In 1984, Jo Berry’s father, Sir Anthony Berry MP, was killed in the IRA bombing of Brighton’s Grand Hotel. Sixteen years later, Jo met Patrick Magee, the man who planted the bomb. That first, unsupported three-hour conversation began an extraordinary relationship and more than 25 years of dialogue, reconciliation and peacebuilding.
Most of us will never face a choice on that scale. But what happens when certainty stops us listening? When we reduce someone to an enemy, a label or a position, how much of their humanity and their story do we stop seeing?
Jo is clear that recognising someone’s humanity doesn’t mean excusing the harm they have caused, and she never suggests that anyone else should follow her path. Instead, she invites us to remain curious, to look beyond the labels and to choose our own response, rather than allowing another person’s actions to determine who we become.
We talk about what happened when she first met Patrick, the inner work required to remain open-hearted and her belief that there is life after trauma. Jo also shares some of the meaningful moments that remind her that change is possible, even when we may never see the full ripple effect of the work we do.
In a divided world that makes it increasingly easy to dehumanise one another, Jo’s story is an extraordinary testament to the courage of choosing a different response.
In this episode:
- Why Jo chose understanding rather than revenge
- What happened when she first met Patrick Magee
- Why seeing someone’s humanity doesn’t mean excusing their actions
- How certainty can close us off from curiosity and connection
- What it takes to build a life after trauma
- Why we should honour the moments that show us our work matters
To connect with Jo:
Website: https://jo-berry.com/
Website: https://buildingbridgesforpeace.org
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jo__berry/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joberry9/
For more information about my new programme - Celebrate YOU!
https://bookme.name/MissionUnstoppable/lite/celebrate-you-tell-me-more
Connect with Sue:
Website: https://www.suerevell.com
Social Media Links
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lifelovelegacy/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/suerevell_lifelovelegacy/
Blue Sky: https://bsky.app/profile/suerevell.bsky.social
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/suerevell
About your host
Sue Revell is a personal leadership coach, independent celebrant and the founder of Life, Love & Legacy. She helps people navigate defining moments, express what matters most and create lives and ceremonies that feel unmistakably their own.
Through meaningful conversations, personally crafted ceremonies and her I Gotta Be Me coaching work, Sue explores identity, belonging, purpose and the legacy we create while we’re still living.
