We’re almost a full week into 2017. For anyone keen to see the back of 2016, it’s tempting to keep both eyes fixed ahead.

At Northern Slant we’re not quite finished reflecting on the year gone by, in particular because we want to consider some of the people who made a positive contribution to Northern Ireland over the last twelve months.

Time notably awarded its ‘Person of the Year’ to Donald Trump, a gesture which, the publication reminded its readers, reflects the individual who “most influenced the news and our world in the past year, for good or ill.”

Members of the Northern Slant team have proposed the following nominations as our alternative shortlist of candidates who influenced Northern Ireland for the better in 2016. These nominations are based on people’s work and impact on the political stage and across society generally. They are in no particular order, and supporting statements are anonymously provided by the member of our team proposing the nomination.

You may agree or disagree with our team’s nominees, so do feel free to propose your own. We want to hear your choices!

 

BBC Spotlight team

While the investigation of the RHI scheme may be the most high-profile of their recent work, the BBC Spotlight team covered a range of topics throughout 2016 – including issues surrounding NAMA, the Social Investment Fund, and conflict inquests.

As well as acting as a conveyor belt for filling Stephen Nolan’s sofa with outraged political guests, the Spotlight team has been nominated for performing the vital function of ensuring that government and civil society in Northern Ireland is held to account.

 

Conor Houston, Centre for Democracy and Peace Building

As Programme Director for the Centre for Democracy and Peace Building’s “EU Debate NI” Conor Houston played an important role in the debate over Northern Ireland’s place in the European Union.

Showing sensitivity in what has been a divisive issue ahead of the Brexit vote, Conor and the team at CDPB helped ensure the debate was inclusive and informative through a series of publications and events.

This comes on top of Mr Houston’s significant support for groups like Young Influencers and the Ireland Funds Young Leaders Belfast. His decision to come out as gay in an open blog site and contribute to the debate over equal marriage has been an inspiration to many.

 

John McCallister, former MLA

To see one private members’ bill through all the way to becoming law is a real achievement. To author two in the space of five years is remarkable. In many ways, John McCallister’s political career embodies a certain tragedy: he lost a bid to lead the Ulster Unionist Party; he left the UUP to co-setup the ill-fated NI21, and lost his Assembly seat in May’s election.

Yet as an independent MLA, Mr McCallister facilitated the biggest single reform of the Assembly since devolution. Helping to bring about an official opposition won’t solve all of Stormont’s problems, but it will help to make government more accountable and, potentially, more effective.

 

Reverend Dr Lesley Carroll

Reverend Dr Lesley Carroll is a Deputy Chief Commissioner at the Equality Commission NI, a Voice of Victim Manager at Victims Support NI, and has led on positive work around peace building and community development in 2016 and years previously.

This year she helped launch a Gender Identity Panel, The Focus Trust, at Stormont which provides social, educational and recreational activities for transgender people in Northern Ireland.

Reverend Dr Carroll is also part of Forum for Cities in Transition (Belfast) group through which she leads on a Community Resilience Project.