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Thought I'd kick this one off having been an avid watcher from the sidelines.

I was listening (very briefly) to Stephen Nolan this morning, who was chairing the phone-in on Radio Ulster reflecting on Saville. Though there was the odd gem of a caller, I was frustrated to hear time and time again callers come on and list off the killings/ atrocities that have been forced upon their community - with no resultant inquiry etc.

As someone who wants our wee country to move on from its dark past, where these atrocities were a weekly occurrence, I am challenged by how we can deal with our past - Will a truth commission provide the answers?

The reality is, that many have suffered as a result of this conflict - many things have gone on that shouldnt. But what do we do with these histories, as contested as they are? Do we need some sense of a shared history for us to move on? How do we acknowledge that past and the resulting (and ongoing) pain, without being enslaved to it, or the cycles of violence that it has produced?

Thoughts and comments would be welcome - I'm challenged by the need to respond with more that simply a "well, Saville is all very well - but what about the .... which happened to us". Moving down that road will, I fear, lead us nowhere.

I'd tentatively approve of a "Truth and Reconciliation" inquiry as well. And I think we do need to consider how Democratic states confront terrorism and public unrest.

GV

A 'Truth and Reconciliation Commission' along the lines of the South African model of the late 90's is a good idea in theory, although I am not sure how it would work in practice. There is always the risk that those taking part would not feel that their grievances had been fully addressed at the end of the process, although that risk would also have been present in South Africa.

i'm 50 - 50. Part of me thinks that a truth & reconciliation would be good and the other 50 thinks that in 30 years most of us will be dead and that we should focus our money and actions into giving our kids some cultural identity and something to be proud of - i'd like a flag we could all use & how r we going to tackle one religion zoned housing & business areas- we need extra funding and external help 4 if we dont start breaking down the barriers now our kids will think it is normal to live in segragated communities.

Part of the problem is that people demand the truth from the other side while preferring to believe their own tribal myths and propaganda. Neverthless, in favour of an international truth and reconciliation commission (TRC):

1. Truth builds trust.

2. A dose of honesty by one side could unfreeze attitudes on the other.

3. Open discussion of suffering helps the healing process. The lack of opportunity or inability to communicate feelings contributes to mental depression. A problem shared is a problem halved, and bringing your story to people with similar experiences is almost certain to be a positive step.

4. Victims or relatives would have a public arena in which to call the perpetrators to some sort of account for their actions. Perhaps, if an accusation is made or someone named, attendance should be made compulsory Ìý– in that way, there is no easy escape. Then it would be up to the interrogators to ensure that the TRC was not hijacked by terrorists seeking absolution for their crimes or even finding an easy public platform in which to continue the conflict by other means.

5. Everyone brings their own perspectives to the Troubles, often stressing the ‘purity’ of their own side and the ‘baseness’ of their opponents. But a TRC might actually assist in the breakdown of this entrenchment by diffusing the idea of one side being absolutely right and the other absolutely wrong?

6. By becoming more aware of the motivation of the ‘other side’, we might begin to see it as more human and understandable.

7. In a wider historical perspective, most political murderers in Northern Ireland are ultimately the victims too, dupes of our centuries-old conflict and our futile but perennial cult of the gun. Both sides might begin to grasp this ‘balanced’ historical perspective.