We, citizens of Northern Ireland from diverse backgrounds, believe that the only viable future for this region is as an integrated society in which individuals are free to define their unique identities in their interactions with others, in a culture of tolerance which can enrich the lives of all.

In this context, we express our deep dissatisfaction with the poverty of vision in the consultation document Cohesion, Sharing and Integration, which holds out only a future of sustained segregation, defying the clear public aspiration that we live, work and are educated in common.

The document dispiritingly assumes that Northern Ireland's conventional politically-driven identities will survive indefinitely - and, indeed, should command respect - without regard to the much more fluid multi-ethnic and multi-faith world we now inhabit.

In particular, we express concern that the consultation document threatens the abolition of the Community Relations Council, whose arm's-length status from political control allows it to address all aspects of the challenge of intolerance - funding, research and development - in an holistic manner, in dialogue with practitioners.

We call for the rewriting of this document, in collaboration with independent experts, with clear aims and objectives and concrete programmes and projects to realise them.

We are conscious that no issue can currently be discussed outside of the economic crisis and the prospect of unprecedented public expenditure cuts.

This makes it imperative that Northern Ireland become a culturally dynamic and open society, with effective and efficient public services accessible to all.

Signed by:

Declan Allison

Nigel Arnold

Cllr Tim Attwood

Prof Arthur Aughey

Fergal Barr

Rebecca Bell

Michael Boyd

Paula Bradshaw

Dr Fran Brearton

Orna Brennan

Prof John Brewer

David Brown

Dr Dominic Bryan

Richard Buchanan

Eileen Cairnduff

Tom Cairns

Rev David Campton

Martin Carter

Eileen Chan-Hu

Sue Christie

Paul Collins

Laura Coulter

Keith Crossan

Kerena Crowe

Dave Cullen

Jude Cumiskey

Seamus Davis

Eamonn Deane

Prof Brice Dickson

Sam Donaldson

Damian Donnelly

Jonathon Donnelly

Ruth Dudley Edwards

Karin Eyben

Seamus Farrell

Stephen Farry MLA

Niall Fitzduff

Prof Frank Gaffikin

Prof Tony Gallagher

Neil Galway

Dr Gladys Ganiel

David Gardiner

Chris Gibson

Roz Goldie

Rev Harold Good

Darragh Graham

Edwin Graham

Mahvash Graham

Eva Grossman

Brandon Hamber

Harry Hamilton

Katie Hanlon

Derek Hanway

Dr Jeremy Harbison

Gemma Harkin

Gareth Harper

Afnan Hashemi-Zadeh

Paul Haslam

Dr Katy Hayward

Maureen Hetherington

James Holmlund

Prof Joanne Hughes

Richard Irvine

Dr Neil Jarman

John Kelly

Prof Liam Kennedy

Tony Kennedy

David Kerr

Lauren Kerr

Libby Keys

Alastair Kilgore

Heather Kilgore

Irene Kingston

John Kyle

Colm Larkin

Trevor Lindsay

Leon Litvack

Liam Logan

Prof Edna Longley

John Lowry

Anna McAlister

Damian McAteer

Alan McBride

Eamonn McCallion

Claire McCann

Catherine McCartney

Brian McClinton

Andrew McCracken

Alan McCully

Tony McCusker

Conall McDevitt MLA

Philip McDonagh

Paul McErlean

Gary McFarlane

Karen McFarlane

Robert McGarry

Dympna McGlade

Julian McGrath

Mary McKee

Nuala McKeever

Bebhinn McKinley

Dr Helen McLaughlin

Margaret Lee

Karen McMinn

Tony McMullan

Peter McNeice

Dr Sara Dybris McQuaid

Sinead McShane

Ellen McVea

Barry Magee

Alan Mains

Bill Manwaring

James Marshall

Dr John Milliken

Sheila Mitchell

Lynn Moffett

Ciara Moorehead

Neill Morton

Robin Morton

Ray Mullan

Dr Joanne Murphy

Yvonne Naylor

Kevin Neary

Cllr Deirdre Nelson

Dr Paul Nolan

Anne Odling-Smee

David Oldfield

John Peacock

Ian Parsley

Kate Pettis

Claire Pierson

Micheal Pyner

Alexander Redpath

Les Reid

Norman Richardson

Trevor Ringland

Yvonne Robinson

Andrew Scott

Brian Scott

Noel Sheehy

Gerry Skelton

James Smyth

Paul Smyth

Sam Somerville

Denis Stewart

Robin Stuart

Dan Sweeney

Sara Templer

Gerry Tubritt

Deirdre Vincent

Brian Walker

Maeve Walsh

Sinead Walsh

Michael Wardlow

Cllr Billy Webb

Tony Weekes

Philip Whyte

Lisa White

Prof Rick Wilford

Dr Robin Wilson

John Woods

Denise Wright