IN a world of turmoil at the time when we think of Peace on Earth, can I bring to your readers some of the most moving words ever spoken in the European Parliament.

The Sakharov Prize is awarded by the European Parliament to those who work for freedom of thought. One of the winners was Mrs Nurit Peled-Elhanan, an Israeli whose daughter had been killed by a Palestinian suicide bomber. She received the award jointly with Mr Izzat Ghazzawi whose son was shot dead by Palestinian soldiers. Together they are working for peace in that area.

The only hope, not just for Palestine and Israel, but for the world at large, she felt was through the voice of mothers who throughout history had been committed to preserving life and not to seek vengeance -- "no real mother will ever think of consoling herself with the killing of another child."

She said: "If the world does not adopt the voice of motherhood very soon, there will be nothing left to say, nothing left to listen to, except for the perpetual cry of mourning."

The mothers who have lost their children will tell you that their arms hurt because of the incessant need to hold the child and preserve it from evil."

In a speech that had people with tears in their eyes, she said: "If we are looking for true justice, and true multiculturalism and the fact that blood, skin colour, identity cards or national flags make no difference, then listen to the voice of the children who have died. Listen to the cries of the dead children and help mothers today to keep their children safe.

"Only a mother can know that the death of a child, be it Albanian, Iraqi, Afghan, Jewish or Palestinian is the death of the whole world, of its past and its future."

One of my female colleagues who has a five-month-old baby said that the speech had a whole different meaning for her now that she was a mother.

The message she gave needs to be spread out far and wide, especially to those who are creating hell on earth.

Remember her words and think of her and her friends who are striving for Peace on Earth.

Terry Wynn,

N-West Labour MEP,

Prescot Road,

St Helens.