“Each year, acts of terrorism propagating a wide range of hateful ideologies continue to injure, harm and kill thousands of people as they simply go about their daily lives.” *
I am challenged again to not turn away.
Sally Kohn’s book, The Opposite of Hate teaches me much. And more and more voices around the world, from all traditions are giving the same message.
Spoiler alert! The opposite of hate is Connection.
And so again, I choose to connect with the stories, memories, pain and achievements of those who have experienced a terrorist attack first hand.
I choose to connect with their life-death-life journey, to witness their courage and hope for a more loving, tolerant world, where acts of hatred and terrorism are no more. I bow deeply to them and thank them for inspiring me to reaffirm my commitment to making the world a more loving place, where abuse, pain and hatred are a thing of the past.
This year to mark the International Day, the “Memories” Campaign shares stories and intimate memories of 22 people from around the world who have personal experience of terrorism.
“Part of our shared human experience is an innate need to attach personal meaning to physical objects: it is something we do from the moment of our birth. Physical objects hold memories, emotions, aspirations: they form links to people no longer with us, and they keep us connected to versions of ourselves that were lost or forever changed—sometimes through growth or the passage of time, sometimes by a traumatic event, such as a terrorist attack.”*
The link below takes you to the 16-minute Memories Campaign documentary in which those featured speak of the objects that support them to be resilient. I am so inspired – none are caught by a victim mentality, they have gone on to survive and even to thrive. They have expanded, nobly carrying their pain as they look to a future free from violence.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JETCUTjprVg&t=1s
By watching it, I connected with the emotions, stories and lives of those affected. And as I witnessed and connected to their pain, I also connected to their courage and the absolute power of love over hatred.
I encourage you to take some quiet time to watch, connect and ask the questions that we ask at each New Moon Gathering.
Where is my gaze?
Where is my heart?
What is my part?
A Directory of Organisations Supporting Victims of Terrorism can be found at https://www.un.org/victimsofterrorism/en/directory
The “Memories” film was first launched on 11 May 2022 by the United Nations Counter-Terrorism Center during the United Nations High-Level International Conference on Human Rights, Civil Society and Counter-Terrorism in Malaga, Spain.
*Quotes from: UN Office of Counterterrorism webpage: https://www.un.org/counterterrorism/2023-terrorism-victims-day