On September 11th, 2001, a tragedy changed our nation forever. 10 years later, we are living with the consequences of our nation’s response to that tragedy. In the last decade, thousands of military families have dealt with their own tragedies of losing a loved one in combat or by suicide. Thousands more continue to suffer from the wounds of war. Many of these wounds are visible. Some are not. And still thousands more will lose sleep, cry, and worry, as their loved ones will be deployed over the next three years. As military families, we know the true costs of war.
From September 7th to October 7th, MFSO is partnering with Iraq Veterans Against the War, War Resisters League, United for Peace & Justice, and 10 Years and Counting for a month of arts and education to commemorate 10 years of war and begin building bridges of understanding between communities directly affected by the war and the war economy. We aim to link the challenges faced by Afghans, Iraqis, active duty service members, veterans and military families as those who most directly feel the horrors of war with teachers, students, the homeless, former homeowners, labor and others who feel the domestic crisis brought on by the waste of military spending and greed.
What you can do:
Send us your poetry, music, photographs, and visual art. We invite you to create something marking the 10 year anniversary of our nation at war. We can use this unfortunate, yet historic moment as inspiration and maximize the power of creativity to illustrate the costs of war, or how 10 years of warfare have affected you personally. Throughout the month we will be showcasing art from military families, veterans, and service members on our website, as well as on the 10 Years and Counting website. Email your submission(s) to samantha@mfso.org. Click here for more information.
We also encourage you to organize an arts or education event between September 7th and October 7th. We will be sending out popular education curriculum on the war economy, voices from Afghanistan, and the costs of war to veterans and military families for you to use, as well as resources to connect with artists in your community and advice on organizing a cultural event. For help organizing an event, contact samantha@mfso.org. We’ll be sending out more information soon.
