Nationalists and unionists could move Northern Ireland's peace process forward by forging a common perspective based on the experiences of people living in the British Isles, it was claimed today.
The leader of Northern Ireland's Green Party, Mr John Barry, today urged unionists and nationalists to move beyond their own philosophies and embrace an "islands perspective" drawn on the shared experiences of people in England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Republic.
He told the Beyond Nationalismconference in Belfast's Queen's University that nationalism and unionism were "increasingly inadequate political projects" which were damaging the North.
"The exclusive focus of both nationalism and unionism on the `nation-state' orientates them as backward looking political views," Mr Barry said.
"As 'nation-state' ideologies, both nationalism and unionism in essence hark back to 19th century political formations ill-suited to either the challenges and opportunities of an increasingly globalised and globalising world.
He said the various parts of the British Isles had much in common. He cited the flow of people, goods, services, culture and politics between the Republic, Northern Ireland, Scotland, England and Wales.
The Green Party leader also noted the Belfast Agreement had created cross-border institutions linking Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic and institutions linking administrations.
"It is to encourage both nationalists and unionists to `think outside the box' of the nation-state as a politically appropriate way of relating not just to one another here in Northern Ireland, but in also relating Northern Ireland to the rest of the islands, Europe and the wider world.
"Despite wishful thinking on behalf of some Nationalist and Unionist politicians, there is a world beyond Northern Ireland and it would do them no harm to occasionally look up and both see and take note of this changing and globalising world and place this small part of the planet in relation to it."
The Beyond Nationalismconference was organised by the Green Islands Network and was attended today by the leader of the Dublin North TD Mr Trevor Sargent.