I have long respected the Japanese concept of Wa, that idealised state in which all forces are held in balance. Few forms of flight so harmonise the elements, and encapsulate this concept, as the art of gliding. On the fiftieth anniversary of the bombing of Pearl Harbour, I found myself in the skies over the outback with Shinzo Takazawi. It was, for me, a compelling statement as to just how much the world had really changed. Spinning above the fields of Narromine, with my life in his hands; the silence of the aerial dance and the sense of peace were overwhelming. The appreciation of natural beauty is one the great commonalities of humanity. It's shared experience can serve as a marvellous bridge between the many cultures that form our nation. Those who would hold us in isolation do us no service. They fail to understand that it is only through empathy, commonality and brotherhood that our future is assured.