AN ONLINE resource bringing together a variety of voices and perspectives on Ireland's constitutional future is due to launch next month.
Constitutional Platform will be hosted by the University of Liverpool's Institute of Irish Studies and will feature more than 100 pro-union, pro-unity and other voices via blogs, vlogs, animation and video.
The project, which comes at a time when the debate around Ireland's constitutional future is gaining increased traction, is thought to be the first time that a such a range of different perspectives on the subject will be brought together on a single platform.
The content will include discussions on economics and the type of society each contributor wants, alongside podcasts examining identity and how it relates to the constitutional position.
In addition to featuring the main political parties in Ireland and Britain, there will be contributions from civic society organisations such as Ireland's Future and We Make NI, a fledgling non-party political pro-union group.
Post-Covid it is planned to host live events across Ireland, Britain and the US.
Director of Irish Studies at University of Liverpool Professor Peter Shirlow told The Irish News that the aim of Constitutional Platform was to bring together "pro-union, pro-unity and alternative voices regarding constitutional beliefs and ideas".
"At present there are multiple groups promoting ideas and propositions about the future but in a manner that is fragmented and separate from each other," he said.
"In essence, these approaches are not a debate or discussion beyond generally talking to those already aligned, whereas this will bring together party political and civic voices to provide each with an opportunity to present their key arguments and values."
Prof Shirlow said the Institute of Irish Studies had been engaged for five years "in stimulating debates and workshops between those who are pro-union and those who are pro-unity".
"This digital platform will bring more people into that conversation," he said.
The director of Irish Studies said it was a fallacy that members of the pro-union community do not engage in debates on the constitutional question.
"I sense that we are entering a period in which the desire to debate is opening up especially regarding those with pro-union perspectives," he said.
"There is a desire to engage in these debates in more evidenced ways across the political and community spectrum and I suppose a real need to do so. The institute aims to be inclusive and encourage debates, such as these, being placed into the public sphere."
