Select Committee on Northern Ireland Affairs Minutes of Evidence


Memorandum submitted by Trevor Ringland, One Small Step Campaign

  1.  There is a need for the people of Northern Ireland to deal with their past. This should be done in a way which will:

    (a)  help people deal with the past to enable them to move forward; and

    (b)  to remind us of our history to ensure it does not happen again.

2.  TRUTH AND RECONCILIATION

  Truth is always a difficult concept to achieve, ie Bloody Sunday Enquiry.

  Reconciliation—different people are at different levels when it comes to reconciliation especially as the past is still present, ie the paramilitaries are still in existence.

  A general view is that a Truth and Reconciliation Forum would be difficult to establish for a variety of reasons.

  3.  A story telling forum is a simple concept providing an opportunity for people to tell their story. It is their story, their perception of what happened and nothing more. See attached—re May Street Event—the feedback from all who attended was positive.

  Ownership of the process can be given to the community on the basis of a set of principles to ensure the cross-community nature of same and provide a degree of structure. It can be local and national, involving low profile incidents as well as high profile ones.

    —  Low Cost.

    —  Contributions to healing and understanding. Each community needs to hear the other and needs to be heard by the other.

  It could be "kick started" by specifically organised events throughout Northern Ireland.

  I would suggest a group of say, four people, are tasked to determine the basis under which a Story Telling Forum could operate. At time period of four weeks should be given to them to report. Accreditation could be given to the events ensuring its status in the Community.

13 January 2005





 
previous page contents next page

House of Commons home page Parliament home page House of Lords home page search page enquiries index

© Parliamentary copyright 2005
Prepared 14 April 2005