Eames-Bradley report won't 'heal Province'
THE Presbyterian Church cannot depend solely on a quango such as the Eames-Bradley group to heal Northern Ireland of the Troubles, it has been claimed.
The Rev Norman Hamilton was reporting to the General Assembly in Belfast from the denomination's Church and Society group.
He said that in the Church's response to the Eames-Bradley report, the Church panel tried to put the needs of those people hurt during the Troubles at the heart of what they said.
The Eames-Bradley group hit the headlines in recent months by proposing an offer of 12,000 be made to all "victims" of the Troubles, including the families of dead terrorists - an offer which outraged unionists.
Mr Hamilton said yesterday: "We have sought to highlight the situation of the 47,000 people injured who seem to have been largely forgotten, to highlight the vital importance of the work of the Commission on Victims and Survivors and to remind everyone again that there are countless thousands of individuals who can very easily be overlooked simply because they quite literally suffer in silence."
But he said he was disturbed that there had been so little public discussion about the report and what should be done with it.
"The legacy of the past hasn't gone away you know - and will not," said Mr Hamilton.
"Eames-Bradley is not perfect, but the lack of public discussion about the issues it raises and the possible ways forward is profoundly alarming."
He added: "There is a crucial role for the Northern Ireland Assembly and Executive as the senior bodies representing every person in this Province to play a full, public and constructive role in helping us to work out what should be done, what can be done and how it will be done.
"We fully support the establishing of a legacy commission but, and it is an important 'but', we cannot look to a quango to heal our land."
Mr Hamilton said the Eames-Bradley group has set down expectations of the Church in helping heal the land.
"This call is to be taken very seriously at every level of our Church - especially at Presbytery and congregational level. There is a real expectation that we will respond properly and constructively."
He called on the Church to commit itself to play whatever part it can, both in public, behind the scenes and in homes, for the healing of the land.
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Monday 28 May 2012
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