4/7/2003

No I haven't left the planet. I did leave town. Moving from Cairns in the far north of Queensland to the Sunshine Coast was the right move for me. But more it was the right move for One Mind One Voice and the Global Children's Alliance.

I came down here at the end of April to watch my son {Caitlin's Dad}in a State Archery title {which he won} last weekend he also took out the National Indoor title in Adelaide.

I left all my gear in storage and my old car and computer at my sister's place in Cairns.

I have a wonderful family down here, who let me use a car and computer when I needed it, but I missed the little red car I know so well and the black monster that holds all the email addresses and programs that allow me to work on the website.

So I joined RACQ bought a mobile and headed back up to Cairns to pick them up and drive back down here. If I was going to do this I was not going to expect my son's would have to come and rescue me if I broke down along the way. Thank heaven's for RACQ as I listened to a motor that wouldn't turn over and looked sadly at the flat tire on the back of the car. Once started and pumped, I then had to then find cheap mechanic to fix the lights so it wouldn't be only high beam.

Taking off early in the morning, with a few more clothes and the computer strapped in the back seat, a rolled up bit of foam behind my back, which could have been the biggest handicap is it played up on the long trip. I must admit I was more then a little apprehensive and concerned, as I drove out from my sister's driveway next to the little white house I had called home for 18 months, lots of great memories flashed through my mind as I said farewell to Froggy and Ernie the Echidna, I hoped where still living there.

Half and hour out on the road, when I was sure the sounds of the motor were all as I remembered and the temperature gauge had not moved and I was sure the huge trucks coming the other way wouldn't blow my little car off the road. It was time to enjoy the moment, the sounds, the road and the view. We were one all of us, the little red car with the tatty doors, road, scenery, Marge and me. Perfect balance.

I have always enjoyed driving, caravanned for twelve years with husband and three children up and down these roads many years before.

Marge and I had time to get to know each other, the past few days before we left Cairns she had just sat on the dashboard where I had put here after rescuing her from the free toys box at an Op Shop in Cairns. A little felt chook from the Chicken Run movie. I had intended to give her to my sister, but somehow she looked like she belonged on the dashboard of the car. Her funny sad face made me smile when ever I'd catch a sight of her as I watch the road.

Arriving on the Coast I introduced Marge to Caitlin, it was love at first sight. Caitlin and myself now share custody of Marge, sometimes she lives in the car, other times she stays overnight with Caitlin. Marge we discovered had a bit on her tail you pull out and she shakes, so when we go to the swings, Marge can go down the slide all by herself. Now this has to be a better life for her, then sitting in a box at the doorway of an op shop.

In fact her life has changed so much. Two weeks ago she was one of the first people filmed as part of a documentary which will cover the next year of my life. Called "Hands of Change" Scot Mc Phie, the film maker, sat squashed on the passenger seat of my car and filmed Marge and me as we drove over Noosa Hill for the first time after many years.

This is the beginning of the Documentary and what will be a amazing journey for me and One Mind one Voice. A new chapter of my wonderful life.

You will be able to follow the progress of this on Scots website. This is a joint project between Scot and myself, who realised as he has two small children and a wife, he would not be able to keep up or follow me as I make my way around the world taking handprints for the HOPE project. So I will do lots of the filming myself. When finished the film will be available for sale in Australia and Overseas. Marge is descant for stardom where she came from.

Have meet with lots of people from the Mayor down and already have support for the first Global Children's Festival starting in Noosa October next year.

HOPE project

Have taken about 200 handprints at the North Arms school, where their motto is "Lifetime learning for Mind, Heart and Earth" North Arm school is a small rural school on a hill overlooking the Maroochy River. A school who grow gourds in their veggie garden, to dry and paint to be used to make music, in their innovative music program.

Plans are all but completed for my two weeks visit to Taiwan, I leave on the 18th August. I will be taking the handprints of around 150 children from the Joy school . These children who will be part of a buddy school with North Arm, attend an after-school on the 6th and 7th floor of a high-rise in downtown Taipei - what a contrast. Next week I will tell you more about this amazing trip. I am just waiting to hear if the President of Taiwan is bringing his 8 months old grandson to an international press conference arranged for me on the 21st August. HOPE is reaching the right people.

If this is not enough. I received the most amazing email fromthe Alliance for the New Humanity. Nobel Peace winner Oscar Arias Sanchez, on behalf of the Board of the Alliance, has officially inviting me to be on the Advisory Board for the Alliance and to attend the launch of the Alliance in Puerto Rico in December.

I think you know what my answer after WOW! So my friends I haven't forgotten you, I have just been busy playing with Caitlin and Marge and working on a few things.

So begins our journey into Peace and the New Humanity and what better place to start it then here at Noosa on the Sunshine Coast.

Seems to be the right place for the Global Children's Alliance to grow and become the Family of Humanity, One Mind One Voice.

Have a nice day, I will as I watch a vision unfold - I am filled with HOPE for the world.

Kerry Bowden
Global Strategic Alliance for the New Humanity,
One Mind One Voice.
A Famility of Humanity
PS: Caitlin say