I'm here this week for the world's first Humanitarian summit assembled by the UN Secretary General Ban Ki moon.
He doesn't know me (though I have met him once before) but he has invited me, or our organisation, Empathy Action to be here.
Why? Because we showed some of his team what amazing people are doing to build from brokenness a livelihood. They are the UN and know this well. But I think we were able to speak not only to their heads but also to their hearts this time.
We were able to share our belief that everyone is a part of the solution to the broken planet we live on. It starts, however, with something very basic: caring, compassion and empathy. It starts with our hearts.
It's a different language but one that is so vital right now in an digital age that is somewhat industrialising the de-humanising process. A heart to heart conversation so to speak.
Here's a lovely video teaser that my colleague, and full time volunteer, made about Empathy Action at the #ShareHumanity conference:
https://www.facebook.com/empathyaction.org/videos/834460083325596/
More updates to come.
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Saturday, 21 May 2016
Turkey 5: siblings
I have a few hours left in this border city to Syria Before heading to the World Humanitarian Summit.
Sitting now in a hotel room I'm trying to encapsulate what it feels like to be here on a border city to Syria. It hosts, I'm told, over 200,000 displaced Syrians Which is a conservative estimate.
Antakya is a wonderful city. It boasts the first Christian church. An area that is rich with history.
My experience over the past 48 hours includes incredible hospitality, visits to Syrian schools, sitting in the houses of displaced widows and their families, speaking with people who are wanted men just a few kilometres over the border and even heard from people who've had their family members affected by the chemicals used in dirty bombs and even some whose bodies have been found in rivers after going to prison.
This city is special. But it is also tired.
My colleague said this place feels like the amazing big brother that is housing its younger sibling. However, like most visits to your home, there is a point where they wonder when are they going to move out. After awhile that wonder can turn to different feelings.
In my travels throughout this city I have been referred to as brother time and time again: "my brother", "you are not a friend you are my brother"... "Thank you my brother".
As for me, I know this being the youngest of three brothers that we all need those older, or younger, siblings to help us out.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Sitting now in a hotel room I'm trying to encapsulate what it feels like to be here on a border city to Syria. It hosts, I'm told, over 200,000 displaced Syrians Which is a conservative estimate.
Antakya is a wonderful city. It boasts the first Christian church. An area that is rich with history.
My experience over the past 48 hours includes incredible hospitality, visits to Syrian schools, sitting in the houses of displaced widows and their families, speaking with people who are wanted men just a few kilometres over the border and even heard from people who've had their family members affected by the chemicals used in dirty bombs and even some whose bodies have been found in rivers after going to prison.
This city is special. But it is also tired.
My colleague said this place feels like the amazing big brother that is housing its younger sibling. However, like most visits to your home, there is a point where they wonder when are they going to move out. After awhile that wonder can turn to different feelings.
In my travels throughout this city I have been referred to as brother time and time again: "my brother", "you are not a friend you are my brother"... "Thank you my brother".
As for me, I know this being the youngest of three brothers that we all need those older, or younger, siblings to help us out.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Location:İstiklal Caddesi,Haraparası,Turkey
Thursday, 19 May 2016
Turkey 4: early starts and more delays
Plane has just landed in Adana.
The weather in Antakya (our end destination) is prohibiting our direct travel there. It's hard to determine the specifics due to language.
It's 0735 and I am kind of wishing that maybe I should have slept in rather than get up at 0300.
But what a beautiful day it is outside.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
The weather in Antakya (our end destination) is prohibiting our direct travel there. It's hard to determine the specifics due to language.
It's 0735 and I am kind of wishing that maybe I should have slept in rather than get up at 0300.
But what a beautiful day it is outside.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Location:İstiklal Caddesi,Meydan,Turkey
Turkey 3: #YNWA
Been looking forward to the Europa cup final for weeks.
Liverpool progressed all the way overcoming old adversaries and old clubs for the new boss.
It's been a joy to see my team progress. I was even relishing the chance to see it in the city where they last won a European cup.
However, a delayed flight and tight turn around, passport control, visas, baggage reclaim and getting to a screen cost me the first 55mins of play. Thank goodness for whatsapp and sms updates.
I came in during the 2nd half and saw a 1-0 lead slip away. Woeful defending by us and excellent attacking from Sevilla made the end result a gutting 1-3.
Well done Sevilla. Disappointing. But what a great season this has been for my team. Thanks for it and you'll never walk alone!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Liverpool progressed all the way overcoming old adversaries and old clubs for the new boss.
It's been a joy to see my team progress. I was even relishing the chance to see it in the city where they last won a European cup.
However, a delayed flight and tight turn around, passport control, visas, baggage reclaim and getting to a screen cost me the first 55mins of play. Thank goodness for whatsapp and sms updates.
I came in during the 2nd half and saw a 1-0 lead slip away. Woeful defending by us and excellent attacking from Sevilla made the end result a gutting 1-3.
Well done Sevilla. Disappointing. But what a great season this has been for my team. Thanks for it and you'll never walk alone!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Location:Kemal Paşa Caddesi,Yeni Cami,Turkey
Wednesday, 18 May 2016
Turkey 2: dusk from the air
Always love the view of sun going down whilst in the air. I guess I must be somewhere above Eastern Europe.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Location:Havaalanı İçi Yolu,Sanayi,Turkey
Turkey 1: a dream come true
I have always wanted to theme out events that are saturated in stories of powerful partnership between the poor and rich.
This week that dream starts to come real. One area that I have been focusing on for the past several years are 'products with purpose' placed in the hands of people by caring people as a gift. For example at birthday parties or weddings and now events.
On Sunday I go to the world's first UN Humanitarian summit. The organisers care deeply about this area and want to convey this. They are doing so through the event, the agenda and also through a gift that we have helped create with partners in Cambodia.
The gifts are key rings made by people from a country that has emerged from a ruthless civil war. A war that left field and field of dead people. A regime of tyrannical dictator. From the bullets and artillery shells come these key rings that have been made by artisans for the participants of the summit.
The message of the summit is around shared humanity.
I'm stoked to be part of this and even more so to see a proof of concept from all those years ago.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
This week that dream starts to come real. One area that I have been focusing on for the past several years are 'products with purpose' placed in the hands of people by caring people as a gift. For example at birthday parties or weddings and now events.
On Sunday I go to the world's first UN Humanitarian summit. The organisers care deeply about this area and want to convey this. They are doing so through the event, the agenda and also through a gift that we have helped create with partners in Cambodia.
The gifts are key rings made by people from a country that has emerged from a ruthless civil war. A war that left field and field of dead people. A regime of tyrannical dictator. From the bullets and artillery shells come these key rings that have been made by artisans for the participants of the summit.
The message of the summit is around shared humanity.
I'm stoked to be part of this and even more so to see a proof of concept from all those years ago.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Thursday, 12 May 2016
Thank you cherry blossom
We love living on our road.
Especially at this time of year when the cherry blossom is out.
The last week has so has been spectacular. Walking home. Walking to the shops. Walking to football. It's been great. The trees are dressed in a deep pink that fills the road.
And now the tree opposite sheds the blossom leaving a stunning pile beneath. Walking back from the school run we stopped to show Ezra.
Thank you for the past few weeks. Hopefully see you next year.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Especially at this time of year when the cherry blossom is out.
The last week has so has been spectacular. Walking home. Walking to the shops. Walking to football. It's been great. The trees are dressed in a deep pink that fills the road.
And now the tree opposite sheds the blossom leaving a stunning pile beneath. Walking back from the school run we stopped to show Ezra.
Thank you for the past few weeks. Hopefully see you next year.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
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