Today marks a deeply painful anniversary, which we know heightens the already deeply held motions and the intensifies the acutely felt individual and collective trauma. As we look back on the devastating events of October 7th 2023, and the catastrophic, ongoing crimes & genocide that has been perpetrated since, I encourage everyone to take a moment to acknowledge the profound collective grief that exists. In moments of such intense pain, the urge to retreat into divisive and hateful, "us-versus-them" dynamics, is immensely powerful. I am not saying we abandon our principles or our positions regarding Israel-Palestine, just that we allow some space for grief to be felt and processed. True healing cannot happen when allowing grief and emotion to solidify stereotypes, racism, and dehumanisation of the other. It is an awful thing to weaponise such trauma in order to sow political division or further harm innocent people. We must actively resist the urge to engage in emotive, reactionary commentary that seeks to flatten complex human suffering into partisan talking points or justify revenge. Far too many people, much too often, seem to find it acceptable to be scathing or dismissive of others grief and pain. Do not allow fear, grief and hatred to determine your ideology or the things that you might say. 7th October 2023, a terrible crime, along with all the horrific crimes that have been perpetrated and inflicted daily since, cannot be unlived or simply erased. Despite the gut-wrenching pain, if we face anniversaries like today with courage and the notion that a better, just and peaceful future is still possible then we can hold onto hope and start building a world where these traumas and crimes are truly no longer repeated. True commemoration requires ethical remembering. This means holding space for the unique, devastating trauma experienced by victims, survivors and their families, while firmly rejecting triumphalism, blame, or the erasure of others' pain. We must accept that while a plurality of narratives exists, the baseline of our shared humanity should, in a better world, become unshakeable. I will personally be using this day to commit to mutual empathy, to listen deeply to the pain of "the other," and to stand united against a cycle of violence that continues to claim lives. This does not mean absolving the perpetrators, abandoning the pursuit of justice and accountability, or pretending that we can simply move on like everything since then didn't happen, but rather, to say very simply that we should be able to hold empathy and understanding for all those who are in deep pain today and those who experience it every other day. We can best honor those who have had their lives taken not by perpetuating the divisions that led to and caused this hatred and violence, but by fiercely defending and advocating the possibility of a shared, just and peaceful future, one that is built upon the foundation stones of human rights, accountability, justice & equality for all. These are the types of lessons that are learned through the study of conflicts, deeply divided societies, and those of us heavily involved with justice and peacebuilding. When I woke up on 7th October 2023 I saw the images of Palestinians breaking out of Gaza and I immediately knew that we were in a moment that would have devastating consequences; for the Israeli victims and their families and for the entire population of Palestinians living under Israel's brutal oppressive domination.