“The wound that took away my sight helped me discover life’s deepest light”: Richard Moore on forgiveness and love

By: Satya Gopal Dey
In a world scarred by hostility, violence and the celebration of revenge, is speaking of forgiveness merely an exercise in idealism? Or is it perhaps the only path to inner liberation?
Richard Moore has spent a lifetime searching for the answer.
Recently, this remarkable man arrived in Kolkata. Moore is the founder and CEO of the Ireland-based international organisation Children in Crossfire. A favourite of the Dalai Lama and someone the Tibetan spiritual leader counts among his “heroes”, Moore came to Kolkata after meeting His Holiness the Dalai Lama.
In an exclusive conversation with this correspondent, Richard Moore opened up about his extraordinary journey — from the darkness of losing his sight as a child to discovering light through forgiveness, compassion and a life devoted to children.
It was May 4, 1972, a Thursday afternoon in violence-ravaged Northern Ireland. Ten-year-old Richard was returning home from school. Beside the school playground stood a British Army post.
Then, in an instant, tragedy struck.A rubber bullet fired by a British soldier from barely 10 feet away hit Richard in the face. Within moments, he lost the sight in both eyes.
Yet that terrible tragedy would eventually give birth to an extraordinary transformation. Darkness descended upon his eyes, but in his heart began to burn the light of forgiveness and compassion.
At the beginning of our conversation, I asked Richard how that devastating childhood experience had shaped the course of his life and influenced his decision to work for children.
With remarkable calmness in his voice, he began:
“My childhood experience undoubtedly changed the course of my life. Losing my sight at such a young age amid the violence of Northern Ireland could easily have pushed me towards hatred or bitterness. Anyone could have carried that anger for the rest of their life. But as time passed, I realised that what happened to me should not be allowed to define or control the rest of my life.”
Richard paused briefly. Then, explaining how his experience of darkness was transformed into strength, he added:
“The biggest influence on a child’s development comes from their parents, neighbours and classmates. That was certainly true in my case. Everyone encouraged me to become the person I could be.”
“My story began in 1972, at the Creggan Estate in Derry, Northern Ireland. All around us there was violence, bombings and gunfire. On May 4, while I was walking home from school, I passed a British military post near the playground. A soldier fired a rubber bullet from just 10 feet away. It struck me directly in the nose. My right eye was completely destroyed and I lost the sight in my left eye as well.”
“I wanted to transform that negative experience into something positive. Out of that deep desire came Children in Crossfire. Thousands of children, through no fault of their own, are trapped in poverty, war and injustice. Standing beside them became the purpose of my life.”
Recalling that blood-soaked moment, Richard spoke of the immense anguish of his parents at the hospital.
He had been unconscious when his music teacher, Giles Doherty, rescued him. There was so much blood and injury to his face that Doherty could not even recognise his beloved pupil.
Richard still remembers the ambulance siren and the reassuring grip of his father’s hand.
“‘You’re going to be all right, Richard. You’re going to be okay…’”
After returning home from hospital, Richard was walking in the garden with his brother Noel when he was told that he would never see again. That night, the ten-year-old boy cried alone.
“I cried that day only because I realised I would never see my parents’ faces again. But when I woke up the next morning, I understood that this was the first day of my life without sight.
“Yet I never allowed blindness to become a barrier. I went to university, built my own business, sang in a band and became a director of Derry City Football Club.”
But perhaps more painful than his own loss of sight was the memory of his parents’ tears.
At important moments in his life — when his two daughters, Niamh and Enya, were born, or when they celebrated their First Holy Communion — the pain of not being able to see their faces would make Richard think of the soldier who had fired the bullet.
So, did he never feel anger or resentment?
With a gentle smile, Richard delivered the line that has become perhaps his most famous — a lesson in forgiveness now known around the world.
“Anger and bitterness are self-destructive emotions. If I had remained angry, who would it have destroyed most?
“In 2006, 33 years later, with the help of the BBC, I met the soldier, Charles, at a hotel in Scotland. We talked for almost five hours. Sitting across from me was no longer a soldier. He was a human being — a father and a grandfather.
“That day I understood two profound truths about forgiveness. First, forgiveness is a gift you give yourself before anyone else. It gives you peace of mind. Second, forgiveness cannot change the past, but it can change your future.”
Richard continued, “I may have been a victim of violence — something over which I had no control. But I will not be a victim of anger, because that is entirely within my control.
“People were able to take away my sight, but they could not take away my vision. And that ‘vision’ is Children in Crossfire.”
Founded in the 1990s, Children in Crossfire has since grown into an international organisation.
But the most remarkable chapter of Richard’s life came in 2006.
For years, he had carried a quiet wish within him. That year, it finally came true. He met Charles , the British soldier whose bullet had taken away his sight.
Today, with the enemy long gone from their relationship, Charles and Richard are close friends.
Asked about forgiveness and reconciliation, Richard became visibly emotional. Drawing a connection between his own understanding of forgiveness and the Dalai Lama’s philosophy, he spoke with conviction:
“Many people believe that forgiveness means accepting injustice or pretending that the past never happened. I don’t believe that is what forgiveness means.
“Forgiveness means refusing to allow the past to control your present and your future. It means freeing yourself from the chains of resentment.”
Remembering the difficult road towards reconciliation, Richard added:
“What I have learned is that reconciliation and understanding are not a one-day event. They are a long journey. They require enormous courage, patience and a willingness to listen to one another.
“Sometimes, simply sitting face-to-face with another person and discovering the human being within them anew can be the most powerful way of breaking down walls and barriers.”
From Ireland to Africa, Richard has worked with children in some of the world’s most challenging environments.
Despite poverty and the devastation of war, how optimistic is he about the future of children?
His response was filled with warmth:
“Education is the most fundamental foundation. Education does not merely give children knowledge and skills; it gives them confidence and the opportunity to make choices. A good education can open the doors that poverty keeps closed.
“But that education must be accessible to everyone and it must be of high quality.”
Speaking about his experiences with vulnerable children across the world, Richard returned to a simple but universal truth about humanity:
“I have seen that although the circumstances may be completely different, the desires of a child in Ireland and a child in Africa are exactly the same.
“Every child wants to live with love, to feel safe, to learn and to play. If we nurture children properly, they can transform society.
“The human capacity to rise again in the face of adversity is what gives me hope every day.”
Towards the end of the interview, I asked Richard one final question.
If, today, he could meet the ten-year-old boy he once was — the little boy whose sight was taken away by a rubber bullet — what would he say to him?
A quiet, deeply confident smile appeared on Richard’s face.
“I would go to that little boy and say: ‘Don’t allow what has happened to you to define who you are. Remember, there will be many difficult and painful moments ahead, but your life can still be filled with purpose, deep friendships and love.’”
And then, in what felt like the culmination of his entire life’s journey, Richard offered a message to the world:
“I would tell that little Richard that forgiveness is never a sign of weakness. It is one of the greatest ways to free yourself by laying down the burden of hatred and anger.
“You will meet many people along the journey of life who will change your life in unimaginable ways. And above all, never lose hope.
“Because sometimes the deepest light can emerge from the darkest experiences.
“My life has taught me that one person’s pain and suffering can become the inspiration to help another. Transforming suffering into profound peace is not impossible.”
From the mountain light and shadows of Dharamshala to the crowded streets of Kolkata, Richard Moore’s message carries a profound truth.
The rubber bullet may have taken away the light from his eyes, but it transformed the spirit within him into a beacon for others.
Richard Moore’s journey proves that forgiveness is not merely a word.
It can be life’s greatest victory.
The author is a journalist, development specialist and psychological counsellor. For comments; [email protected]