Reverend Karen Sethuraman:

I thank everyone for their questions and warm welcome. I will answer the first question because it was directed at me. Ms Begley is absolutely correct. There is no doubt, right across the spectrum of our communities, that Brexit has catapulted us to this place. Things are changing and shifting and people are beginning to ask whether there is something better. That is a great and very healthy question to ask. Much of the focus in this conversation is on how we get unionists to engage and bring them into the conversation. It is the wrong question to ask. I am being honest in stating that the unionist community will see this through the lens of certain political parties, whether we like that or not. This is why I am very passionate that we begin to put a light on being people led and not just politically led. That is not in any way to denigrate anyone because I am thankful for all the work members of the committee do. I could not do their job. On the question of unionists being at the table, I would not expect them to come and join my conversation about a future shared island Ireland because they are adamant. It is important to them to be part of the UK.

The reason I raise is the conversation needs to focus, and the spotlight needs to be on, building the case. The invitation is for the unionist community to build its case for being part of the UK. I will be honest that I am up for that. I am from a unionist background. I go into my meetings and have great, healthy banter with people like, "Well, here's Karen who would love to see a united Ireland and there's us who want to be part of the union". It is good, healthy banter and the root of it is, "Okay, you convince me and I'll convince you." If there is going to be a conversation at a table, then our precious unionist community must begin to build a case to be part of the UK, which it is doing.

I commend some of the groups that have been set up. We do not need to threaten violence or threaten our peace process. Healthy debate is being conducted by people like We Make NI, United UK, a new group called Union NI, or groups like Her Loyal Voice and Let's Talk Loyalism, which are groups doing what we are doing but on the other end of the spectrum. That is not a negative because the central question is not, "Do you want a united Ireland?". Of course, unionists will say, "No". The central question is how to begin to think higher than where we are, lift our eyes beyond where we are, begin to build the case for being part of the UK and look at what we are doing to begin to build the vision of us being together on this island. It is not a negative to think about unionists. The reality is their voices are just as important as any of ours.

I am interested in those people in the middle ground, who are the unheard, unseen, silent majority. I am interested in our youth, teens and students. There are voices that want to be persuaded and that is what I see. The majority of people in Northern Ireland want a better future. We just need these conversations to be structured so we can begin to plan for that. If we learn from Brexit, when people head for the polls on a big question of what they want they should be well informed. I welcome and encourage the committee to consider inviting and hearing from some of these groups, such as Union NI, We Make NI and United UK, not to convince them of a united Ireland, but to hear their vision. That is what being a neighbour is about because at the end of the day people will decide.