How do you counter terrorism? You could do the opposite and love like an extremist, says Kia Scherr.

Even as the horror of the Paris attacks unfolds before us and we are consumed by the tragedy, we cannot forget Mumbai 2008, when the same kind of senseless violence left a shroud of despair in our own home country.
As the seventh anniversary of the attack that killed 138 Indians and 28 foreigners, comes up on 26 November, our thoughts are still with the survivors, and the family members of victims, and we cannot even begin to comprehend how they must be coping.
One of those struck by this personal tragedy, has been returning to India regularly since 2010.
The world came crashing down for American Kia Scherr when her husband and daughter were taken from her in the attack, but she has since found a unique way of dealing with her immeasurable loss.
“I made a choice to forgive the terrorists,” Kia says.

“And to dedicate my life to being the opposite of a terrorist, which is to love like an extremist. If I refuse to be terrorised, terrorism ceases to be. If terrorists choose to hate, I choose to love. If terrorists choose to destroy life, I choose to respect, celebrate and live life to the fullest in every way possible.”
Kia’s purpose in life now is to bring about a positive change in society. Today she is working closely with Mumbai Police to do exactly that.
Kia’s husband and daughter were part of a group of 25 people from the US, Canada and Australia, who took part in a meditation retreat held in Mumbai at the Oberoi Hotel in November 2008.
On November 26, while her husband Alan and 13-year-old daughter Naomi, were at dinner in the hotel restaurant, terrorists stormed in and began shooting at them.
While Alan and Naomi were both killed instantly, the other four people at their table were seriously wounded, but survived. Some others were trapped in their rooms for 3 days, while the hotel was under siege.
Kia, who was visiting her family in Florida at that time, had to watch it all unfold on the news.
Travelling to India in the aftermath of the tragedy, Kia set up the One Life Alliance Foundation, which seeks to bond more with the Mumbai Police and other police forces around India to “restore balance, to deepen commitment to love unconditionally” because, as she says, “love was brutally lacking in the terrorist attack”.
Her work with police personnel involves ‘peace training’ in order to build trust to increase safety and security in community, and help spread cheer and happiness.
A Pocketbook of Peace
Kia has also produced a 30-page booklet called A Pocketbook of Peace to be read one page a day over the month.
“I was inspired to introduce A Pocketbook of Peace as training material to the Mumbai Police after reading so much in the media about lack of trust, lack of safety and security.
To build trust, we need to build harmonious relationships. This requires emotional intelligence. Police training does not include emotional intelligence training.”
Kia shared the idea with Mumbai Police Commissioner Rakesh Maria who immediately gave the nod to begin a pilot program, the first of its kind offered to police anywhere in the world.
Support flooded in from various sources.
Melbourne-based David Rivers, who runs Tandava Press, offered to publish A Pocketbook of Peace so that it would be available in Australia through Amazon and directly through Tandava Press.
Steve Killelea, founder of the Institute of Economics and Peace in Sydney, whose research serves to educate about what makes a peaceful society, came on board.

Kia and Steve

Another Australian connection was Charles Sturt University which co-sponsored and organised the first International Conference for Women in Law Enforcement at the National Police Academy in Hyderabad.
A Mexican businessmen had the book translated into Spanish and a local radio station sponsored a 30-day program based on the book.
Over 5000 people took the pledge for peace.
Cricket for peace
Kia and a group of expat cricket lovers mainly from Australia, England and New Zealand recently played a cricket match against the Mumbai Police, to help build bridges with the police.
“It is a nice way to use the power of cricket in India and in an atmosphere of negativity and sensationalism, maybe someone will be able to highlight this,” Kia says.
According to Kia, the idea for the project – Cricket Match for Peace – came about during a dinner conversation she had with Matt Greenwell, a British businessman who had just moved from Delhi to Mumbai with his family.
Kia adds, “We met with the Mumbai police commissioner Dr Pratap Dighavkar, who enthusiastically agreed to the idea and offered his full support.”
Greenwell says, “Kia and her work was the inspiration, but it’s never difficult to get a bunch of Aussies and Brits to play cricket and support a good cause.”
“But the big plan is for our match next year to be much bigger to help raise funds for Kia’s work.
We would also like to take the Cricket Match for Peace format across the Commonwealth countries – whether that country is experiencing conflict or simply to provide a vehicle to break down barriers between communities,” Greenwell reveals.
Celebrity commentator Harsha Bhogle attended the Cricket Match for Peace.

Kia and Harsha

Raising the Peace Index in India
Kia seems like a bundle of positive energy. She could easily have been the opposite.
Her ultimate objective “is to raise the Peace Index of India”.
According to the Global Peace Index report (put out by the Institute of Economics and Peace, based in Sydney Australia), India ranks 143 out of 162 countries that were measured, based on 23 various factors.
She says, “By working to create positive peace in the community, we develop trusting relationships, creating new collaborations that lead to new ways of educating, doing business and governing.
Ultimate aim – reduce violence, conflict, save lives, raise prosperity and economic sustainability. There is a high cost to violence. A peaceful society requires new ways of working together. We can reach a lot of people through cricket and have a lot of fun at the same time.”
She adds, “I am committed to bringing peace by respecting the dignity of life in everyone I meet. We must respect the dignity of our differences. On the surface we are all different. Underneath, we are simply human. One race, human. We share one life together here on this planet and we each make a contribution.”
It is hard not be infected with her enthusiasm.
“Love is what is needed most. We need to love each other more, this means to live with compassion. This will bring about peace, happiness, joy and prosperity for all of humanity.”

It’s been an accolade-filled journey up the career ladder for Nishchol Sethi

Leut. Nishchol Sethi of the Royal Australian Navy has had a very busy year.

For starters, he has just finished his Charge Qualification as an engineer. This recognises the competence of a Navy engineer to lead an engineering department in a ship, submarine, or aircraft squadron.
“The gruelling three-hour exam comes at the end of a nerve-wracking and stressful six months of preparation, but is a significant milestone for me as Lieutenant,” Nishchol tells Indian Link.
Earlier this year, Nishchol, or Nish as he is called, successfully completed his Master of Science (Aircraft Structures) degree at Cranfield University in the United Kingdom, winning a prestigious prize for an industrial design component.
Nish was handpicked by the Royal Australian Navy’s Aviation Engineering fraternity to attend the course in the UK. This prestigious posting is highly sought after and particularly competitive.
The selected candidate undertakes a challenging and technically rigorous 12 month in-country course, culminating in examinations and the submission of two theses.
Cranfield is at the forefront of postgraduate education in aerospace engineering and invites high calibre industry based guest lecturers (such as from Boeing, Airbus, BAE Systems and Eurocopter) who impart knowledge of contemporary design and engineering project management practice.
“As part of the course, students are required to design an entire aircraft from basic specifications. We work in a group, with specific responsibilities each, and go from conceptualising to designing. At the end, we present our report to a panel of 200 leading aerospace experts.”
Nishchol’s group was charged with designing a “green” (low carbon footprint) passenger aircraft, by utilising advanced technologies and design concepts to reduce harmful emissions while delivering a technically viable and cost effective aircraft design suitable for future commuter and air freight transport requirements.
Nish’s own task was to design a metallic elevator for a high T-tail empennage, which he accomplished with remarkable success.
He was able to develop a lightweight structure through the reduction of numerous sub-components normally seen within contemporary elevator design.
His methodical approach to material selection and manufacturing processes also came in for high praise.
For his work, he won the prestigious Ken Griffin Memorial Prize for “Best Work in Stress Analysis for the academic year 2013/2014”.
The Prize also recognises the additional hard work, dedication and technical mastery displayed by the recipient.
“I gained invaluable project management and analytical skills during the course,” Nish describes.
“The in-depth understanding I’ve gained of the conceptual, analytical and applied factors required in design, will be fundamental for effective performance in my recent appointment to the Directorate General Technical Airworthiness – Australian Defence Force.”
Nish gained his first Masters degree in Systems Engineering two years ago. He is currently completing his third Masters degree in Project Management.
His UK stint has helped enhance life in other ways as well. Nish met his soulmate while on the course, and when he spoke to Indian Link, he was about to fly off to India to solemnise his wedding.
Nishchol comes from a long line of faujis (military personnel). His grandad, uncle and cousins all have or have had successful military careers in India.
Nish himself hasn’t seen deployment on missions overseas yet.
“I’m looking forward to being sent to duty, though,” he reveals.
“Being an aeronautical engineering officer, there are limited to no opportunities. It’s been largely a behind-the-scenes role for me so far, predominantly ensuring technical aspects of the aircraft are addressed for safe flight.
However, there could be an opportunity in the next couple of years. The two largest ships in the Australian Navy, the mammoth Landing Helicopter Docks (LHDs) HMAS Canberra and HMAS Adelaide will provide an opportunity for deployment. It would be great to go out to sea on them.”
These vessels, 27,000 tonnes each, are some of the world’s most sophisticated air-land-sea amphibious deployment systems, capable of landing 1000 personnel and all their weapons, by water or air.
Nish has been in the Navy for just over nine years. The New Delhi-born lad finished school in Sydney and enrolled at UNSW to do a Bachelors’ degree in aeronautical engineering.
“In the last two years of my course, I applied to the Australian Navy and was very pleased to be selected,” he reveals.
“I have enjoyed it thoroughly. Yes it was a bit daunting at first, and the physical training regimen was excruciating, but I adapted very quickly.”
It is quite a multicultural workplace, he reveals. When he joined the Navy, Nish did not see many desis. More recently though, there has been a steady influx of Indian-origin servicemen.
“I would certainly recommend it as a career,” he says. “If you are driven, like to push boundaries, and are up for a challenge, then the Navy is for you. You won’t regret it.”
Just like his name, which is Sanskrit for calm, unwavering, unshakeable, it is obvious that Nishchol’s quiet confidence is what has brought him this far in his career.