Children instinctively like to play with other children with whom they share jokes, similar interests, and ways of having fun. We as adults tell them and teach them that the children they are friends with should be of the same social status, skin color, religion, language, and nationality.

Our actions are calculated in emotions, relationships, partners, or business.

Out of fear of getting hurt, we try to prevent situations that would potentially end in this way.

But, while you’re doing “what you should”, did it ever happen that you’re yearning for moments past spent with a person or a group of people who just made you feel good? Are there any relationships in your life that came to their end because of different imposed restrictions? Does happiness come from inside or outside?

When we’re young we are certain that they come from outside of us. As we get older and, perhaps, wiser… well, you get the point.

The reality is that we all determine our value by the outside. In short – by our appearance and by how much money or influence we appear to have. When in fact the truth is that all of us – regardless of our social status, appearance, religious or cultural markings that we wear or not – need most the things that we needed instinctively when we were children. Having people who pay attention to us and love us as we are, and who share our sense of humor, our success and our failures. Someone once said, “People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did. But they’ll never forget how you made them feel.” Think about that.

A smile will look good on anyone, no matter their nationality. A tear will be salty and deep, blurring the eye regardless of the cheek being white, black, rich, or poor.

This introduction is inspired by the unfortunate events in the last year, but also by all other events or misfortunes where people were forced to leave their homes, losing their loved ones and going through the hardest mental and physical destruction. For every child who had their childhood and joy taken away. No one deserves that.

This issue of SEEbtm focuses on events and actions that celebrate peace, freedom, and equality among people. Events like those are actually many, bearing in mind the fact that people are the focus of the meetings industry. Gathering of people brought together by interests, occupations, goals. We are going to try to inspire empathy in people. The ability to put ourselves in someone else’s shoes and imagine what they feel like is indeed what makes us human beings. It can’t hurt to be reminded of that.

Living in the 21st century, we should know that differences and hatred between peoples are generated by the media and politics. What we can do is to think for ourselves and not let our words or actions be used for manipulation.

“Everyone you meet
is fighting a battle you know nothing about it.
Be kind. Always.”
Ian Maclaren