Mr. Tim Attwood:

I thank the Chair for inviting the Peace Summit Partnership here today. I am joined by Ms Weir, who was here in June to speak to the committee with the Falls Women's Centre. She is one of our peace guardians. Mr. Holloway from Community Dialogue is online, as is Ms Louise Malone from YouthAction NI, which is part of the partnership. We are delighted to speak to the committee 26 years after the Good Friday Agreement.

The Peace Summit Partnership is an initiative led by the John and Pat Hume Foundation and Community Dialogue in partnership with YouthAction NI, which works with young people in the North and cross-Border; Holywell Trust, which is a reconciliation organisation in Derry; the International Conflict Research Institute, INCORE, at Ulster University, which works in conflict resolution; the Integrated Education Fund; the Northern Ireland Youth Forum, which has been here previously; and the Glencree Centre for Peace and Reconciliation, which gave evidence to the committee in the past. We were set up in response to the anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement. It was important to reflect on the achievements of that agreement 25 years on, but the partners agreed that it was more important to think about the future and the unfinished business of peace and reconciliation.

We came together as a partnership to try to engage in widespread consultation, supported by the International Fund for Ireland, to talk to people in communities, such as peace activists like Ms Weir and young people especially, about where we go over the next 26 years to finish the business of reconciliation. As part of that conversation, we have engaged with peacebuilders, local communities and young people in the North, in the Border region and across the Republic of Ireland.

At this stage, we are into the second year of that consultation. We have spoken to 900 people, of whom approximately 400 have been from youth organisations or are young people themselves. That has been achieved through a number of events organised by the partners. We had a youth peace summit in April 2024. There have been peace practitioner workshops, community dialogues and citizen juries organised by Holywell Trust. They were all about reflecting on the past 26 years and the aspirations of people who worked steadfastly, similar to Ms Weir, on the ground in peace and reconciliation for so long. They included young people and the future, which is very important. The key questions related at these events include: what remains to be done in the area of peace and reconciliation? How do we achieve this? Who is responsible for implementing it?

Society, now more than ever, needs visionary leadership for peaceful change. We assert, however, that peace is more than an absence of violence and conflict; it requires active engagement in reconciliation, addressing socioeconomic disparities and disbanding sectarian structures. After our first major consultation in May 2023, we launched a report which identified 12 calls to action based on extensive consultation, as I have outlined earlier. The report talks about the unfinished business of peace and reconciliation. Those 12 recommendations deal with the political institutions and addressing deficits in the political institutions, and ensuring positive, constructive leadership is shown both at a political and community level to tackle everyday issues, whether they relate to health, cost of living, mental health or education in the context of peace.

The recommendations also refer to formulating an inclusive peace plan. We did not have an Executive in May 2023 and, therefore, we spent some time this year trying to engage with political parties and other actors on an inclusive peace plan. Given that we now have an Executive and governments with a strong commitment to peace and reconciliation on this island, it is important we have an inclusive peace plan, which should be the foundation of the programme of government.

There were conversations with young people and members about adapting the agreement. Obviously, 26 years on, there are issues around legacy, rights, equality and policing that need to be considered. People want to see adaptations to it. For example, one such area, which is pretty current at the moment, is in tackling paramilitarism, not only in terms of local communities. Young people feel this an important issue we need to address. My colleagues will highlight some of the issues around well-being and how this issue prevents political progress, as well as the negatives impacts it has in the community.

We have highlighted the need for good relations proofing and addressing segregation. While we have done a lot of good work on equality proofing, there equally needs to be work done in terms of good relation proofing when it comes to housing selection, education, recreational facilities, etc. In the call to action, priority is given to integrated education; the need for enhanced youth participation, on which Ms Louise Malone will speak later; and the creation of a vehicle for civic engagement. We obviously had the Civic Forum, but there is still a need to engage local communities in political conversations as we move things forward. There is a real need to invest in peacebuilding. While there may be financial challenges, grassroots peacebuilding and its contribution to society is undervalued. Many people do things for little, but they keep the peace in our streets and communities. They did that for the past 50 years and continue to do it today during difficult times, as we saw in the summer. Other recommendations include having enhanced societal well-being. Young people highlighted the issue of mental health in particular and how we invest in the well-being of society. Undertaking civic education on the past and the future is the final recommendation.

The Peace Summit Partnership has continued that engagement in the past six months to lobby for this inclusive peace plan. We have met political parties in Stormont, officials from the Department of Foreign Affairs and the British Government, as well as Ministers. We are also delighted to be here today to speak to this committee to advocate for an inclusive peace plan. The partnership wants to assist in the design and delivery of strategic objectives to ensure the recommendations are translated into actionable, measurable outcomes, drawing on our collective expertise in peacebuilding, community engagement and policy development.

There are many challenges. Despite progress, Northern Ireland remains deeply divided in terms of segregated housing, education and more than 80 peace walls standing as physical and psychological barriers between communities. Moreover, as I have mentioned, the lingering influence of paramilitarism and identity-based politics continues to exacerbate those tensions. As one young person said:

People in power today are too old and don’t understand the youth. They don’t understand that it’s our future, and we should be able to decide how to shape it.

This reflects a growing frustration among young people who feel alienated from decision-making processes that will determine their future. The peace process must now shift its focus from maintaining the status quo to addressing the underlying causes of division and instability. In Northern Ireland, we have the draft programme for government, which we welcome. While it highlights the need for a cross-cutting peace theme, it must serve as a roadmap to a more inclusive, integrated society. The Peace Summit Partnership is prepared to play a role in shaping that.

The peace process is at a critical juncture. At the end of the mandate of the Northern Ireland Executive, it will be 30 years since the signing of the Good Friday Agreement. All of us must act decisively to consolidate the gains of peace. The 12 calls of action that have come from our consultation offer a clear pathway forward, but their successful implementation will require not only the active collaboration of the Northern Ireland Executive, but equally that of the Irish and British Governments and civic society actors in order to move forward. We will remain committed to working with the Northern Ireland Executive and governments to ensure meaningful and measurable progress in a journey towards a shared sustainable and prosperous peace. We will continue to highlight the positive and potential of peace and reconciliation as a policy approach and not just as a tick-box exercise.

We can do much more to support peace and prosperity. Obviously, peace does not stop at the Border, nor do the dividends of peace. We welcome the report by IBEC last year on peace and prosperity which highlighted the potential and transformation of the economy because of peace. Northern Ireland, however, has not fully drawn down on these rewards due to instability. Through the reconciliation fund and the shared island fund, the Irish Government, together with the International Fund for Ireland, have played a critical role and actively support many organisation across the island, including cross-Border initiatives, in peace and reconciliation. There is a need to embed principles of peace across policymaking. It should not be left to the Executive Office in the North or the reconciliation fund in the South to hold this mantle. Peace Summit Partners provides the framework to be active and deliberate about peace. That is why we are calling for an inclusive peace plan, which needs a forward-looking, cross-departmental approach with deliverables and transparency. There should be a deep discussion on the cost of division at a time of sparse public monies in Northern Ireland. How can cross-departmental and cross-jurisdictional working advance peace and reconciliation?