Very Rev. Dr. Norman Hamilton:

I will speak for two minutes. There is a huge difficulty in getting people from these communities elected because the weight of votes does not lie in a constituency in these areas; it lies in what one might call the more suburban areas. There is a significant demographic and constituency boundary challenge to make what Deputy Martin Ferris wants happen. I agree that we need to elect people from the urban areas to the political leadership.

Dealing with the past has come up in a variety of forms, whether the historic role of the churches or the involvement of competence in the political process. Specifically, we are not at all persuaded of the need for an international commission for truth and reconciliation because truth, or the search for it, can easily become a weapon to be used against others rather than as a mechanism for healing. Our preference is for an international commission for community healing, which is prospective, rather than a commission for truth, which is primarily retrospective. I know the argument about not heading into the future without having dealt with the past, but we think an emphasis on truth would prevent community healing, which is the future for our kids. I will leave it at that, having made the offer to pursue these issues with the committee in more detail.