Watford Bridge of Peace

First Bridge of Peace Comments:

"I come from Bulgaria, a Christian country that had a long history of conflict with its neighbour Muslim Turkey. I thought it was all in the past and nothing to do with me. I was really surprised to have a deep experience of cleansing and healing...I felt the hand of God bringing us all to his bosom. Already from the very beginning with the song "Our hearts beat at the same time" my tears started flowing and didn't stop till the very end. It was an amazing experience of warmth and celebration. Now when I see Muslim women in the street I have a very warm feeling toward them." Diana.

"The Bridge of Peace has given me an opportunity to meet people from other faiths who like me value 'Peace'. In this Blessed month of Peace and Goodwill (Ramadan) I wish everyone 'Peace'. There is no better wish one human can give to another. 'We must pursue peaceful ends through peaceful means' (Dr Martin Luther King Jr.)". Samina.

"At this time of tension, fear and suspicion between the faiths, politics and power don't seem to be helping. We think that women have a big part to play. We can start in our families and neighbourhood by coming together in friendship and building greater understanding and trust, Then we can promote peace and harmony through cooperation and respect for the good qualities of the other," Gillian

"The Bridge of Peace organised by the Women's Federation provides a unique opportunity for women to come together from different faiths and to learn from each other's experiences." Zena.

Beside those local events, some ladies of the Bridge of Peace connected to international rallies for Peace in the Middle East in Israel organised by the International Interreligious Federation for World Peace (IIFWP) an affiliated organisation of WFWP.

Here are some of the comments of those who attended:

"In May 2004 the WFWP sponsored a Women's pilgrimage to Israel/Palestine which included outreach activities, a Peace rally and a Bridge of Peace Sisterhood ceremony for representative members of the 3 Abrahamic faiths: Jewish, Christian and Muslim.When all the pairs came to cross the Bridge it was the Israeli/Palestinian pairs that received the biggest applause. Nawal and I crossed it as well and her husband took pictures. Naval comes from the Arab part of Jerusalem, she is part of an organisation called ‘Abu Sokar for Peace and Dialogue’ which organises projects to bring Palestinians and Israelis together. We exchanged addresses and promised to keep in touch. Today is the age of women. The power of a mother's heart cannot be ignored. The power of many mothers’ hearts yearning to protect the future of their children can bring miracles." Diana.

"I went to Jerusalem with IIFWP. It was a very moving experience to be there where so many conflicts have taken place. To be with a group of people who are involved in practical projects and genuinely care about bringing world peace and reconciliation made me feel very hopeful" Judith.

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