An inspiration to everybody

9:00am Thursday 27th September 2001

At the end of a week when terrorism changed the world, the audience at the Croydon Citizenship Awards listened to an inspirational man who has faced such evil and survived. Later, Terry Waite spoke exclusively to TOM GEOGHEGAN.

World leaders can learn from the acts of kindness marked at the Croydon Citizenship Awards last week, according to guest speaker Terry Waite.

With the world on the brink of war, the former international diplomat with a special insight into the Middle East told the Guardian that the Croydon volunteers he saw rewarded in the Town Hall on September 19 set an example to the politicians.

He said that every small action contributed to world peace and added: �They (politicians) can definitely learn lessons here. At a time of inflamed passions and understandable grief, political leaders have to be measured in their language and have got to be able to exercise skill because the situation is inflamed enough and we shouldn't add to it.

�Remarkable things are happening at a local level, such as what we have seen today, which need to be given publicity.

�Ronald Runcie once said Nothing is real unless it's local.' That's very true.�

After founding aid programmes in war-torn Africa, humanitarian Terry Waite, 62, was an envoy to the Archbishop of Canterbury and negotiated the release of hostages in Libya and Iran until he was captured in Lebanon in 1987.

Four of his five years in captivity were in solitary confinement and since his release he has lectured and written on his experiences.

Speaking at the Croydon Citizenship Awards, Mr Waite claimed that the way to combat the extremism which threatened world peace was to work for justice to eliminate the global divide of poverty.

He said: �It means nothing to help others abroad unless we are doing something for our immediate neighbour in terms of action and behaviour. That is one of the great lessons we have to learn.�

He added: �Do not say there is nothing we can do'. Every small action that leads to more understanding and extends a point to those in need is a positive action that has its effect both here and beyond this place.

�This is not a time for despair. It's a time when locally, nationally and internationally, we really assess our priorities. We should not patronise the poor and give more to charity necessarily.

�We should say we are determined in our community, nation and the world to work for justice for all.�

He was full of praise for Islam for the mercy and care which he said distinguished the religion.

�In some instances Islam itself and even some governments have been hijacked, a word I use deliberately, by people who see that the only answer is to kill and maim innocent people.

�That is not the position and the view taken by the majority of people who practise Islam.�

And he criticised George Bush's foreign policy of disengagement.

�In recent months I was disturbed that USA was withdrawing further into an isolation policy, stepping back from international agreements.

�Recent events show that no man or woman or country can be an island.�

He added: �I pray that the USA, in the coming days, follows the rule of law and acts justly. If it does not, it stands in great danger of reducing itself to the level of those who conducted that particular act last week.

�The USA must behave with dignity and calm. It must seek to form new relationships with the world and must deal with these questions of violence and terrorism.�

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