WELCOME!
WHAT IS "THE JUST LOVE PROJECT"?
"We may have different religions, different languages, different coloured skin, but we all belong to one human race. We all share the same basic values." - Kofi Annan
My name is Nina Stevenson and I live in New Zealand. I started this project with the intention of publishing a book honouring my now 102-year-old Nana who is such an important and beloved person in our family and to anyone who knows her.
When asked how she is such a non-judgmental person despite the differences in her large family of 9 children, 21 grandchildren and 32 great grandchildren, she answered “I just love”.
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During this process I have found myself wishing that I had interviewed my other three Grandparents before they passed away, as I would love to have had the opportunity to gain their wisdom and perspectives on life and love. It would have been a privilege to gain a closer understanding of these treasured people who had been such a huge part of my life and who I loved so dearly. I regularly think about them and wish they were alive to ask advice from and to just sit and listen to them talk about their lives.
As an adult with my own children now, I feel I missed the chance to understand my grandparents better and to have an understanding them as fellow humans. They would have had so many of the same life experiences and emotions as me, plus many that I will never have. I felt such a level of respect and awe towards them that I didn't ask deep questions in our conversations, but I believe that they would have liked to be asked and I certainly would have loved to know their answers. I now have that opportunity with my Nana, and also with my parents. It feels like a precious gift to have this time.
The world is in such turmoil and now feels like a good time for The Just Love project.
The hope is for people around the world to do the "Just Love" interview with those they love who are over 70 years of age, bringing them closer together and creating a beautiful memory for both.
As I receive copies of the interviews, I am analysing them, looking for commonalities in their answers to questions about life and love. The goal is to start a social media movement spreading love and understanding throughout the world by showing how, despite different countries, religions, races and behaviours, we all have the same basic values as human beings.
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WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE A PART OF THE JUST LOVE PROJECT?
If you are over 70 years old and would like to be a part of the project, or have a loved one who would like to, please enter your email address below. I will then send you the questions and further information.
Regardless of where this project goes in the future, my hope is that the process will give many people across the world an opportunity to ask their loved ones questions that will give them a deeper understanding and bring them closer together.
If it works out how I hope it will, it will give examples to people across the world how, despite our differences, we have so much in common and inspire them to “Just Love”.
“No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite.” - Nelson Mandela
"Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that." - Martin Luther King Jnr.