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Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page. You know the story, New Year's creeps upon you and you decide to get fit. Then you go the whole hog and sign up for a marathon. No? Well this story finds me running the Brighton marathon on Sunday the 15th April for Peace Direct. I have to be honest, the prospect of running this is daunting. The training has been tough, the early morning rain has been chilling and the extra ‘training’ bag to work lugging has been a military planned exercise. However, when you consider that across the world, 1,000 people a week are killed in wars, my rain complaints are quickly put into perspective. Conflict doesn’t just kill though violence; up to 15,000 more will die from related causes like disease or malnutrition each week. In these conflict areas, there are local people working heroically to stop violence, heal their communities and save lives. One local peacebuilder, Henri Ladyi, is rebuilding communities shattered by Congo’s bitter civil war. He was a child soldier in the local militia but ten years ago he chose to dedicate his life to persuading rebels to lay down their weapons and release child soldiers. He puts his life on the line every day – persuading the militia to release children and going into the jungle to lead them back to safety. Henri reunites them with their families or finds them foster families. He helps them to finish their education or learn a trade so they have a real chance for the future. Thinking about the lives of the people Henri is helping has kept me going through dark winter training sessions around Hackney and inspired me to raise as much money as I can. Here are some examples of what Henri could do with your sponsorship money: £10 could provide one month’s medical supplies to 2 malnourished children who have fled violence in Congo.  £35 could support one former rebel soldier in a workers’ co-operative in Congo to start a new life. £75 could pay for a volunteers to run community courts in the Congo so locals have access to justice. Henri is just one of the local heroes that Peace Direct supports. There are many more in conflict zones around the world building a safer future for their own communities so please give generously to their amazing work. Even if it’s to see the glorious photos of my sweaty body on Facebook, or to satisfy that altruistic generous pang. Every donation is personally appreciated from me and from the team at Peace Direct. Go, what are you waiting for? Make my New Year’s decision one of worth. Donate. Tim x

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