Madam, - It is right and fitting that we celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Belfast Agreement and its historic achievements. It is important to recognise the progress that has been made, the historic developments which would have been inconceivable even five years ago and the transformation and the growing normalisation that has been made possible for so many people.
It is fitting also that we pay tribute to the courageous and dedicated people who brought this about - above all, the many people who took the risks, made sacrifices, faced down intimidation, bigotry and cynicism, worked for healing and non-retaliation in the aftermath of horrific atrocities, took the first tentative steps in dialogue, sought a better way forward and kept the hope of peace alive through all the long years of suffering.
But, while we celebrate, it is important that we recognise we have not yet achieved real peace on this island and that the peace attained is still fragile and incomplete.
For peace is not only the absence of violence; it is not only about equality, human rights, the rule of law, an accountable and acceptable police service, accountable and representative political institutions, improvements in education, investment and jobs. It is all of these but it is also much more.
In a divided society, a society where there is still so much segregation, distrust, misunderstanding, hurt, pain, bitterness, historic legacies, alienation, sectarianism and even fear, true peace requires more work. There is a real danger that, in our celebration, we might become complacent, that the politicians, the media and indeed civil society (especially here in the Republic) might feel tempted to believe that the sufferings should now be relegated to the past, that we can move on to other things, and that politics and investment alone will ensure a better future.
It is important that we acknowledge there is much work to be done and that the opportunity is taken to assess this, both in Northern Ireland and in the Republic. We need to acknowledge that, despite the optimism and euphoria of April/May 1998, it took nine years and a great deal of pain and effort to bring about the implementation of the basic institutions and political reforms of the Good Friday Agreement - and to remember why that was so.
We need to acknowledge and address the alienation, hurt and distrust that still exist, the forces that still threaten violence, the gaps in our own understanding and the need to empower our young people so that they can play their part in the future.
We need to learn to bring about a situation on this island where there is a real sense of peace, identity, comfort and belonging, where it is no longer a question of "making peace without sacrificing our identity", but rather one of recognising, understanding and respecting each other's identity, culture, experiences and aspirations, and building a society throughout the island where the aspirations of the Good Friday Agreement - the "achievement of reconciliation, tolerance and mutual trust" - become real for all.
- Yours, etc,
JULITTA CLANCY, Meath Peace Group, Parsonstown, Batterstown, Co Meath.