On the last day of a visit to Israel I bathed in the Dead Sea and longingly wondered when I would return. That was back in 2009.

On the first day of a visit to Jordan in April this year I again bathed in the Dead Sea and looked across at the shores of Israel…

I was now about to embark on a trek across the mountains of the Jordan desert to raise money for Children of Peace…

Since my earlier return from Israel, my heart ached to be able to make a difference in some way to that beautiful and historic land with such rich and diverse cultures of the people who live there.

After an illness towards the end of last year I was spurred into action to regain my fitness and signed up with Dream Challenges, ‘Let’s Trek for Children’ and began training.

I chose to raise funds for Children of Peace because of their fresh approach to conflict resolution in the Middle East. The charity’s aim to build bridges between Palestinian and Israeli children, and so develop a shared spirit through healthcare, sports and cultural projects based in the arts and education that resonates deep in my heart.

I believe that children, given the chance, quite naturally have the presence, creativity and readiness to make friends with each other anywhere in the world and that as adults, we must afford them that opportunity whenever and wherever we can.

Embedding seeds of friendship and building common ground is essential to building trust and understanding between people in order to rebuild cohesive communities step-by-step.

In the words of two young friends of mine…

Equality for all

No more fools

If you wanna make things right

Give us the tools.

And…

Left, right,

Hold your hands tight,

Children are the future,

To make the world bright.

This is vital work that Children of Peace are doing and I can’t help feeling that the future political stability in the region will be informed by the hope we can impart to children growing up there now.

Denise Roudette

Here he talks about his plans…

Over the last five years I have walked a number of pilgrim routes in Spain, England and Switzerland, culminating in a 1,200 mile walk last year on the Via Francigena, a route from Canterbury to Rome. It has been an incredible experience, both physically and mentally. I have met so many interesting people and have had some amazing experiences.

About two years ago I added the element of raising funds for charity to my walking, and up to now have collected for charities that are involved with an interest I have in music and health.

This year I am going to be walking from Rome to Jerusalem with the focus on peace and reconciliation. Starting in July, I plan to arrive in Jerusalem sometime in December. The route will take me through Italy, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Croatia, Albania, Macedonia, Greece, Turkey, Cyprus, and then to Israel. I’ll be contacting many people from different walks of life, (religious, political), asking for a message of peace, to take with me as I walk. I will also wear a symbol of peace, and I will take a book for people to sign.

I have already started giving talks about my experiences, and my intention is to engage with as many people as possible before, during, and after this year’s walk.

In whatever way I can, my hope is to help raise the profile and awareness of peace in the world. And, in my own small way, I hope that my walk will have some ‘effect’.

I chose Children of Peace as my charity to support because of its non-partisan approach, and its focus on children being key to peace in the future. As Mahatma Gandhi said, “If we are to create peace in our world, we must begin with our children”. When I am in Israel and Palestine I will hope to see some of the work that Children of Peace support.

Paul Haines

www.peacewalk2015.com