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Grand Orange Lodge of Ireland
  Orange Standard

In My Opinion

Article 4 ~ December 2006

Few would argue with the view that this has been one of the most peaceful, most enjoyable and most successful marching seasons of the last decade. With a revived sense of purpose and strong community spirit, brethren were welcomed right across the province by family and friends all, who fervently believe in the principles and freedoms that we hold so dear.

Rather than the gloomy headlines and politically fuelled protests that we have almost come to expect, we experienced something quite different this year. Whether at the Workman Avenue gates on the Springfield Road or around Derry's walls, those who previously relied upon disorder and mayhem to make their feelings known stood silently as the parades passed by. And while they may still resent our presence or envy our resolve, we must acknowledge the positive shift in approach and try to consolidate this year's success for next years parading season and those that follow.

In doing so, we must calmly reflect on what has been achieved, pinpoint the reasons for success and isolate the precipitants of failure. There is no question that a lack of controversy was borne out of painstaking initiatives that where developed and nurtured by community and public representatives. And in some instances, even where no direct dialogue took place, there was a level of understanding and respect that recognised a peaceful outcome was an attractive reason to find a solution.

The key was finding local solutions to local problems. And that calls into question the whole purpose and benefit of the Parades Commission. While the Chairman of the Parades Commission, Roger Poole has been happy to claim the credit for a peaceful summer, he actually had little or no positive involvement at all. In fact, while others were achieving progress, the Parades Commission continued to make decisions that have caused an unimaginable setback to local community relations at flashpoints around Ulster.

Rather than solve disputes, the Parades Commission have taken decisions that have raised both tensions and barriers to progress. In East Belfast for example, the Parades Commission decided to make a determination and place restrictions upon a RBP parade on the Last Saturday. There had never been controversy surrounding this parade in the past, but in keeping with an ongoing vendetta against the local Orange District and on the advice of the PSNI, not it has to be said, local republicans, the Parades Commission took action.

And that is why a root and branch review of the Parades Commission will not go far enough. Whether in relation to Orange parades, or those of our fraternal colleagues, the Parades Commission has become the problem, not the solution and it needs completely removed.

There can be no place in the Governments 'shared future' for a body that has acted in such a blatantly bias manner or become so tarnished by their inappropriate decisions of the past.

While we should both welcome and accept the current review that is underway, we should not relent or expect that a satisfactory outcome will result. There is an onus on everyone who has a vested interest in parades and Orange culture, or even those who just want to see mutual level of respect and understanding for the stakeholders in our society, to lobby and ensure that what ever replaces the Parades Commission, it is fair, impartial, capable of solving disputes and above all, enjoys the confidence of the wider Unionist and Orange family.

Gavin Robinson

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