Alliance discusses day of reflection for victims at St Andrews talks

11.05.00am BST (GMT +0100) Thu 12th Oct 2006

Alliance Deputy Leader, Naomi Long

The Alliance Party has proposed a day of reflection for all victims of the troubles and has published a paper designed to give victims and survivors a voice.

Speaking at St Andrews, Party Deputy Leader Naomi Long MLA stated: "We have proposed to create an annual day of reflection for all the victims of the troubles. This day could take a variety of forms and it would give everyone the chance to look back on past events and ensure that such tragedies are prevented in future.

"Alliance wants to give victims and survivors a voice and ensure that their needs are fully considered and met. We want to enable victims to put their experiences on record. This would be a start in addressing truth recovery, which is important for future generations.

"We would also be in favour of some type of memorial to victims although we are not being prescriptive about the form that this would take. This process must be driven by the needs of victims.

"We are meeting with David Hanson at St Andrews today to outline the proposals in the paper we published. Any potential settlement discussed at St Andrews must ensure that victims and survivors are not marginalized in the political process.

"We must remember the past and learn from it if we are going to build a better future for all."

ENDS