(14) Reinforcing Powerlessness - CAIN - University of Ulster

unch – at least they’re trying to do something for ordinary people.”Under it all, the community knows who is out to help them and who is not. When Ilook around at our assorted politicians, professionals and others I often feel thatKropotkin’s question is as relevant now as when he posed it, almost a century ago:Where are those who will come to serve the masses – not to utilize them for theirown ambitions?There are many genuine people in the professions and the community does need theirexpertise. But the relationship between them must be one of genuine partnership, onethat consolidates and develops community strengths, not one in which the communityrepeatedly finds itself subservient to the career needs of the ‘experts’.Now, more than ever before, it is vital that the ordinary people of Northern Irelandbegin to demand a greater say over their future, for it is they who have sustained theirareas throughout our long nightmare and who ultimately provided the real impetusbehind the current ceasefires. It is equally clear that most of those charged with taking usinto that future – politicians and professionals alike – could easily, without the assistanceprovided by a genuine community partnership, prove unequal to the complexities of thetask that lies ahead.Up to now the voice of ordinary people has been effectively excluded from the ‘peaceprocess’, and this is the major flaw of that process. Yet, irrespective of whether ourpoliticians reach, or fail to reach, some accommodation with each other, ultimately it iswhat is achieved at the grassroots of our society that will prove to be the real peaceprocess.30