09 May 2022

STATEMENT FROM THE CORRYMEELA COMMUNITY ON THE MAY 2022 NI ELECTION 

A healthy democracy ensures that every vote counts in our elections, and every person counts in our society.

We congratulate those who won seats in the NI Assembly and are grateful to all those who stood for election. They have shown great courage and determination. We will need those traits as we look to bring about positive change for everyone – not just those on our side, and not just those with seats at the table.

The question before us is how to build trust in our society, particularly with those who are anxious about what lies ahead.

Every year at Corrymeela we meet thousands of people who help us live well together. One example is ‘Lisa’, a woman who suffered significantly during our conflict. Last week, Lisa shared with us how she is beginning to build respectful relationships with people from the community that hurt her because she wants her children and grandchildren to live in a society where there are opportunities for everyone. 

As a Christian community in a diverse society, our prayer is that we stop using politics to dominate. It is better to follow Lisa’s example: reaching out to those from whom we have been separated. Instead of seeing opponents as enemies, we can recognise them as brothers and sisters. Instead of hardening our divisions, we can begin to create a greater whole.  

There is much to be done to ensure that every person counts in Northern Ireland.

May God help those in government and all of us in our democracy to bring about this change.

– Rev. Dr. Alex Wimberly, Leader of the Corrymeela Community