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MAGINNESS - IRISH UNITY THROUGH CONSENT IN BEST INTERESTS
OF ALL THE PEOPLE OF IRELAND SDLP European candidate Alban Maginness MLA has said Irish unity is in the best interests of all the people of Ireland Speaking during a debate on reunification at Trinity College, Dublin, the North Belfast Assembly Member said this can only be achieved by consent as underpinned in the Good Friday Agreement. He said: “The SDLP believes that Irish Unity is in the best interests of all the people of this island. “This fundamental belief is a defining characteristic of the party, so much so that we have written the objective of Irish reunification into our constitution. “We believe that "North-South makes sense", on every level. However, the SDLP was the first party to look at the real meaning of "Unity", and to redefine it in light of new circumstances. From the beginning, we have taken the view that the essential meaning of the word "Unity" is "Agreement". Indeed, in Gaelic the two ideas are inseparable and are translated by the word "Aontacht". “As social democrats and supporters of the Good Friday Agreement, the SDLP are a party who are proud to call ourselves true republicans. “Each of these views compliments and underpins the other. In the 21st century Irish republicanism must not be seen as narrow nationalism. Instead we must be relentless in our pursuit of equality, unstinting in our quest for social justice and passionate in our promotion of unity, peacefully and by democratic consent. “It is now ten years since the Good Friday Agreement. 2008 is the year in which we celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Civil Rights Movement. Championing civil liberties was one dimension of this cause – asserting democratic rights was another. The rallying call of ‘one man – one vote’ started us on a journey. Through the concept of power sharing and the development of the peace process, we have seen a divided community with rival grievances arrived at shared governance. “The vision of the Civil Right Movement dared to imagine a society of equality, inclusion and healthy democracy. That vision became a reality and a democratic covenant of honour when the people of Ireland overwhelmingly endorsed by the Good Friday Agreement. “But as we stand we have still not fulfilled some of the Agreement’s promises. To victims, on the North-South Parliamentary Forum and the Civic Forum. We still do not have a Bill of Rights in the North. Nor a Charter of Rights reflecting and endorsing agreed measures for the protection of the fundamental rights of everyone living in the island of Ireland. “As a Nationalist, I am 100% for a united Ireland, just as I am 100% for the Agreement. I believe unity can be attained. In unity I believe the Agreement can and must be sustained. “Through the Agreement, we have delivered on our pledge to create an agreed Ireland by persuading others of the value of our thinking about the necessity of partnership and equality. Now we can build a united Ireland, again defined by our vision and values.
“We know we cannot achieve the quality or depth of unity we want on our own or in isolation from unionism. In the Agreement, we all accepted that unity must be achieved through consent. “We make no apology for being radical and resolute on the issue of unity. We make no apology either for working to reassure Unionism that our objective is not domination but equal partnership. We believe that unity can be achieved by reaching out to Unionists, not by reaching for them. “Those of us that share in the true republican ideals of unity among Catholic, Protestant and Dissenter must stand against those who would rubbish those ideals in a rush for domination over other traditions. “That great Irish patriot Charles Parnell once said that no one had “a right to fix the boundary to the march of a nation; no man has a right to say to his country thus far shalt thou go and no further.’’ Others may want to fix the boundary of nationalism and their country men; they want to say thus far and no further to people today, tomorrow and forever. They want to put us all in little boxes and frighten us into lowering our eyes when our neighbour passes by. That is not the SDLP’s way. The SDLP wants to march to the horizon and beyond – and we want everyone to come with us.” ENDS |
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