Memorandum submitted by Mr Colin Parry
PREAMBLE
Although I am Chairman of the charity which
I co-founded with my wife, the thoughts and comments set out below
represent my personal opinions and are not intended to be representative
of any other person or the organisation itself
Living in England means that my knowledge and
appreciation of the situation for the citizens of NI, is not always
current and so although my opinions are honest and forthright
I cannot be certain they are accurate and up to date.
PERSONAL PROFILE
— British [English] nationality.
— Liverpool born and raised.
— Christian [Protestant—C of
E]—not especially religious however.
— Educated to degree level with Honours
degree in Politics [1969].
— Career in Human Resources management
in Manufacturing sector 1969-1998.
— Self employed HR Consultant 1998-date.
— Father of Tim Parry, killed by the
IRA, Warrington 1993.
AN INQUIRY
Morally and emotionally, I support the creation
of an Inquiry to examine how best to deal with N Ireland's past.
My support is subject to certain practical caveats however:
(a) that the remit of the Inquiry takes full
and proper account of the victims of NI's past who live in Great
Britain and The Republic of Ireland, be they civilian, military,
security or exiled victims;
(b) that the Inquiry makes it clear that
the armed conflict must be declared by all factions to be at an
end before its findings are acted upon. Otherwise the Inquiry's
findings and the initiatives it puts in place will be operational
at the same time as the underlying violence is still ongoing under
the usual cloak or guise of politically motivated action. By supporting
this declaration, the various factions would acknowledge that
any further violent activities from any side, is entirely criminal
and therefore punishable through the normal criminal law process;
(c) that the process set up to "deal
with the past" following the Inquiry has set time limits
of its own so that it does not lose credibility through endless
drift;
(d) that the process gives victims/participants
a period of three months to submit their indication of wishing
to take part; and
(e) that the process has one single aim—that
of creating a climate in which true reconciliation can begin and
lead to sustainable peace between the communities.
RECONCILIATION
What It Means to Me
In the every day sense in which I use this word,
I see it as a process of bringing people of different and often
strongly opposed views closer together in order to enhance understanding/reduce
misunderstanding and distrust, through dialogue. In short, reconciliation
means narrowing gaps physically and mentally.
For me, reconciliation is the means by which
a journey from conflict to a lasting and sustainable peace is
eventually secured.
HOW IT
CAN BE
ACHIEVED
Through Inclusiveness
The essential ingredient is inclusiveness—all
parties to the conflict must be invited and encouraged to take
part in the dialogue which begins with the question "How
are we to move on from our painful past and find a new way of
peaceful co-existence?"
People are more likely to engage in this process
if they believe they are being listened to and indeed if they
accustom themselves to listen too—to the opinions and accounts
of all other shades of opinion, no matter how disagreeable they
may be.
Through Structure and Openness
I support the idea of creating "People's
Hearings" open to the public where people present what they
want or need to say as a means of expiation or personal healing.
If economically and technically practicable,
I would also support the proceedings being broadcast via a specific
TV or radio channel for the benefit of people unable to travel
to hearings at all or regularly…because of work commitments
or because of disability or for economic reasons
The principle of allowing a set period of protected
time and space in which to speak freely without interruption is
essential otherwise the process of inclusiveness will be at risk
of disorder though unwelcome/unsettling challenge.
Hearings must be chaired and efficiently managed
to provide safeguards against potentially damaging episodes of
conflict re-emerging.
A strong Chairman* with wide support for their
impartiality must be appointed.
— this may, of necessity, have to be
an individual drawn from another English speaking country with
expertise in the requisite skills.
1 December 2004
| 
