People see themselves as British, Irish, Northern Irish, even European, either in isolation or in combination. Symbols are a feature of most organisations, societies and states around the world. They are both an expression of national identity and the sovereignty of the state. In divided societies, symbols can become the focus of bitter contention.
Alliance believes that too much stock is placed on the display of communal or national symbols.
Primacy should be given to creating and preserving neutral environments in which to live, work, and play. However, in any society, some use of symbols is inevitable. Alliance advocates the creation of a new set of symbols common to Northern Ireland, building upon the use of the flax flower as the symbol of the Assembly. Alliance believes that the use of common symbols would be more consistent with a cross-community ethos, and could help to unite the community and to create a common sense of identity, above and beyond loyalty to the institutions of the Good Friday Agreement. Alliance accepts the appropriate use of symbols that reflects Northern Ireland's constitutional status, as determined through the Principle of Consent.