I cannot believe it is 15 years ago that planes were used to create such destruction in New York and DC and  crashed in Pennsylvania. For many, this is an event that they have only heard about second hand, a part of history. I, however, still remember the day I heard about the planes crashing into buildings.

Transfixed by the repeating image which I was convinced had to be a promo from a horror movie, it took minutes to ascertain it was indeed real.

The Day represented a shift in the world. A realisation that evil is real and can rear its ugly head to destroy life, innocence and hope. We had just emerged from one of the best Olympics in Modern History and life was feeling optimistic in the new century.

What have we learnt from this dark chapter of history?

I am reading two books currently. One is “East West Street” which weaves his own discovery if his family history through the Nazi destruction of the Poles, Jews, and other groups in World War Two whilst mapping the legal developments of understanding genocide.

The other is called “The Wall” by William Sutcliffe and is one perspective of the Israeli-Palestinian situation and how we use walls to separate and control humanity.

Both are incredibly poignant.

How can we use travel to build bridges and not walls? How can we reach out to meet and bridge cultures? How can we invest in peace and not prepare for war?

This September 11, I want to reflect on how I engage in travel. The world has not been made a play thing for my explorations. It is an opportunity for me to engage through discovering the world, ways to make this a better world.

Peace be with you.