultation document with a call to action - that's 12 things that people would like to see in terms of moving forward from where we are today."

Asked about how society has moved on since the Agreement was signed nearly 25 years ago, she said: "I think the most positive thing is the absence of structured violence from society and from paramilitaries, which has allowed society to move forward.

"We've opened our doors to newcomers, new economic migrants and people from countries all over the world, so we now have a rich and diverse society - sadly not represented in either the political arena or anywhere else in society but here, nonetheless, and contributing to our society."

She added: "I think we've moved on in terms of policy. We're a much more progressive society than what we were previously. I think we have much more to do, but certainly the optimism is there, the hope is there that we can build upon."

On the need for change, she said: "There is a whole range of things that need to happen if we are to build an inclusive society. For example, we need the institutions up and running. We need to hear a range of voices within those institutions or opportunities or ways to create forums where other voices can be heard. We need to see more investment in societal wellbeing, in mental health - that was the message coming from the young people who took part in the discussions. We still need to deal with the legacy of the past but certainly the young people who were involved said they want to learn from the past in order to build a better future. We need to end segregation. We need to tackle paramilitarism."

She added: "There's a whole range of other things that we need to do so I would ask people to read the report. It's out for consultation. The consultation closes on Good Friday and we would welcome everyone's views."

The 12 'actions' in the report are as follows:

1. Re-establish Political Institutions and Address Deficits

2. Ensure Functional Leadership

3. Formulate an Inclusive Peace Plan

4. Adapt the Agreement

5. Tackle Paramilitarism

6. Good Relations Proofing and Address Segregation

7. Integrate Education

8. Enhance Youth Participation

9. Create a Vehicle for Civic Engagement

10. Invest in Peacebuilding

11. Enhance Social Well-Being

12. Civic Education on the Past for the Future


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