However, the Agreement must not be regarded as an end in itself, but rather a means of creating a new type of society. Despite all the progress on implementing the Agreement, Northern Ireland remains a deeply divided, sectarian and segregated society. So far, there is no sense of the people of Northern Ireland uniting around a common agenda and pursuing common interests. There is still a large unfinished agenda in our efforts to consolidate peace and stability, and a foundation upon which to build a shared and non-sectarian, fair and more prosperous society. The opportunity that we have all been presented with must not be squandered.
Alliance is a party of the cross-community centre of Northern Ireland politics.
Centre Forward sets out our goals for taking this society forward. Alliance has always had an ambitious agenda for uniting the people of Northern Ireland into an integrated and shared society. In the past, we have been most closely associated with our advocacy of power sharing and our consistent opposition to the use of violence. While the Agreement reflects many of the concepts promoted by the Alliance Party, it far from guarantees that our vision of society will be achieved. Alliance believes that the platform of the Agreement should be used to create a united community, where the rights and opportunities of every individual citizen are paramount a shared future.