Patricia Earle is the Midlands representative of the Women’s Federation for World Peace in the UK.
Patricia has been working in Birmingham for peace in the community, and around the world, since 1991. She founded a Women’s Peace Group in 1993, and regularly hosts events in her home, bringing together hundreds of women from different nationalities, religions, races and cultures around the theme of peace, building friendship and trust in the process. Some examples of the themes of the meetings are: domestic violence; trafficking; integration; fundraising for disaster-relief in Nepal and other parts of the world; peace-building in Northern Ireland, Bosnia and South Africa, and many other events. Larger events have taken place in Birmingham Council House and other prominent venues. She and her husband set up an Interfaith Orphanage in India for ‘untouchable’ children. The children have been sponsored by people from all the different faith communities in Birmingham.
Patricia has supported initiatives for peace in the Holy Land, taking interfaith groups from Birmingham to Israel and Palestine, meeting people from both sides there who work for peace. She invited members of the Bereaved Families Association from Israel/ Palestine to come to speak in Birmingham University and several Birmingham secondary schools about their work for peace and reconciliation
Another unique feature of her work is the Bridge of Peace Ceremony in which women from different religious, ethnic and cultural backgrounds meet one-to-one, with the purpose of building lasting friendships, and making a contribution towards a more peaceful, harmonious society, helping to remove fear, bigotry and prejudice.
Patricia currently serves on a small Steering Committee in the West Midlands region of the UK, chaired by 2 women Members of the European Parliament, developing initiatives to try and tackle ‘Hate Crime’, which increased in the UK following the Brexit referendum in June 2016.
The Women’s Federation (WFWP), of which Patricia is the Midlands representative, has had Consultative Status Category 1 with ECOSOC at the United Nations for around 20 years. Several United Nations days are recognised each year, and reports from local level activities can be submitted through UN offices in Geneva and New York.
Patricia is married with 4 children, all working in the National Health Service and caring profession.
Below are photos from a typical Women’s Peace Meeting, a Bridge of Peace ceremony in Birmingham, and the Interfaith Children’s Home in India.
