War vs. peace

Recently I watched a documentary on TV. It was about promoting peace. One man spent 10 years of his life promoting a world peace day, which would be and is the 21st of September. He kept a video diary of his every failure and success. He was deeply inspiring and soon attracted the attention of governments all over the world. UNICEF, Annie Lenox, Jude Law and Angelina Jolie gradually joined him to help him on his way. What impressed me most is that shortly after he launched world peace day the tragic event of 9/11 blasted through the press, demeaning his every effort:

"A plane has hit one of the twin towers. The low flying plane loomed perhaps 30ft above the ground of New York City and collided into the world trade centre. This was the beginning of a man made disaster. Destruction followed as flames and smoke exploded from the centre of the cities twin tower. People in the surrounding area started to react like ripples from a stone being thrown into water. Looks of surprise and horror were displayed on peoples’ faces. The sky scraper began to fall as the stories began to collapse one by one, gradually building up momentum. A gigantic cloud of dust expanded from the site of destruction as it engulfed everything in its pathway. Some began to run from the site, while others stopped to watch this world changing tragedy. Sirens sounded with an inevitable knowing of people being harmed. Streets, people of the public and cars were covered head to toe in black dust as the cloud of dust passed. The tower having fallen, but the tragic mess having just begun."

...But he still carried on. If anything it made him ever more determined. 21st September is recorded as a day of peace and takes on the idea that whether it be in the playground, in the community or on the battlefield we would be strong enough to cease our vicious words, our fists and even our firearms.

In the beginning

I am Laura. My passions are, in no particular order, writing and medicine. This year, 2008, I am further discovering my journalistic skills at Westminster uni. I am in fact a hybrid medical student/journalist. This year I shall be writing about people rather than learning about how to heal people, as I have been at Kings College London and will be again in 2009. I would like to be able to combine the areas somehow and hope it will all come to some good by the end of this long 6 year study period. That is if I have survived the diet of tinned baked beans.