A Personal Message

A Message To The English Speaking World: Hello.

Originally the idea behind this initiative was to try to 'create' a local structure to somehow support those of us going through a suicidal crisis in Derbyshire.
 
This soon spilled over to the rest of England, then the UK and EIRE and now the project is set to relaunch itself to provide a useful information and support hub for anyone, anywhere in the English Speaking World.
 
Be it Dublin in Dublin, or Dublin in California. Dundee in Kwazulu Natal, or Dundee in Angus. Washington DC or Washington Tyne and Weir. Melbourne Derbyshire or Melbourne Victoria. Halifax, West Yorkshire or Halifax Nova Scotia. Christchurch, South Island or Christchurch in Dorset.
 

One of the main motivators for attempting this project was September 10 2005.
 
This important date was designated World Suicide Prevention Day. Which is strange, because I didn't hear or read one word about this 'signifcant' date in the British media. If it wasn't for the Internet, and many well informed and highly specialist websites from around the English speaking world,  I would never have noticed.
 
This not only underlined the global nature of the problem, but it also demonstrated  the potential of the Internet to actually do something positive about it - on a global stage.
 
For too long suicide has been ignored. Treated as some form of unwelcome inheritance, or genetic abnormality in the family genes which no member of the family feels comfortable talking about.
 
In this respect Suicide Stands Alone.
 
Unlike the doomsday viruses of our present age which appear to develop and spread at an alarming rate; only to be replaced by another as soon as a pharmaceutical giant develops a miracle cure... Suicide truly stands alone.
 
It stands out  from modern diseases such as AIDS and other doomsday viruses. These plagues seemingly emerge at a random time and place, and are then transported across the face of the planet to destroy their victims. 
 
Compare this scenario with suicide, heart disease and cancer where the cause of death is always within each and everyone of us.
 
However the anti AIDS campaign is an exemplary campaign and can teach us much about how to combat health issues on a global stage.
 
First and foremost, suicide needs to be universally identified, perceived and acknowledged to be the global killer which it is.
 
Then - can it be addressed by the global community.
 
Until then, we, the English speaking peoples, can play an invaluable role in the raising of global awareness. If we alone, join together to organise the elimination of suicide through every possible means - any partial success we achieve (individually or collectively) no matter how small - would save lives, prevent a lot of human suffering, and provide a long overdue beacon of hope for our species.