Tribute by Leading Member of the PUP
Although I did meet Mary on various occasions and she kept in touch by inviting me to different discussions and events, I never worked directly with Mary or Tides, so any information that I have would have been told to me by others who were engaged directly. I don't feel qualified to talk about her work or that of Tides, suffice to say that, what Mary and Tides did in the community meant that there are more people alive today because of her.
There are fewer mammies grieving and fewer children suffering the loss of a parent because Mary put herself in front, often at great risk to herself, to advocate on the side of peace and non-violence.
Without the quiet peace-makers like Mary and Tides I believe this place would have been much worse and would have taken longer to reach an agreement on the way forward. Mary met with unpopular people to do what needed to be done to save lives, share information and build better understanding, enabling relationships and encouraging dialogue.
Like others she faced criticism from those who took no risks and she carried on regardless focussing on what was at stake. Mary was brave, compassionate, humble and tenacious. She had a way that put you at ease in her company and the wisdom of a teacher that you aimed to please.
Like every great leader, she shared her knowledge and passed on her skills and that is her legacy.