Not long ago I went up to Seattle to listen to a panel discussion of torture and its effects on the individuals who have endured it, as well as its consequences for the nation that allows it to take place. Though the trip up was part of a class I have been taking, I did ask someone along to the event. Though sympathetic, she did not want to attend because it would be too hard for her to listen to the stories being told. In fact, they were heartbreaking and upsetting.
But there are times when stories have to be told, no matter how difficult to hear. At times they are heartbreaking, but they can also be life affirming, uplifting and even therapeutic for the storyteller and well as for the audience. Such is the case with a new social network site being launched this week by Voices In Wartime.
Andrew Himes came by the same class mentioned above here at the UWT and talked about the new project just recently launched with the addition of a social network component.
The mission and vision of the site are as follows.
Mission
Voices helps people understand the roots of war and violence by hearing the voices of witnesses and helps communities take compassionate action.
Vision
Acknowledging that conflict is inevitable, we envision a world in which nations, communities, and individuals move beyond polarization and destruction, instead viewing conflict as an opportunity to create understanding, empathy and positive change. Through education, the arts, and self-expression, Voices aims to transform how we respond to, engage in, and recover from conflict. By working directly with instructors and students we strive to model pedagogical methods and social processes that challenge and enrich the arts, humanities and social science curricula.
If you are interested you can check them out at http://voiceseducation.org/
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