0:00:10 > 0:00:12Amazing changes happen to our lives
0:00:12 > 0:00:15when people embrace forward-thinking ideas.
0:00:15 > 0:00:17It's easy to forget just how powerful we can be
0:00:17 > 0:00:20when we step forward and choose something new.
0:00:20 > 0:00:23"Who wants to hear actors speak?" argued Warner Brothers film studio
0:00:23 > 0:00:27back in 1927 when someone suggested an improvement to
0:00:27 > 0:00:28silent movies.
0:00:28 > 0:00:32"Guitar groups are on the way out," said a Decca Records executive,
0:00:32 > 0:00:35explaining why they were turning down The Beatles in 1962.
0:00:35 > 0:00:37But people soon proved them wrong.
0:00:37 > 0:00:42Change happened when people stepped forward. It happens in politics too.
0:00:42 > 0:00:46100 years ago, women in Northern Ireland stepped forward,
0:00:46 > 0:00:49a few at first, but the numbers quickly grew. They'd had enough of
0:00:49 > 0:00:52the way things were. They wanted equal rights to vote for
0:00:52 > 0:00:54the people who governed them.
0:00:54 > 0:00:57The idea that women shouldn't have the same rights to vote as men
0:00:57 > 0:00:59seems extraordinary now
0:00:59 > 0:01:02but it only happened because women stepped forward.
0:01:02 > 0:01:0550 years later in Europe and the USA,
0:01:05 > 0:01:07another generation stepped forward
0:01:07 > 0:01:11seeking equal votes for everyone and an end to discrimination.
0:01:11 > 0:01:15Some in authority tried to resist, but the case for change,
0:01:15 > 0:01:17and the numbers demanding it, were too strong.
0:01:17 > 0:01:23All over the world, change happens when people step forward, even here.
0:01:23 > 0:01:27In 1998, three out of every four people stepped forward
0:01:27 > 0:01:30to endorse the Good Friday Agreement,
0:01:30 > 0:01:33making clear their intention that no-one,
0:01:33 > 0:01:36whether politician or paramilitary, should take Northern Ireland back.
0:01:36 > 0:01:39That belief in the power of people to change things
0:01:39 > 0:01:41motivated those who stepped forward
0:01:41 > 0:01:43and started the Alliance Party over 40 years ago.
0:01:43 > 0:01:46And it's what still drives us today.
0:01:46 > 0:01:50We believe that most people here actually want things to be better
0:01:50 > 0:01:53and we believe that, if enough people step forward,
0:01:53 > 0:01:55our politics, our economy
0:01:55 > 0:01:58and our community will take big steps forward too.
0:01:58 > 0:02:00Steps towards openness,
0:02:00 > 0:02:06prosperity and diversity. Big steps, like making all our public spaces
0:02:06 > 0:02:10shared, where everyone feels safe to live, work and play,
0:02:10 > 0:02:13free from the intimidation that comes
0:02:13 > 0:02:15from having flags and murals that say "keep out".
0:02:15 > 0:02:18But not all politicians support change.
0:02:18 > 0:02:20Many are happy with the way things are.
0:02:20 > 0:02:23People stepping forward doesn't suit their agenda.
0:02:23 > 0:02:27Things staying the same suits them very nicely, thank you.
0:02:27 > 0:02:30After all, it's easy to say no, to stand still,
0:02:30 > 0:02:33or, worse, to take steps backwards.
0:02:33 > 0:02:36Much harder to step forward into the future
0:02:36 > 0:02:40and imagine shared schools where children from different backgrounds
0:02:40 > 0:02:43are taught together and learn to respect each other's culture, not to
0:02:43 > 0:02:47mention the millions of taxpayers' pounds it saves us every year.
0:02:47 > 0:02:48But this isn't our only plan
0:02:48 > 0:02:51to help Northern Ireland take big steps forward.
0:02:51 > 0:02:54We also want to reduce needless, wasteful bureaucracy
0:02:54 > 0:02:58and to make public services more transparent, to invest
0:02:58 > 0:03:01in better childcare, innovation and sustainable transport,
0:03:01 > 0:03:05in education, apprenticeships and youth employment initiatives.
0:03:05 > 0:03:09But the steps forward we want to take aren't just local.
0:03:09 > 0:03:11Our candidate for the European election, Anna Lo,
0:03:11 > 0:03:14represents the new modern face of Northern Ireland.
0:03:14 > 0:03:18Part of our community for 40 years, Anna initially stepped forward
0:03:18 > 0:03:21to represent the needs of ethnic minorities,
0:03:21 > 0:03:23but her principles of inclusivity,
0:03:23 > 0:03:26diversity and equality appealed to a much wider audience.
0:03:26 > 0:03:29She was embraced by the people of South Belfast
0:03:29 > 0:03:32and when they stepped forward to support her in the last
0:03:32 > 0:03:35Assembly elections she won a landslide victory.
0:03:35 > 0:03:38Now, Anna is stepping forward to represent all of us
0:03:38 > 0:03:40in Northern Ireland.
0:03:40 > 0:03:43She offers us a chance to show a new face to the outside world,
0:03:43 > 0:03:45a chance for Northern Ireland
0:03:45 > 0:03:48to tell the world that we're stepping forward.
0:03:48 > 0:03:51With Anna in Europe, we plan to negotiate larger
0:03:51 > 0:03:54inward investment for projects that promote a shared and equal future.
0:03:54 > 0:03:56We will work hard to create smoother,
0:03:56 > 0:04:00faster access to larger European markets for local businesses
0:04:00 > 0:04:04and we'll use our voice in Europe to promote our climate change agenda
0:04:04 > 0:04:08and, in doing so, secure investment for clean energy projects
0:04:08 > 0:04:09right here at home.
0:04:09 > 0:04:12But to help Alliance take these positive steps forward
0:04:12 > 0:04:15we first need you to do the same.
0:04:15 > 0:04:18These ideas can only become reality,
0:04:18 > 0:04:23change will only happen, if people like you step forward.
0:04:23 > 0:04:26If you've had enough of the way things are,
0:04:26 > 0:04:30don't sit at home frustrated, don't let others hold our community back.
0:04:30 > 0:04:34If you want Northern Ireland to be a better place for everyone,
0:04:34 > 0:04:36full of equality, opportunity and prosperity,
0:04:36 > 0:04:40on May 22, step forward.
0:04:40 > 0:04:42Vote Alliance.