The co-chair of the Consultative Group on the Past, Dennis Bradley, says this week's meeting in Derry was evidence of the progress that had been made in the city.
Click here to view a video of the meetingThe meeting, which was held in St. Columb's Park House on Tuesday, was the second in a series of seven held across Northern Ireland, co-chaired by Derry man and ex-vice chair of the Policing Board, Denis Bradley and former Archbishop of Armagh, Lord Eames.
The consultative group was established to seek views across the community in Northern Ireland on the best way to deal with the legacy of the Troubles with a view to producing a report this summer.
The report will contain recommendations on ways a 'shared future' free from past events can be achieved in the North.
Around 100 people attended Tuesday's meeting where topics ranged from the possibility of declaring an armistice for those involved in the Troubles to the independence of the group itself.
Dennis Bradley said that the majority of those who attended felt that it was "time to move on".
"It is important that people have the right to speak, he said."People who feel themselves as victims may not be part of a group. Through these meetings, they have a platform.
"One of my fears about organising these meetings was that it was too early. I haven't heard many people in any of the consultations say it is too early.
"People now feel it's time to move on."
Mr. Bradley also said that while the choice of location for Tuesday night's meeting was always going to be an issue, he was encouraged by the turnout.
"I think we got a good mix of both sides of the community.You are never going to get things fully right.If other people are wanting to have their say then we will find ways of getting to them."
SDLP Councillor Mary Bradley questioned how impartial the group's final report would be.
"The British government is not neutral in what has happened in this conflcit, she said."They have set up this group and are financing it. I have to question whether this will affect the group's outcome.
"Most of the people in this room came here tonight because they don't want to be saying in 2068 that they are still involved in a conflict.We have got to look forward and find a mechanism."
No amnesty call
Haslett Thompson, of the Tyrone Voice Victims Group also questioned the group's impartiality while branding any suggestion of an amnesty as "repugnant".
"All these consultations, and I have been to many down the years, have claimed to be independent, he said.
"Yet every one of those consultations has dove-tailed perfectly with government policy at the time.The whole idea of an amnesty is repugnant to right thinking people . It would be a total denial of justice.We were not involved in a war. The Provos were at war."
William Houston called for the panel to recommend that those involved in the Claudy and Ballykelly bombings be brought to justice.
"I think the panel needs to address what is a victim.
The full article contains 539 words and appears in Journal Friday newspaper.
