Opening address by Betsy Mathieson, chairperson of This is Bahrain
“We are witnessing the worst humanitarian crises in our history and the solution is not to be found in violence and war.
“Global peaceful coexistence can only be achieved when ‘you want for your neighbour that which you want for yourself’, creating a world where we truly understand and respect each other’s humanity.
“Tonight, our children can sleep safely and warmly in their beds, they have food to eat, water to drink and the safe loving arms of their family to surround them. However over one billion children around the world are not so fortunate, they live every day amid conflict.
They are hungry, cold, thirsty, living in fear of their lives and many without a loving family to comfort them.
“Innocent children are too often the first casualties of war.
“As adults we ask ourselves, ‘what can we do?’. The smallest and simplest of actions can be very effective.
“Let the love we have for each other, for all of humanity, be the glue that binds us together and leads us out of the darkness and into the light.
“Let us practise a compassionate and caring approach to each other every day and let us never forget that the children of the world are the most precious gift from God and let us cherish them, love them, hug away their fears and protect them from harm.
“Kindness is contagious, love is miraculous and the power of prayer should never be underestimated.
“In conclusion, I share with you the closing words of His Majesty King Hamad from The Kingdom of Bahrain Declaration: ‘Faith Illuminates our path to peace’.”
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