Commitment to dealing with the legacy of the past

21 June 2020

On 21 June 2020, Healing Through Remembering marks the Day of Reflection.

The 21st of June, the longest day of the year, is an opportunity for people of Northern Ireland, Great Britain, the Republic of Ireland and further afield to reflect on the conflict in and about Northern Ireland and the future that is before us.  It is a day to acknowledge the deep hurt and pain caused by the conflict, to reflect on our own attitudes, on what more we might have done or might still do, and to make a personal commitment that such loss should never be allowed to happen again.

This year is the 14th annual Day of Reflection that we in HTR are marking together.  While we are a diverse membership – including people from loyalist, republican, and security services backgrounds as well as individuals from different religious and cultural backgrounds, victims and survivors, academics, community activists, and others – the Day is an opportunity to reaffirm our collective commitment to dealing with the past.  Despite our individual differences, we believe more strongly than ever that our society needs a multifaceted, coherent, and holistic approach to dealing with the past and building for the future, that takes into account the needs, rights, and aspirations of everyone in our society.  The extensive engagement, research, and practical work HTR has undertaken over more than 20 years has demonstrated without doubt that piecemeal approaches to dealing with the past yield unsatisfactory outcomes and undermine the integrity of the process.

Today, therefore, we come together once again as a broad-based, inclusive organisation ready to support and inform the important work of dealing with the past, and committed to ensuring that no-one in our society is left behind as we build a better future.