The North's Deputy First Minister, Mr Mark Durkan, has said sectarianism is a cancer which destroys society and must be defeated.
He was speaking at the John Hewitt International Summer School in Carnlough, Co Antrim, yesterday.
"Sectarianism must be faced down. It is a cancer in our midst. Sectarianism costs lives, forces homes to be abandoned, injures our children - mentally and physically," he said.
"It convulses their families and schools and destroys communities. Sectarianism scars our society and is doing untold damage.
It simply cannot go on. We must face up to it, overcome it and reassert our determination to build an inclusive society."
Mr Durkan said it was important that politicians worked together to maintain the Stormont political institutions.
"It is vital that we continue to work together to maintain our democratic institutions. Without them we will lack the common platform on which to challenge those bent on sectarian confrontation."
He said all politicians must be united in their opposition to sectarian attacks.
"We have to make sure there is absolutely no ambiguity in the attitude of any political party to sectarian violence.
We should not try to excuse the inexcusable or tolerate the intolerable."