UPEI students on war and well-being

STORY BROUGHT JOY AND HOPE

After reading the recent article about the community meal held in Souris, P.E.I. (Neighbourly connections, Feb. 21), I felt joy but, more importantly, hope.

In today’s day and age, it is easy for people to stay in their homes behind the comfort of a screen to interact with each other. However, face-to-face human interaction is a basic need that should be met for people’s mental health. I believe these initiatives build a sense of belonging within the community and its residents and have a positive impact overall.

A community meal like the one organized by Tipsy Farmers provides people who have few opportunities to meet and discuss with new people to do precisely that.

For example, senior citizens without many reasons to leave their homes or new residents who haven’t met their neighbours benefit from this initiative. I’m confident that every person who attended the meal now knows another friendly face with whom they can talk at the grocery store.

Additionally, even if some attendees didn’t make new friends or acquaintances, they will have had basic interaction with others.

I believe that for people struggling with mental health, just being in the same room as other people and taking part in a group activity would’ve been a highlight of the day.

I am certain the community meal in March will have an even bigger turnout. I look forward to seeing more of these events in the future and seeing communities and individuals become stronger because of them.

Sabine Wyatt,

UPEI student, Charlottetown, P.E.I.

MONUMENTAL LEAP FORWARD

I would like to express my gratitude and enthusiasm for the recent announcement of the new Mental Health and Addictions Emergency Department at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital.

The article (New path to treatment, Feb. 24) called attention to a much-needed initiative that has the potential to transform the experience of crisis in mental health and addictions care on P.E.I. This new addition will mark a giant leap forward for both mental health patients and health-care providers. The staff and patients alike were raving, calling it “a gamechanger,” and “revolutionary.”

With this new area inside the ED, both patients’ confidentiality will be preserved but also now direct and specialized care can be provided (immediately) to a group of patients with specific needs and where the demand is greatest.

This space, designed to accommodate the diverse needs of patients, represents a monumental leap toward fostering a more patientcentric health-care system. It stands as a promising shift in our collective approach to mental health care, marking a significant advancement for our health-care system as a whole -- and a model for other provinces.

In addition to avoiding the challenges of ending up in a crowded ED, individuals may feel reluctant to disclose issues such as binge drinking or self-harming, or they might not have someone else they feel comfortable confiding in.

Therefore, this expansion with mental health and addictions has the potential to save lives that might have otherwise gone unnoticed.

Thanks to the many people who painstakingly pulled this together. You deserve more than a ‘thank you” or “pat on the back” for this important step in developing a more compassionate and effective approach to mental health on P.E.I.

Alicia Kennific-parkman, UPEI student,

North Wiltshire, P.E.I.

PEACE PAID FOR WITH INNOCENT LIVES

I write to you today, not just as a concerned global citizen, but also as a voice for the people whose voice is muffled by the echoes of war in Gaza.

The ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, detailed in the recent article (Israel signals progress in Gaza truce talks, Feb. 24), paints a scary picture of a peace process that seems to be very hard to obtain, where the price of stalemate between Hamas and Israel is paid in innocent human lives, most heartbreakingly, those of innocent children.

The narrative of negotiation and potential truces, shown in Paris along with Israeli, Qatari, Egyptian, and U.S. mediators, provides a glimpse of hope but also considers a dire need for a more compassionate and humanitarian way to resolve conflicts.

It is very hurtful to read and see the violence and the thousands of innocents killed, especially the lives of kids and young lives caught in the crossfire.

The announcement of a ceasefire during the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan seems as a potential for onward movement, a symbol of peace in a time of reflection. In addition, the need for significant movement considering a resolution, as observed from the Palestinian perspective, focuses the attention on the urgency for a shift in finding peace and the well-being of the people over political agendas.

As a University of Prince Edward Island student deeply moved by the difficult situation of families torn apart by this conflict, I urge all parties involved and the international community to prioritize the immediate cessation of violence, and an end to this ruthless war that has killed thousands of innocent people so far.

Not forgetting about who is truly affected by this war (children, mothers, fathers, family’s) each life is worth more than any territorial or political conflict, because every life matters, no matter where you came from.

I hope this letter helps and serves as a call to action for dialogue, resolution, and more importantly, peace that safeguards the lives of innocent civilians, especially children, who are the future of this generation and deserve a world with peace and no war.

Only then we can truly honour our shared humanity.

Fernanda Ruiz, UPEI student, Charlottetown, P.E.I.