Happy New Year to all my dear friends who are from all over the world. Thank you for the incredible support and love which has touched me deeply and empowered me to do more in the world to help create peace. It has been a phenomenal year in which I have been blessed to work with many young people in schools, linked with amazing people in Northern Ireland, spoken at a world peace conference in south Korea, and so much more. I feel part of a world movement which has many different expressions, all saying no to hatred and yes to love and compassion.

As I move closer to 20 years since I first met Patrick Magee, I understand reconciliation is more than agreeing with a different opinion. It is seeing the truth from the other’s perspective, hearing their story and knowing it could be yours and my story. With this unbounded empathy comes compassionate action, for if I ‘see’ you, then I will want you all to be happy and safe as well. At times, it is hard to let go of feeling righteous and wanting to blame someone else, make them wrong so I can feel more right. Even the question of how do we challenge another’s behaviour is different when we also see their humanity. With the challenges we face in the world right now, I believe we are needing to come together in our families, in our communities, in our countries and in the world. I have huge hope that we can create a more compassionate just world, every act of kindness we all do makes a difference. We are all positive change makers.

I commit to become bolder and courageous in my work, so that I create more positive change by challenging hatred and showing the power of empathy and importance of seeing humanity in all.I have many plans and dreams for this coming year, and the decade. I am taking time to finally finish my book, create events for the 20th anniversary of meeting Patrick Magee, run my workshops for schools around all of the UK, empowering young people to be positive change makers, contributing to international peace conferences and much more.

Thanks for all you do, such a blessing and inspiration to be part of this wonderful community.

I also would love you to share my charity’s crowdfunder so I can create more positive impact in schools. I have so many testimonials from young people saying how much they have received from working with me. Thank you.

www.buildingbridgesforpeace.org/building-bridges-for-peace-through-schools-an-appeal/