Short walk today, long walk yesterday through Whatcombe Wood to the East of Milton Abbas and on to Blandford three hours away.  A stiff Southerley breeze, bright sunshine and the colour green all around.  If the colour green is the colour of healing, then I got a lot of healing yesterday.

I received an e mail from ‘The Elders’ just now.  The Elders is an independent group of global leaders who work together for Peace and Human Rights and were brought together in 2007 by Nelson Mandela. (www.theElders.org).

Lakhdar Brahimi, one of the Elders, a former Algerian freedom fighter and UN diplomat said this in his e mail:

“My message is this: across the world, but particularly in the comfortable, peaceful societies of developed countries, people should pressure their governments to do more to protect the Syrian refugees. I urge you to lobby your elected representatives for a more humane refugee policy which respects human rights and dignity. This would show the Syrian people that the world has not forgotten them in their darkest hour”.

Time carries on and the more complicated the situation is Syria has got the more I feel I, as a human being, have no say in the matter.  But surely we do.  We can always keep trying, and however small our acts, our thoughts our wishes, surely we can still have an effect on the whole…so I wrote him a reply and sent it off.  I wonder if you agree with what I say, and whether it would have any effect at all, and whether you think we should try it?

Dear Lakhdar Brahimi, thank you for your update on the situation in Syria. What is happening there is tragic.

As the situation began to grow back in 2011 I staged many demonstrations, usually holding a placard and asking for peace in Syria.

In 2013  I took up another placard and walked the streets of London for fours hours.

My placard read, “If you would like the killings to stop in Syria please put your hand up”.  Many people did, many didn’t, but it was the fact that people had been given a chance ‘to vote’ that encouraged me.

Events are so complicated in Syria now that it does seem the average human being, like me, has virtually no say or sway in the matter…but we do still have a voice.

When we were kids, and they still do it now, we were asked to vote by putting our hands up. “Who wants to talk about fishes? Put your hands up”, “Who wants to talk about cars? Put your hands up”, “Who wants to talk about make-up?  Put your hands up”.

So we still have the chance to put our points across.

Would you as a group of Elders consider leading a simple demonstration of solidarity around the World?  Miracles do happen, and that is what we need in Syria, (and beyond).

Would you/could you/will you give the world a chance to vote with their hands?  Ask people to put their hands up if they want peace to return to Syria now.  People can do it at school, at home, down the pub, at work, at football matches, on the television…the venues are endless and just perhaps a massive output of positive energy might help the forces of good to come through.

I enclose a photograph of myself putting my hand up.  I would willingly front this campaign.  I believe in the creation of a much much better World. We have it in our hands and in our voices and in our acts.

All the best.  Yours sincerely, Simon Owens, (UK).

(Apologies, ran over again, 606 words).