The Five Demands

Il futuro condiviso resterà una chimera fino a quando non verrà raggiunto la consapevolezza di poter guardare oltre ai fantasmi del passato

Il vortice del settarismo sta minacciosamente tentando di risucchiare l’Irlanda del Nord, come testimoniato dai fatti degli ultimi giorni.
Ogni tentativo di uscire dal pantano del passato viene ingiustamente screditato e l’obiettivo di un futuro condiviso è tutt’altro che a portata di mano.
Come sottolinea Michael Jackson, vescovo di Clogher, “vaste aree del nostro Paese e le persone sono costantemente e continuamente in pericolo di essere riportati al settarismo”.
“La teoria politica e sociale ha prevaricato la risposta della Chiesa in termini di parole, idee, attività, ma ancora la filosofia di un futuro comune rimane un affare incompiuto e contestato in Irlanda del Nord”.
A dimostrarlo la reazione alla relazione di Robin Eames e Denis Bradley alla testa del Consultative Group on the Past che aveva raccomandato la costituzione di una Commissione allo scopo di aiutare le vittime di atrocità del passato ad ottenere informazioni.
Proposta lodevole nonchè già utilizzata come un modello di risoluzione dei conflitti a livello internazionale, annullata però dal clamore suscitato dalla seguente proposta di un risarcimento pari a £ 12.000  destinato ai familiari di tutte le vittime ‘, inclusi coloro le cui azioni hanno segnato la sorte delle vittime stesse.
Quella che serve ora è una presa di posizione della Chiesa, come indicato dal Vescovo Jackson, che si impegni, sulla base del Section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998,  a promuovere le pari opportunità tra le persone dei differenti strati sociali della comunità.

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• How best to address the legacy of Northern Ireland’s troubled past? (leftfootforward.org)

Bishop issues sectarianism warning (Independent)
Northern Ireland risks being dragged back into a past of sectarianism, a Church of Ireland bishop warned
Creating a shared future is an important piece of unfinished and contested business and efforts to address the problem have been unfairly discredited, Bishop of Clogher Michael Jackson added.
A Consultative Group on the Past headed by former Church of Ireland primate Lord Robin Eames and ex-Policing Board vice-chairman Denis Bradley recommended a legacy commission to help victims of past atrocities obtain information.
But the idea was overshadowed by the outcry which followed its suggestion that £12,000 be paid to all victims’ relatives, including bombers killed by their own hand.
Bishop Jackson told a Dublin interface conference: “Vast tracts of our country and people are constantly and continually in danger of being taken back into sectarianism, whether polite or less polite, from a vacuum to a vortex.
“The political and social theory has moved ahead of the church’s response in terms of words, ideas, activities but still the philosophy of a shared future remains unfinished and contested business in Northern Ireland.
“The findings and recommendations of the Consultative Group on the Past – alias The Eames-Bradley Commission – despite already being used as a template in sophisticated conflict resolution internationally, found its impact whittled away almost to nothing in the minds of so many because of the specific £12,000 payment suggested to families of victims.”
Presbyterian Moderator Norman Hamilton has also warned of the need to make progress on creating a shared future. His north Belfast Ballysillan congregation is at the centre of one of the most divided parts of Northern Ireland. Division erupted into violence at Ardoyne in July with days of rioting between police and nationalists.
Bishop Jackson said the church needed to promote equality of opportunity as outlined in Section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998.
“Would it not be something rather wonderful were the Church of Ireland to grapple creatively, compassionately and courageously with the spirit contained within the letter of Section 75, rather than, perhaps, looking quizzically at it over our half-moon glasses, and looking to see what of ourselves as we are we can safeguard as we pick through it?” he asked.