Episode 43: Empathy: The Path to Peace with Jo Berry
The choice between revenge and peace.
A mission can be driven by a whole gamut of life experiences. Jo Berry’s mission began in 1984, when her father was killed by the IRA in the Brighton Hotel bombing. Jo describes trying to stop revenge as being like trying to stop gravity and yet, almost immediately, she made a silent commitment to find a way to bring something positive out of her devastating loss.
Choosing peace over revenge, Jo courageously chose a journey with no map. She knew she would never again be the person she had been prior to the bombing but she also didn’t want the enemy, or the feeling of being at war, that had penetrated her life.
Sixteen years after her father was killed, Jo first met with the man responsible, Pat Magee. Their initial three-hour meeting led to them speaking, on over 300 occasions, on a shared platform around the world.
In this extraordinary conversation, Jo describes her path to peace as a blend of curiosity, empathy and compassion. She shares how, by making her motivation bigger than her fears, so much more was possible in her mission. This episode is for anyone who wants to learn more about creating peace and harmony out of conflict and adversity.
ABOUT YOUR HOST: SUE REVELL
Sue is on a mission to STOP women playing small so that they can create the legacy they want to leave in the world. With over 30 years coaching and leadership experience, Sue loves nothing more than disrupting the unhelpful thinking that often holds women back, so that they can think, dream and BE bigger in leading the change they want to see. Coaching internationally, Sue’s clients are primarily world-changing women who want to lead with confidence, increase their impact and live a life that matters.
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Jo Berry
Activist, Speaker, & Charity Founder
Jo Berry is an inspiring speaker who works to resolve conflict around the world. Sixteen years after her father was killed by an IRA bomb, Jo first met with the man responsible, Pat Magee. This initial three-hour meeting led to them speaking on over three hundred occasions, on a shared platform around the world. Their unusual relationship has been told in the BBC documentary "Facing the Enemy", was featured in the film "Beyond Right and Wrong", and inspired "The Bomb", a play by Kevin Dyer.
The founder of the charity ‘Building Bridges for Peace’, Jo advocates that unbounded empathy is the biggest weapon we have to end conflict. With political, religious and racial divides deepening as global and local events unfold, her words offer a message of hope and encourage us all to see the humanity in others.
Jo is frequently invited to address international conferences and seminars on themes of peace, conflict resolution and reconciliation. She has given talks and workshops in areas around the world including Lebanon and Rwanda, India, South Korea, Palestine and Israel as well as throughout the U.K. She has spoken in venues throughout this country and joined panels and discussions forums on radio and TV.
Over the last¬ years Jo has developed workshops in schools and with youth groups on topics of conflict transformation, storytelling, becoming positive changemakers, and challenging violent extremism. She is also working with businesses to support them in creating a culture of care and harmony. She is a TEDx speaker and a Vi… Read More
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