30/10/2002

I was in the local shopping centre and as I was passing a young overweight Island girl slumped over a bit and staring into space, her man and very cute young child at her side. I thought to myself, Wow I love her hair. A mass of small curls cascading down to just above her eyes, which reminded me of tight bright yellow ribbons when you stretch it with a knife to make curls to put it on presents. The rest of her hair was short and very black, a real artpiece. I turned and took three steps back and said. Wow I love your hair. I walked on as she straightened up, her face now beaming, feeling her hair and saying thank you. I decided then not to say how cute her child was- she knew that already!

How simple that was. I use to do this often, as an artist it is hard not to when you see something that inspires you. I had been so wrapped up in my own thoughts lately that I hadn't aloud as many artworks to make it into the gallery of my mind. I know I walked to my car with a smile, even my frozen shoulder felt better.

The next day, I was sent an email with the subject line, This email was so good, I have placed it on the website in the Mentors section, FW: Too Busy...? please don't be too busy to read it, this will make you know the impact the right words can have on someone. Maybe we can start a trend.

That was the start of my week- it just got better and better.

I continued my journey to try to learn more about Islam and the Middle East.

Like looks of people I checked out how things were going with the Bali bombing, followed a trail from Afghanistan to Asia, bookmarked lots of sites. Realising that if a CIA person hacked into my computer they could think I had ties with some of these groups. The trouble is with most of these sites, they are either on one side or the other. Balance is missing. That's why I have to look at websites from both sides on each issue to try to find the truth.

Then I moved on in my journey going to Israel and Palestine. I must have visited 100 sites before coming across a website called MidEastWeb.org Reminded me of when I first visited the recovery site and came across the best drug and Alcohol site and Christopher my Hero and the site of Yahya Sayed and Cry for Afghanistan. I knew these where like minded people, just a gut feeling and I was never proved wrong.

I emailed the mideastweb site telling them about One Mind One Voice. Ami Isseroff emailed me and we spent the rest of the week learning about each other and about war and peace. You will see a link to One Mind One Voice on their website, I have a link from our site to mideastweb.

Ami is part of a group of Israel and Palestinian people working together to find solutions to the problems.

Ami like me, is a peacemaker.

During my journey of learning, he sent me a site link A Memorial to the Dead of the Second Intifada. I put it on and watched the names, age and date of death, roll up the screen. After ten minutes the phone rang, after that I made a cup of tea and watched a couple of programs on TV. Then I came back into my office to find the name, age and date of death still rolling up my screen.

I looked again at another link Ami had sent me peace4peace. A mosaic artpiece done be both Israel and Palestine youth, now in a warehouse and not on the border where they were to put it- but couldn't because of all the fighting.

I wondered where they are now, these youth, who managed to get on long enough to make a beautiful lasting Artwork- are they on the list rolling up a screen, or are they fighting each other.

Peacemakers

http://www.mideastweb.org/pieces4peace.htm. Make sure you also check out, The Wadi Ara Walk - 29 Oct - 5 Nov 2002 Jaffa to Jerusalem peace is around the corner

This is what is happening right now. Wonderful what can happen -in a place that would be on Australia's don't go to list.

Ami then introduced me to many other interesting people and my journey continued with peacemakers from Palestine, more on them later.

Ami is busy writing an article for us on solutions for the middle east. This will be ready for next weeks newsletter.

Having seen a bit of the draft, all I can say is Thank you Ami for being one of Caitlin's Guardian's

Speaking of Guardian's

a bit of the latest email from Arsenio which shows things are moving along with the Global Strategic Alliance for the New Humanity.

...................................................................................................

A small group of us from the Center for the New Humanity (the Puerto Rico based NGO coresponsible for the Peace in Peacetime Conference), the Arias Foundation, and the Deepak Chopra Foundation, met last Saturday at the offices of Kerry Kennedy Cuomo to plan ahead the structure of the Alliance and its next events. I showed the others your site. As I mentioned earlier we would like you to become one of the "core group " that will steer the flexible Alliance. You will be getting more details as we continue to develop the concept.

...................................................................................................

Who says peace won't happen? It can if you find it in your heart first.

I am going to concentrate on the words of the One Mind One Voice poem and people who not only read them, but work to make it a better world for Caitlin and all other children.

People who are game to say "Wow I love your hair" People who are game to walk in another person's shoes.

Have a nice day, I will as I continue my journey of the Celebration of Life

Would be nice to be on the Wadi Ara walk today.

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