PRESS RELEASE : Sinn Féin Commission publishes report of Belfast People’s Assembly [December 2022]
The press release issued by Sinn Fein on 8 December 2022.
Declan Kearney MLA who is Chairperson of the Sinn Féin Commission on the Future of Ireland today published the report of the Belfast People’s Assembly. This event took place on 12 October in the Waterfront Hall.
Link to the report is here:
https://www.sinnfein.ie/files/2022/A5_REPORTCommissionFutureIre.pdf
https://www.sinnfein.ie/files/2022/A5_REPORTgaeilgeCommissionFutureIre_061222.pdf
On Tuesday evening in Derry the Commission held its second public event – Celebrating Diversity – Ending Division in the City Hotel. A report of that event will also be published.
Other public events are currently being planned for Donegal at the end of January and for the Louth/S.Down/S.Armagh region in March.
The commission was established by Sinn Féin to undertake a grassroots consultation with the people of Ireland and internationally on the future of our island.
Declan Kearney said:
“The Belfast People’s Assembly was a very successful event that brought together 10 significant contributors from differing sectors of society to discuss some of the challenges involved in advancing the objective of constitutional change and the possible shape of the new Ireland. Over 300 people packed into the Waterfront Studio for the conversation.
The conference was divided into two sessions. The first covered ‘The Economy and Communities in the New Ireland’ and the second was titled ‘A New Ireland for Everyone’. A video of the Belfast People’s Assembly is available on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B88dmep9SS4
The growing momentum in the debate on the future of Ireland is driving the conversation on constitutional change. In addition, the audience in the Belfast event overwhelmingly supported the demand that the Irish Government establish a Citizens’ Assembly on constitutional change.
The need to plan for the future; to make preparations for constitutional change and to persuade people of the merits of Irish Unity all argue strongly for a Citizens Assembly.”
Concluding Declan Kearney said: “Republicans want more than the reunification of our island – we want the unity of our people. That means a future which consigns sectarianism to the past and in which all of our citizens – however we identify ourselves – can live together in peace and prosperity. It can be done. We just need to talk about it, and start preparing and planning.”
