Minority proposal for Forum
From BELFAST TELEGRAPH August 5th, 2000
By Noel McAdam
David Trimble: Requested to appoint from ethnic groups
NORTHERN Ireland church leaders have urged the First and Deputy First Ministers
to appoint a senior figure from the ethnic and religious minorities to the
new Civic Forum. A group comprising Protestant and Catholic churchmen are
suggesting the Forum should include a representative of the Jewish, Muslim
and Hindu communities in the province. David Trimble and Seamus Mallon are
able to directly appoint six individuals to the new Forum, which is due
to hold its first meeting in October. A 12-strong churches consortium, which
included five Catholic members, two Presbyterians, two Church of Ireland,
a Methodist, a member of the Evangelical Alliance and one from the Protestant
Caleb Foundation, argue that the appointment would reflect both the diversity
of the population in the province and the inclusive nature of the Forum.
But another factor is believed to be an agreement that the five official
church places in the Forum will not include anyone from the minority religious
groups, even the Chinese community. The consortium has agreed that two places
will go to the Catholic Church, two to the groups who come under the umbrella
of the Irish Council of Churches - which includes the mainstream Protestant
denominations - with the final place being agreed by the Evangelical Alliance
and Caleb Foundation. All the churches are now close to completing the trawling
processes to bring their candidates forward in time for the closing date
of August 14, with final appointments being revealed in September. The consortium,
which has asked for a 'religious minorities' place, is also due to meet
again in the middle of this month. Irish Council of Churches secretary David
Stevens said: "This is not something that we ourselves can sort out. But the churches consortia has suggested that consideration should be given to something like that." The five official church seats have been divided
up primarily on the basis of denominational numbers. "It has been worked out and people are reasonably happy," Mr Stevens added. The council, which
includes the Presbyterian, Church of Ireland, Methodist, Salvation Army,
Society of Friends and other small churches, has said its two places will
be shared out over time. That may mean the mainstream Protestant churches
representatives will change every three years. "That is the only way to get fairness by spreading it over a period of time, perhaps nine years, which would be three terms of the Forum," Mr Stevens added. |
