Help us fight sectarianism

Anne Cadwallader (The Irish Examiner, August 7) is right. Sectarian tension in Northern Ireland is as bad as ever and increasing.

If the tension is continually allowed to bubble to the surface it will threaten everything that has been achieved to date. The condemnations of these attacks and threats, while necessary, right and justifiable, will not prevent them.

Ms Cadwallader said “politicians have a duty in such a situation to give leadership and demonstrate their own ability to rise above the past”.

This is important, but even more crucially, they have to resource the effort by the non-governmental organisations, the churches and others to encourage these communities to rise above the past in their own right. That is needed more than ever.

Tony Kennedy,

Chief Executive, Co-operation Ireland,

20, Herbert Place,

Dublin 2.