Sir Terry Waite Advocates for Individual Action to Foster Global Change

Former Beirut hostage Sir Terry Waite has urged individuals to “act within your own area of influence” in order to bring about global changes. At 85 years old, Sir Terry endured nearly five years as a captive, having been seized while engaged in negotiations for the liberation of several British individuals held in Lebanon. A resident of Hartest, located near Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, Sir Terry was kept in solitary confinement for a total of 1,763 days until his release on 18 November 1991. Speaking to BBC Radio Suffolk, he mentioned that he frequently receives inquiries about how individuals can improve the world, and his consistent advice is for them to initiate their own positive contributions. He stated, “People say to me, ‘The world is in a terrible mess, what can we do?’,”. “My response always to that is try and act within your own area of influence… try and do something positive.” “That’s the way you can make a difference.” “That’s what I always try and do. I don’t always succeed by any means, and I’m no saint, but I just do my best.” During the 1980s, in his capacity as the Archbishop of Canterbury’s special envoy, Sir Terry received a request to negotiate the freedom of several British captives held in Lebanon by the militia group Hezbollah. Hezbollah offered him the opportunity to visit a hostage who was gravely ill and near death; however, this proved to be a deception, leading to his capture. For the subsequent years, he was held in “very strict solitary confinement,” kept chained to a wall, deprived of natural light and physical exercise, and subjected to torture and simulated executions. Recently, Hezbollah has re-emerged in news reports following Israel’s offensive actions against the group inside Lebanon, which came after nearly a year of cross-border hostilities initiated by the conflict in Gaza. Officials reported that Israeli strikes in northern Lebanon on Tuesday resulted in the deaths of several individuals. Sir Terry indicated that his experience as a hostage prompted him to choose a life path distinct from salaried employment, leading him instead to author multiple books and deliver lectures about his ordeal. Furthermore, this experience motivated him to establish Hostage International, a charity dedicated to assisting the families of hostages and former hostages. He also serves as the president of Emmaus, a charity addressing homelessness, and received a Knighthood last year in recognition of his charitable contributions. For updates on Suffolk news, follow BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram, and X. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC disclaims responsibility for the content of external websites. Information regarding our external linking policy is available.