November 26 will mark seven long years since the 2008 Mumbai terrorist attacks. One of those struck by this personal tragedy has come back to India to bring about a positive change in the society. The 2008 Mumbai terrorist attacks had led to the deaths of 138 Indians, including 17 policemen and NSG commandos. Among the 28 foreigners dead comprised four Americans, three Germans, two from Israeli-Americans, Israelis, Australians, Canadians, French, Italians, and one each from British-Cypriot, Dutch, Japanese, Jordanian, Malaysian, Mauritian, Mexican, Singaporean and a Thai. In addition, nine of the ten attackers were killed and one was captured.
A victim of that tragedy, American Kia Scherr, who lost her husband and daughter in the attack, has been regularly coming to India since 2010 and has been working with the Mumbai police, to help train them and spread cheer and happiness and a smile. She has made a 30-page booklet called "A Pocketbook of Peace" so the policeman can read it one page a day and bring a smile to their faces.
Kia's husband and daughter were part of a group of 25 people from the US, Canada and Australia, who took part in a meditation retreat held in Mumbai at the Oberoi Hotel in November 2008. On November 26, while her husband Alan and 13-year-old daughter, Naomi, were at dinner in the hotel restaurant, terrorists stormed in and began shooting at them. While Alan and Naomi were both killed instantly, the other four people at their table were seriously wounded, but survived. Some others were trapped in their rooms for 3 days, while the hotel was under siege. Kia, who was visiting her family in Florida at that time, had to watch it all unfold on the news.
On arriving in India, Kia set up the One Life Alliance Foundation which seeks to bond more with the Mumbai police and other police forces around India to "restore balance, to deepen commitment to love unconditionally" because, as she says "love was brutally lacking in the terrorist attack". Kia and a group of expat cricket lovers mainly from Australian, England and New Zealand played a cricket match against the Mumbai police, which they hope to help bridges with the police and in course of time use cricket to spread the message of peace.
According to Kia, the idea for the project “ Cricket Match for Peace “ came about during a dinner conversation she had with Matt Greenwell, a British businessman who had just moved from Delhi to Mumbai with his family. Greenwell says “Kia and her work was the inspiration, but it's never difficult to get a bunch of Aussies and Brits to play cricket and support a good cause. But the big plan is for our match next year to be much bigger to help raise funds for Kia's work. We would also like to take the cricket match for peace format across the Commonwealth countries “ whether that country's experiencing conflict or simply to provide a vehicle to break down barriers between communities,” disclosed Greenwell.
“We were about to launch the Pocketbook of Peace to the police on International Peace Day “ September 21 at the Police Club Hall at a special event. We met with the S Mumbai police commissioner Dr Pratap Dighavkar, who enthusiastically agreed to the idea and offered his full support” said Kia.
She stated the ultimate objective was to raise the Peace Index of India. According to the Global Peace Index report (put out by Institute of Economics and Peace, based in Sydney Australia), India ranks 143 out of 162 countries that were measured, based on 23 various factors.
Kai says “I made a choice to forgive the terrorists and dedicate my life to being the opposite of a terrorist, which is to love like an extremist. If terrorists choose to destroy life, I choose to respect, celebrate and live life to the fullest in every way possible. I am committed to bring peace by respecting the dignity of life in everyone I meet. We must respect the dignity of our differences. “Love is what is needed most.”
