Friday: Belfast conference for unionists and republicans – ‘A City of Equals on an Island of Equals’

Eight non-Sinn Féin facilitators chairing workshop groups to ensure a broad base of opinion is heard

A GROUND-BREAKING CONFERENCE aimed at opening up dialogue across the North’s political spectrum – including unionists and working-class loyalist representatives – is to take place in Belfast's Europa Hotel this Friday, 7 June.

Registration is at 10am with the keynote addresses of Martin McGuinness and academic Pete Shirlow at 10:30am.

Eight non-Sinn Féin facilitators will be chairing the workshop groups, the organisers say, to ensure a broad base of opinion will be heard.

Launching the event with Janice Austin and former Belfast Mayor Councillor Niall Ó Donnghaile (right), Sinn Féin MLA Gerry Kelly said:

“We have everything to gain by sitting down together and explaining to ech other the hopes and fears of our communities, what we mean by identity, equality mutual respect and parity of esteem.

“Can we find a way to accept or at least to live with our differences and put flesh on the framework of democratic concepts and principles we agreed on Good Friday 15 years ago, at St Andrews and at Hillsborough?”

➽  For more information contact Andrea Nash at Sinn Féin Communications [email protected]

Read more here from the June edition of An Phoblacht