Sir, - Corrymeela is a Christian community of Protestants and Catholics who are committed to reconciliation. Corrymeela members met to consider the Good Friday political agreement and our reaction to it. For many years we have called on politicians to work for an agreement for Northern Ireland which would be rooted in the support of both Catholics and Protestants, British and Irish, unionists and nationalists in all economic classes. We are delighted that such an agreement appears now to have been reached and congratulate the politicians concerned for their persistence and courage in a tense and often difficult context.
Not surprisingly, there are still many in this society who remain anxious and unsure. The costs of the violence have not been equally shared among us, and we know, also within our group, of the unequal burden carried by those who have lost relatives through political violence. In future years there will be many very difficult and complicated choices to be made by all of us and we hope to play our own part in them.
Nevertheless, rejection of this agreement, without a serious and workable alternative, offers no future to us or our children except ongoing conflict and division. It is therefore essential that those who are currently campaigning for a No vote outline their workable and positive alternative - an alternative which must demonstrate wide inter-community support.
In the absence of any evidence that such a workable alternative exists, the members of the Corrymeela Community overwhelmingly support the agreement as the only credible basis for a peaceful future. - Yours, etc.,
Rev Trevor R. Williams
Leader, the Corrymeela Community, Corrymeela House, Upper Crescent, Belfast 7.