Madam, - A "short, sharp and focused review" of the operation of the Belfast Agreement is due to take place in January. This may well be sufficient to remedy some of the practical problems experienced in the running of the political institutions and - who knows? - if enough of the Christmas spirit prevails it may even break the lengthy logjam over decommissioning and democracy.
But will such a review be enough to deliver long-term stability? Can it resolve the deep-rooted problems that have bedevilled the Agreement over the past five years? Can it turn back the tide of alienation and increased division, and result in arrangements "capable of attracting and sustaining support from the community as a whole"? Can it address and advance those essential aspects of peace-building which the Agreement highlighted and to which the politicians and governments committed themselves - healing the wounds and hurts of the conflict, acknowledging the suffering and needs of all the victims, promoting "a culture of tolerance at every level of society", fostering "mutual respect for the identity and ethos of both communities" and building "mutual understanding and respect within and between communities and traditions, in Northern Ireland and between North and South"?
A tall order, but these are the aspirations that convinced many people to vote for the Agreement in 1998, recognising that they would require long-term work and commitment from all levels of society, but that this was necessary if the crippling legacy of the past was finally to be laid to rest.
Over the past five years enormous efforts and resources have been put into delivering - and attempting to sustain - the political and institutional aspects of the Agreement. But the unbalanced implementation of the Agreement, the cherry-picking and foot-dragging practised by some parties, the relatively low priority given to the reconciliation and healing process, and the failure to make a real difference to the everyday lives of people in disadvantaged communities have put severe strains on the peace-building process and hampered the promotion of more harmonious relationships between communities. Any review of the operation of the Agreement must include an honest look at how these aspects have been advanced, North and South, in the past five years, and provide for ongoing mechanisms to carry forward this examination when the "short, sharp and focused review" has run its course.
The Good Friday Agreement has no sustenance, no relevance, unless it addresses both the political and societal aspects of the conflict. -
Yours, etc.,
JULITTA CLANCY,
Meath Peace Group,
Parsonstown,
Batterstown,
Co Meath.