"Seagull totem: you have the ability to soar above your problems and look at things from a different perspective. Choose the alternative"
"Acknowledge, feel it and transform- turn anger into a passion for peace". Jo Berry
On October 12th 1984, the IRA (Irish Republican Army) exploded a bomb in the Grand Hotel, Brighton, during the Conservative Party Conference killing 5 people and injuring many more. Among those killed was Sir Anthony Berry MP.
The family of Sir Anthony Berry were devastated, but for his daughter Jo, it also started a life-long mission for peace.
“I was 27 when my father was killed, and within two days of that it was important for me to find something positive out of it, to bring some meaning and to even understand those who killed him.”
Jo Berry
16 years later, Patrick Magee – the man who planted the bomb – was released from prison and Jo arranged to meet him. As they listened to each other’s story, they came to realise that this was the beginning of a journey of peace and reconciliation to which they were inextricably bound.
The charity Building Bridges for Peace was launched in Brighton in October 2009 – on the 25th anniversary of the bombing.
Building Bridges for Peace works to enable divided communities and the general public to explore and better understand the roots of war, terrorism and violence.