There is something being ignored in our lives which undermines our inner peace - it is 'our sense of place'. Amongst the qualities of human life is an underlying philosophy which gives us a feeling of belonging - it helps create a stability and strength and a sense of longevity - it is a reminder of our history and ancestry. What gives us a sense of place are the following; Our surrounding environ
ment, which can be trees, the buildings, character and heritage homes, the streetscapes, views of distant hills, beaches, valleys. Many events, actions, wars, floods, fires, can interfere with us being able to retain this important 'sense of place'. Refugees who have to leave their lands - their sense of place to come to a new country, know what it is like to lose that important element in their lives. The same applies to people in their own countries, when war wipes out their sense of place - although in the same place they can rebuild and so often manage to hang onto this critical element with surrounds which mean so much to them. Extract from Albrechts' paper 'Solastlgia' A New Concept on Health and Identity.
