Bill Shaw, Northern Ireland

I feel something of a fraud standing before you having listened to the stories of struggle for the most basic human rights which are taking place around the world.

That said, I welcome the opportunity to give you a personal perspective on the situation in Northern Ireland and the work of human rights defenders like myself.

The ‘Troubles’, as they are often referred to, at least their current wave, began 40 years ago and were sparked off by a plea for human and civil rights from the ‘minority community’ in Northern Ireland – Catholics who felt disenfranchised and discriminated against. That plea - both dignified and restrained – fell on deaf ears until it became a ‘roar’ that could not be ignored.

A lot has changed in 40 years, but we continue to live with the legacy of ‘the war’, the ‘Troubles’, and violence still erupts periodically and sporadically and there are still concerns for human rights issues. The irony is that it is now the Protestant community, the ‘majority’ (but only just), who feel disenfranchised – it’s a complex situation!

One thing that is all too clear – Northern Ireland is a polarized, segregated and deeply sectarian society. Nowhere is that more evident than in that part of North Belfast where I live and work where there are a maze of so called ‘Peace Walls’, dividing Protestant and Catholic communities and keeping what is often seen as (and often is) ‘warring tribes’, apart.

The 174 Trust, a Christian community development organisation, is based in a suite of buildings formerly occupied by a Presbyterian congregation. It is in these old buildings that we have established an ‘oasis of calm’ at the very epicentre of the violence, located in the heart of ‘murder mile’ where something like 25% of all murders and ‘troubles’ related deaths occurred between 1970 – 1994.

As a Protestant cleric, a Presbyterian Minister, I have been the Director of this non-denominational project which works in a Catholic neighbourhood for more than seven years. We are presently catering for around 800 people every week, both Protestant and Catholic, by means of a whole range of activities and programmes which aim to meet all sorts of needs, from Alcoholics and Narcotics Anonymous, to Irish dancing and childcare. These needs are met on an inclusive ‘cross community’ basis where Protestant and Catholics, who might not otherwise meet, come into contact and form friendships – ‘peace building’ one person at a time!

In all our activities, our stated aim is ‘Building Peace and Promoting Reconciliation’. Reminding both sides that ‘rights’, human and civil, always carry an attendant ‘responsibility’ (to respect the ‘rights’ of others) and we can only reasonably demand the former when we acknowledge the latter.

When that happens, and only when that happens, will we have a stable, peaceful, tolerant and inclusive society.

We’ve still some way to go, but the example of human rights defenders around the world, particularly those here today, inspires, informs and encourages ‘Peacemakers’ in Northern Ireland to press on towards that goal, and so on their behalf, ‘Thank You!’