All is One

I got the idea for this illustration this summer while I was flying to Rome from Stansted Airport. Suddenly near the public toilets of the airport I saw a prayer room with the symbols of different religions.

This made me think a lot that we have been hating and fighting each other over different religions, when most of them, at their very core, bring the same message of love and compassion towards ourselves and others - to treat each others like brothers and sisters, no matter our race, culture and nationality.

I have been quite concerned lately with the far-right actions that have been taking place in the UK. It worries me particularly because this is something that we have been fighting for a long time in Italy. For anyone who doesn't know, I come from a little seatown near Rome. And Italy, has always been known to be very friendly and welcoming country.

However in the last 20 years lots of things have changed, in particular due to the fact that Italy has become very poor with no financial growth and Italians started to become very frustrated and angry. Unfortunately, rather than thinking that the origin of their difficulties is caused by negative politicians figures who didn't care for their people; they started to release their anger at immigrants who were escaping from war and famine from Africa. This was used by the far-right organization (who has never really been eradicated after the fascism ended at the end of the second world war) to start using people's anger for their own agenda, which, sadly, led them to become a few years ago the first party of our country.

In some way I feel that a similar situation is repeating in different countries nowadays where the far-right is growing day after day. I have lots of British colleagues who explained to me that they could witness how, 10 years of Tory’s government, which brought cuts in different areas of public services, started to make things worse and worse and turn people one again each other. Also France was very close to having the far-right winning the national election this summer - fortunately the New Popular Front with Jean-Luc Melenchon saved the day!

So, when I think about what has been going on in Gaza for far too long now and every time I witness these events taking place in different countries I can't help myself thinking "why?!?"

Have we not learned anything from history? That extreme racism can lead to genocide?

How can we spend time praying or going to structures created for worshiping God and then hate our neighbours because the colour of their skin or their religion is different from our own?!?

Nevertheless I can see that, despite all the hate and anger, there is a strong movement of people around the world who are using love and compassion as a way of life, leading the way for a new era. This make me feel really hopeful for the future!

So then today I'm asking you, what can you do in your life to bring a bit of love and kindness to the people around you?!? Remember thinking globally, acting locally!

As always, with love,