Dr. Harriett Nettles:

I first met Dr. Harriett Nettles high in the Himalayas on a joint project to promote schools and to train teachers in the Helambu and Nakote Regions of Nepal. In the shortest definition, Dr. Harriett Nettles is the Indiana Jones of women peacemakers.

Harriett is by far the most fearless female peacemaker I have ever met. While she can dress up for a Presidential dinner and look like the Bell of the Ball, or dress down to meet with gurus in an ashram, Harriett Nettles is a woman to be reckoned with! She is woman comfortable with dangerous situations and one who is completely unintimidated by terrorists, religious fanatics, or roving guerrilla armies, Harriett is always quick to travel to war-torn areas to help mediate between those in conflict.

Dr. Nettles is also a natural diplomat, and she has traveled numerous times with me to assist me with various peace related projects. In this regard she is a star, always able to quickly access who is who and what needs to be done.
Harriett serves on the team for the Patrick McCollum Foundation For Peace, and has represented us on several international projects. She is also partnered with Children of the Earth, and plays a strong role in training and advancing youth leaders to help them achieve their highest potential.

Dr. Nettles once shared with me a story about traveling across Africa with a group of men, when a band of armed soldier/bandits stopped them in the bush. The leader of the armed men ordered everyone out of the vehicle, but Harriett told him she had no intention of obeying his order. This was one of those situations we see in movies where everyone disappears and are never seen again. But Dr. Nettles has such a level of fearlessness and confidence, that the soldiers simply didn’t know what to do next, so they simply let her go!

Pretty much every man I know would have been shaking in his boots, and perhaps she was, but no one ever meeting this amazing woman would ever doubt for a minute that Harriett would prevail in any confrontation.
Today I honor this amazing peacemaker and friend.

Dr. Harriett Nettles, you are my Hero!
Patrick McCollum