HUMAN rights and peace activist Zohar Lavie brings her first-hand experience of working for justice and peace to the next Help Our Planet (HOP) talk at Sladers Yard contemporary art and craft gallery, West Bay, on Thursday 4th April at 7pm.

The devastating suffering and violence we are witnessing in Gaza, the West Bank and Israel is having a massive impact on many of us. In her talk, Building Peace and Justice in Times of Crisis, Zohar Lavie draw on her long-term as well as her recent work in Palestine and Israel, including in October and December 2023.

She will explore how we can maintain a beneficial response when the pressure of the situation pushes us to shut down, turn away or feel overwhelmed. The talk will include reflections on how spiritual practice supports our ability to embody and enact our deep wish of safety and justice for all beings. By combining the inner activity of meditation with the outward movement of inter-action, Zohar works to promote harmony and well-being for all people.

Some may see meditation and action as opposites, but she suggests they are complementary – the meditative skills that help us in contemplation also support us to be more engaged with the person or action in front of us.

Zohar Lavie has been practising meditation in different traditions since 1995. In 2004 she co-founded SanghaSeva with Nathan Glyde and others. Since 2006 she has been teaching on silent retreats and Dharma gatherings in India, Europe and Israel. She now spends most of her time facilitating meditation retreats that ‘touch the world’ through social and environmental service.

The HOP talks were started by Philip Howse, Professor Emeritus, University of Southampton, with Professor Sir Ghillean Prance, the former director of Kew Gardens, the late James Lovelock, environmentalist George Monbiot and entomologist Dr George McGavin. The project aims to inspire and inform individuals, families and local communities with tangible actions to help combat the effects of climate change and environmental degradation. The talks provide a forum for discussion and information.

Numbers are restricted and booking is essential – telephone 01308 459511; supper is available in the venue before the talk. All proceeds to Food Parcels for the West Bank and Humanitarian aid in Gaza.