Mr. David Holloway:

I recorded approximately four questions and I will not attempt to respond to each of them one by one but I will have a crack at an overarching response that applies to each individually. Where the systems and structures of government are unable to respond meaningfully and effectively to these issues of paramilitarism and segregation in everyday life, the need for ethical shared remembering and multiple other issues where they are unable to respond effectively or there is an absence of political will to respond effectively, my proposal is to trust the people and pass down to the people the power to make decisions through the process of participative democracy.

Since beginning a career, both voluntary and professional, as a dialogue facilitator in the late 1980s through to today, I have found this to be almost uniformly true without fail. When people are brought into a room who are divided and polarised, who feel voiceless and a lack of confidence to speak and who are highly opinionated on different sides of divisive issues, if you get the process right, create a safe space and give them the opportunity to open up and share honestly based on their feelings, needs and experiences, you will achieve consensus on the issue you are addressing, irrespective of what that issue is.

If we take perhaps an example from the Republic of Ireland, the most public and perhaps painful issue it has addressed as a state was the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution which related to abortion rights and the bodily autonomy of female Irish citizens. That was an issue on which citizens could not engage meaningfully among themselves without painful dispute. Families cannot discuss it and politicians cannot express an opinion on it because it will impact them at the next elections.

A citizens' assembly of approximately 100 diverse citizens, with all views and none, managed to successfully reach consensus and offer proposals to the Irish Government, which itself was able to stand back from the issue and therefore not receive flak for its response. It had committed to respond to whatever the proposals were and it brought the issue to the Irish people. Irrespective of one's view on how that referendum went, the Irish people and Irish citizens were empowered to vote and reach a decision. They reached a decision that has changed to a significant extent the nature of Irish society and the experience of women in particular living in that society.

Personally, I would say on balance it was a good outcome but whether you agree or not with the result, I make the point that we need to empower and trust the people. The people can propose the effective resolution of the ongoing blight of the issue of paramilitarism across our communities; they can do it. Our citizens have the capacity to propose the resolution to segregation in everyday life. We need to empower the people to do so and commit to follow up on the responses they provide.