A story is told about a British ambassador and his fellow diplomats at the UN who were asked of their hopes for the festive season. “A box of the finest handmade chocolates,” the British official replied, only to find to his embarrassment that other countries’ ambassadors had listed “Peace on Earth”, “Stability” and “An end to world poverty”.
At this time of year, facing a troubled and fractured world, our hopes cannot reflect only personal wishes. They have to be focused on solving the monumental crises paralysing our planet – the interminable Russia-Ukraine war, the carnage in the Middle East, and rising poverty and inequality at home and abroad.
