Every day we spend in our trenches, refusing to cooperate and meet the needs of people and communities across this island promotes the politics of division further.

Colum Eastwood is the Leader of the SDLP

Twenty one years ago, this month, the Nobel Committee announced that John Hume and David Trimble would be awarded the Peace Prize for their work to bring an end to conflict on this island and to forge institutions which compelled people from different backgrounds and with different beliefs to work together in our substantial common interests.

The speech that John gave in Oslo when he accepted the prize is a manifesto for a reconciled society. It should be compulsory reading for anyone entering public office.

After 1000 days without a government, when people, parties and our communities have grown further apart, with the institutions of peace lying dormant and noting our current challenges, one passage stands out as clear advice to political leaders today.

Once these institutions are in place and we begin to work together in our very substantial common interests, the real healing process will begin and we will erode the distrust and prejudices of our past and our new society will evolve, based on agreement and respect for diversity. The identities of both sections of our people will be respected and there will be no victory for either side.

Today we find ourselves locked out of the institutions of the peace process as the result of a struggle between two parties for victory over each other. It wasn’t supposed to be like this. And it doesn’t have to be like this.

Six months ago, the SDLP offered a path to the restoration of devolved government that required compromise without defeat. Parties should agree, in principle, to substantial reform of the Petition of Concern, transforming it from an abusive dead-hand veto into an instrument to protect the rights and identities of minority communities – as it was intended. The North is increasingly a community of political minorities, there is a place for parliamentary devices which protect everyone from abuse.

If a consensus cannot be reached on reform, however, we believe that there should be a time-bound suspension of the veto for the lifetime of the current Assembly mandate. This would allow all of the issues of discord to be addressed by a democratic vote. If the goal in these negotiations is to force the DUP to vote for an Irish Language Act, we will not succeed. If the goal is to force others to abandon people who have had their rights denied, we will not succeed. Any approach based on victory or defeat will not succeed. We should allow parties to vote against proposals which they oppose without the threat of nuclear veto.

Every day we spend in our trenches, refusing to cooperate and meet the needs of people and communities across this island promotes the politics of division further. And it strengthens the position of those who are seeking to fight old wars on the streets of our communities.
We are at a moment of choice. We can choose to occupy the space of brave accommodation or we can retreat to the narrow politics of blame, recrimination and stalemate. The path back toward Hume’s vision of defeat for no one and victory for us all is there. We just need to walk it again.

Soapbox

This is a guest slot to give a platform for new writers either as a one off, or a prelude to becoming part of the regular Slugger team.