I have been thinking a lot about war and simply cannot understand why we cannot simply live in peace? This is a vast world – there is enough for all of us if only greed and power did not rule the hearts of so many. There is no need for anyone to be starving, no need for anyone to be homeless, no need for anyone to endure the horrors of war and violence. No one wins as a result of war, all are damaged either physcially, emotionally, spiritually or mentally. Images of bloodied, terrified children, the abuse of animals left stranded in extreme fear, innocent lives affected because of greed. No one ‘owns’ this land, we are its care takers and as such should be showing respect and appreciation for its well being. We should also be caring for all Mother Earth's vulnerable inhabitants – to show anything but compassion and mercy shows us up as cruel and thoughtless. So please show compassion in your own existence – be kind to yourself and to all life around you.

Live a peaceful, respectful existence and live as an example to others of the peace this brings into your own life. We do not need to use and abuse the land or other lives in order to survive – in fact it's this very abuse that is killing us and the land. So consider a diet free from animal products and therefore from animals suffering – to ingest violence and suffering makes that violence and suffering a part of us. Always think how your actions are affecting other lives – just as war causes the suffering of innocents, so too does the violence of animal farming and we need to start with our own lives if we are to spread peace to the world. The support of any activity that inflicts terror and death is as unnecessary as war. As Leo Tolstoy said “As long as there are slaughter houses there will always be battlefields.”