Building Bridges For Peace

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Welcome to Building Bridges for Peace

A non-profit organisation promoting peace and conflict resolution throughout the World

Soldiers of Peace

This week Soldiers of Peace is launched in conjunction with

the Global Peace Index

Campaigners for Peace & Reconciliation
When Sir Anthony Berry MP was killed in the IRA Brighton Bombing during the 1984 Tory Party Conference, his daughter Jo was thrown into a conflict she knew very little about. In November 2000 she met Pat Magee, the man responsible for her father's death.

Iraq-veterans-against-war
Founded in July 2004, Iraq Veterans Against the War (IVAW) seeks to "give a voice to the large number of active duty service people and veterans who are against this war, but are under various pressures to remain silent."

Gill Hicks, Peace Direct Ambassador UK
On July 7th, 2005, 26 people died and many were severely injured and maimed on London Underground's Piccadilly line by a suicide bombing. Australian-born Gill Hicks miraculously survived but lost both her legs due to the explosion.

Fatuma Abdulkadir, Kenya
Fatuma Abdulkadir is a young woman promoting non-violent conflict resolution among the Borana and Gabra communities in Northern Kenya through football.

Imam Ashafa and Pastor James, Nigeria
Imam Muhammad Ashafa and Pastor James Wuye are religious leaders who live in Kaduna, a city in northern Nigeria. Today, they work together to teach warring religious youth militias to resolve their conflicts peacefully.

Cesar Lopez, Colombia
Cesar Lopez is a Colombian musician and peace activist. For the past several years, Lopez has been part of a group called the Battalion of Immediate Artistic Reaction, which consists of various other musicians and activists who seek an alternative to the ever-present violence.

FFPU (Female-Formed Police Unit), Liberia
The Female-Formed Police Unit (FFPU) is a UN contingent composed of Indian women helps keep the peace in the West African nation of Liberia, devastated by one of Africa's most bloody civil wars.

Neve Shalom Peace Community, Israel
A village, jointly established by Jewish and Palestinian Arab citizens of Israel, that is engaged in educational work for peace, equality and understanding between the two peoples.

Launch of new website for International Network for Peace

The International Network for Peace is pleased to now have a brand new website at www.internationalnetworkforpeace.org

Jo went to New York last September as a guest of Peaceful Tomorrows. With more than 30 victims from around the world, we joined with families of those killed in the September 11th attacks to create a new coalition to promote effective, nonviolent solutions to terrorism. Jo was elected chair of the network at the beginning of 2007.

Gathering at a conference entitled, “Civilian Casualties, Civilian Solutions,” victims from 15 countries, including Afghanistan, Israel/Palestine, Russia, Rwanda, Colombia, Sudan, Indonesia, Algeria, Spain, and Italy we pledged to use our personal experience of violence as a starting point for creating and promoting new initiatives for peace.

Video of Jo, Pat and Harvey Thomas

Andy Andrews interviews Harvey Thomas, Margaret Thatcher's Director of Communications, Jo Berry, daughter of Sir Anthony Berry, and the IRA Brighton Bomber himself - Patrick Magee and they talk about the power of forgiveness.

My Story

Jo Berry

I have been on a long journey since my father, Sir Anthony Berry MP, was killed by the IRA in the bombing of the 1984 Tory Party conference in Brighton. In the days after the bomb I wanted to somehow bring something positive out of the tragedy and began a journey of healing. The last 21 years have been full of learnings and remarkable experiences.

In November 2000 I met Pat Magee, the man responsible for planting the bomb and we have now become friends. For me, the question is about whether I can let go of my need to blame, and open my heart enough to hear Pat's story and understand his motivations. The truth is that, sometimes I can and sometimes I can’t and this choice is always there.

I wanted to meet Pat, to hear his story and see him as a real human being. At our first meeting I was terrified but as soon as we met we talked with an extraordinary intensity. I shared a lot about my father, while Pat told me some of his story. I realised half way through that first meeting that I was at the beginning of another journey.

I still have feelings that are painful. I still get angry but I have learnt that these feelings can be transformed into passion for change. My passion for change starts with me wanting to stop the cycle of violence and revenge in me and has grown into helping create a world in which violence is not seen as a viable way of resolving conflict.

My commitment is to see the humanity in everyone. Building Bridges for Peace is now a umbrella for all the work that I do to participate in creating a peaceful world. For more information on my work please look at Current Projects.

I am also available as a speaker, either on my own or with Pat Magee.