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Frederick's Days of Reflection
on the Human Cost of War:
A Time to Mourn - A Time to Heal
May 27 - 28, 2006
Sponsored by:
Women in Black Frederick, Amnesty International (Hood College Chapter), Frederick Friends Meeting, Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Frederick, Peace Resource Center and American Friends Service Commitee Baltimore
A very special event came to town on Memorial Day Weekend: Frederick’s Days of Reflection on the Human Cost of War: a Time to Mourn, a Time to Heal. “Frederick’s Days of Reflection” respectfully remembered the fallen, invited dialogue, and created a space to mourn the cost our community has paid for the Iraq War.
We advocated for a responsible change in US Policy, for an end to this war and for a reordering of national priorities on human needs.
Many thanks to the more than 80 volunteers who gave their time, talent and donations to help create this memorial and reflection in Frederick. And special gratitude to our hosts, Evangelical Reformed United Church of Christ for sharing their church home with us.
Reflections on the Weekend:
Portraits of Honor: Photos and biographical information for fallen Maryland and Washington, DC soldiers, and local peacemaker Tom Fox
Remarks from some of the speakers:
Tia Steele, Gold Star Mother: Testimony before Congress 2/06
Some materials on Citizen Activism:
Bills relating to the War now in Congress
Do you know who your Representatives are?
Info on how to work to elect candidates who support an end to the war
Groups to consider supporting and join efforts with:
Some local and national groups that directly assist Combat Troops and Veterans
Some groups that assist Iraqis and work for an end to the war
Paths to Peace column, Frederick News Post, May 27, 2006:
Frederick News Post Article, May 29, 2006: Reflections
Blog and photos from one participant
Eyes Wide Open: The Cost of War to Maryland
“An exhibit that speaks directly to our hearts and reminds us of the human cost of war.”
What good will this do? Click here to read about what moral force of public opinion has accomplished for peace over the course of US history.
There is no place to gather for veterans of this war, for the families, for the public. The fallen and wounded have been hidden from view, with no place of memorial, no Wall. Until this war is over, Eyes Wide Open, and Arlington West in California can, at least in part, serve such a role. It helps us all encounter, very specifically, the true cost of this war. Many families and the public have left messages and mementoes with the boots.
Saturday May 27th
Eyes Wide Open Exhibit 10 am to 7 pm Steps of the Evangelical Reformed United Church of Christ , 15 W Church Street. There was also an information table about the exhibit, a guest book, and an interactive art table, for writing or drawing reflections that were made into a book.
"Portraits of Honor", photographs and biographical information about each fallen soldier whose boots are represented in the exhibit, were displayed nearby, along with some portraits of civlian casualties. The art book and portraits were donated to AFSC to travel with the exhibit.
Films, shown continuously 10 to 7, in media room next to the Social Room.
Reading names of the fallen: Church Steps, 12 noon
Songs of Peace: 11 am to 1 pm, Social Room, local singer/songwriters Jim "Shortbread" Wagner, Christine Maccabbee, and Doug Alan Wilcox performed with on-theme messages about peace, hope and the ways to a better world.
Storytelling and workshop:
Man, Woman, and Child: the Human Cost of Violence
2 pm to 4 pm, Social Room
Susan Gordon, a professional storyteller since 1981, told a portion of the Irish epic, The Tain, which explores the roots of human violence and war. The telling was accompanied by images of the story. A workshop followed in which the listeners creatively expressed their own response to the telling and to the events of the weekend.
Hearing Each Other's Stories: Circles of Truth
A Role-playing Workshop: Imagining the war through the eyes of the "other".... of the various "actors" in Iraq: Soldiers, family, US and Iraqi civilians, US and Iraqi Government Officials, Peace activists, Contractors, Insurgents and ??....
Adapted from a program of non-violence training from the Fellowship of Reconciliation.
4:30 pm to 6:00 pm, Social Room
Sunday May 28, 2006
Eyes Wide Open Exhibit 10 am to 12 noon. Steps of the Evangelical Reformed United Church of Christ, 15 W Church Street.
Reading names of the fallen. Solemn Procession of combat boots and civilian shoes from the Church to Baker Park. 12:30 pm.
Exhibit continued in Baker Park 1 pm to 6:30 pm, with Portraits etc., as on Saturday, along with a meditation labyrinth made of civilian shoes. The Interactive art table, as and other expressive art opportunities were available nearby.
.Public Event at the Bandshell: Note: Frederick's Days of Reflection was a Non-Partisan Event. Speakers include those directly impacted by the war, and statements from the organizers.
Voices of Peace
1:30 to 6:30
Speakers:
Andy Shallal
Andy Shallal, social entrepreneur, Iraqi dissident, peace fellow and founder of Iraqi Americans for Peaceful Alternatives (IAPA). Andy will welcome us, be our MC and one of our speakers. Andy is an artist, thespian, and owner of DC restaurant Busboys and Poets, which also features a performance space, coffeehouse, and a dynamic events schedule. The restaurant also home to Busboys and Poets Books, operated by Teaching for Change, Washington, DC's newest source for books and films that encourage children and adults to question, challenge and re-think the world beyond the headlines. Andy also founded Mimi's Peace Cafe and Cafe Luna. He co-sponsored the Peace Cafe’ at the D.C. Jewish Community Center which invited dialogue between Arabs, Palestinians, Jews and Israelis. Andy speaks and writes widely on the national level, and in the national media.
Tia Steele, Gold Star Families Speak Out
Tia Steele is devoting herself full-time to the peace movement following the death of her stepson, David Michael Branning on November 12, 2004 in Fallujah, Iraq. She is currently a project director for the Middle Atlantic Region of the American Friends Service Committee based in Baltimore, MD.
Tia is a member of Gold Star Families Speak Out, a chapter with Military Families Speak Out. Membership in GSFSO is restricted to those family members who have lost a loved one in the current war on Iraq. MFSO is an organization whose members have loved ones in the military and who support bringing the troops home now. MFSO was formed in November of 2002 and maintains contact with military families throughout the United States. Membership currently includes over 3,000 military families, with new families joining daily.
Garett Reppenhagen, Iraq War Veteran
Garett was a Sniper in the 1st Infantry Division deployed to Iraq from February 2004 to February 2005. He enlisted into the Army as a Cavalry/Scout in August 2001 at the age of 26. After he had served in Kosovo for nine months he was selected to attend a NATO Special Forces sniper school called the Target Interdiction Course in southern Germany. He was Stop-Lossed for an additional 10 months during the war in Iraq and received an honorable discharge May 31st 2005. He joined the anti-war movement immediately on his return to America. Since then he has found a job in Washington, DC at a non-profit organization attempting to address the concerns and needs of the veterans. He is a board member of Iraq Veterans Against the War.
Alaine D. Duncan, M.Ac., L.Ac., Dipl.Ac., President of Crossings Healingworks,
Crossings Healingworks is a non-profit organization whose mission is to bring ancient healing traditions that restore and renew the body, mind, spirit of people touched by trauma – creating peace for one family, one community, one world – one person at a time. Healingworks’ helps combat vets, their families and their caregivers transform the impact of war using complementary medicine.
Learning, practicing and loving Chinese medicine since 1988, Alaine practices acupuncture with care, compassion and a profound appreciation for healing at the interface of the individual and the culture. Alaine also serves as the local coordinator for the Somatic Experiencing/Trauma Resolution training program. She believes that training clinicians to help people transform trauma is a powerful way to undermine violence and create peace in the world. (Alaine was unable to speak due to a family emergency)
Musicians:
Nekawa
Known for packing three hundred pounds of voice into one hundred pounds of body, Kathleen, (after taking a five-year music sabbatical), is back. Once a regular in the Frederick music scene, she has scaled her performances down from regularly playing in clubs to performing in special events, such as the F.R.A.N. jam, the Katrina relief concert, Hagerstown and Frederick’s blues fests, American Cancer Society’s relay for life benefit, and now most recently the Voices of Peace concert.
She’s asked some of her favorite musicians to join her in forming the band “Nekawa”, just for this event. Lead guitarist Bobby Flurie played in Big Brother and the Holding Company, Quicksilver Messenger Service, with the Pointer Sisters, and with members of the Grateful Dead, and Spirit, as well as other well known west coast bands. Once he moved back to Frederick, he formed his own band, playing rock, blues and his own originals. His playing is equal to Eric Clapton’s and Carlos Santana’s.
Bassist Brian Derek, formerly with the Isteadies, is known for his high energy, funky beat and passionate singing. Bob Koopman, from 2003 Blues Fest winner Buddah Belly, and currently with Greenhouse Gas Station is not only playing drums, but running sound for this entire event. Kathleen’s borrowed the extraordinary talent of Don Oehser and Susan Spangler from “Singin’ the Bones” and brought in conga player Butch Sanders and folk singer Karen Rhuel to complete the sound. They will be performing their own arrangements of familiar R&B songs that support the theme of peace. So awaken your soul and come hear the heartfelt beat of “Nekawa”.
Singin' the Bones: Laura First, Don Oehser and Susan Spangler
Singin’ the Bones is Don Oehser, Laura First, and Susan Spangler. Don Oehser has played and/or recorded with bluesmen Catfish Hodge and J.B. Hutto, D.C. rock-a-billy legend Billy Hancock, roots-rockers Evan Johns and the H-Bombs, and jazz/swing bands Night & Day and Swingspeak. Laura First performs songs of Appalachia and Medieval Europe, both as a soloist and a recording artist in Europe as well as with The National Symphony and other specialty groups in the D.C. area. Susan Spangler delights audiences with her sultry tones in both the classical and jazz performance media. Her ability to blend vocally is as renowned as her magical harmony. The three came together with a motivation to embrace all styles of music and, in fact, design their performances to trick the ear by going from Appalachian folk to Jazz standards, Delta blues to Scottish ballads, jug band tunes to Italian Renaissance pieces, and bluegrass to Celtic madrigals or gospel.
The Rhythm Workers Union:
The Rhythm Workers Union uses music, rhythm and song to promote peace, justice, and unity, and to aid in the creation of a culture that respects and celebrates life.
http://www.rhythmworkersunion.org/
Bomani Darel Armah and Crushed I.C.E.
Bomani Darel Armah is a poet, songwriter, producer, performer and educator. Born in Washington D.C. and raised in the metropolitan area, Bomani uses his life experiences, mixed with his musical and poetic skills, to paint lyrical pictures of life as he sees it and the future as he envisions it. He is featured on the album and first single/video from Mello-D & The Rados: “Cool Witchu”, which aired on BET’s Rap City and peaked at #3 on national college radio charts. Bomani has scored independent films including BET’s Wrap-It-Up original film “Multitudes of Mercies”. He has appeared on WHUR 96.3, WPGC 95.5, WPFW 89.3, WMUC 88.1, ursceneradio.com and www.im4radio.com. He has featured/performed at such venues as the Nuyorican Poet’s Café (NY, NY), The Black Cat (DC), Studio Theater (DC), Karibu Books (MD), Bohemian Cavern (DC), Mangoes (DC), The Market Five Gallery (DC), Art-O-Matic 2004 (DC), Tawes Theater (University of Maryland College Park), Organic Soul Tuesday (Baltimore, MD). He is also an organizer and host of “Arts Under the Stars” at Sankofa Video & Books (DC.
A founding member of the DC hip-hop band Lauda, he has worked as a youth counselor for over three years at Martha’s Table Teen Program, a consultant for American University, The National Council of Concerned Black Men, The American Poetry Museum, Artivism, Sol y Soul, and is currently the writer in residence for the D.C. Writers Workshop. He has been published in magazines and journals such as Reality Magazine, and WB&L Journal.
Scooter Scudieri
My name is Scooter Scudieri and I am an artist. I use my music as a message of peace and the Internet as a means to connect us all. Singer/songwriter/activist and Songwriters Hall of Fame Award winning writer Scooter Scudieri is redefining independent and fighting for artist rights on Capital Hill. "We send our children to fight and die in a war for oil, when there is a star in the sky that can power the entire planet. She is the sun."
The self-taught guitarist’s impassioned performances have led to dates with more than 30 international acts, including Jewel, Dave Matthews, and Nils Lofgren. He has performed in prestigious venues including Constitution Hall in DC, The Greek Theater in Los Angeles, and The Orpheum Theater in Sioux City, Iowa. Scooter was selected to perform at the 41st Songwriters Hall of Fame Showcase at Makor in NYC. In April of 2003, less than one year later Scooter was awarded Best of the New Writers, and his song The Usual was placed on Volume One: Best of the Songwriters Hall of Fame compilation CD. Scooter has performed on Public Radio’s Mountain Stage and Dateline WV, and his debut album was added to 145 college radio play lists in 2001.
Folk Music in the round with:
Richard Broadbent
Rootsy, slightly rocky, definitely folkmentative. Contemporary songwriting for and about people, with a roots tradition. http://www.browoowho.com/
Doug Alan Wilcox
"Americana-meets-pop" Doug Alan Wilcox uses words and music to explore those emotions common to everyone - to make sense of who we are and why we’re here. A warm voice combines with harmonica and deft guitar work on compositions lyrically revealing the full spectrum of what it means to be human no pretensions and no tricky dance moves (well, maybe a few dance moves...)
Dominica
I am a mother, wife, friend, daughter, songwriter. My music reflects all of that. All of my songs are my true thoughts.... love, reflection, anger, pity.... everything that happens to me or to the people I know. I think that's why my music resonates with people, this music is identifiable.
http://www.dominicacoustic.com/
Gale Kissin
There has never been a movement for change and social justice without its music. Early memories of my Jewish immigrant grandparents singing in Yiddish the music which inspired change in their generation, have inspired me since childhood to continue the tradition of activism through music. I am honored and excited to add my voice in support of this event.
Films: Armory Classroom B, 1:45- 4:15. See Saturday Program
Tabling: 1 pm to 6 pm, at the Bandshell
Information tables that speak to the question:
How can each of us contribute to the healing that is called for here?
--non-violence in action: how it's worked around the world; alternatives to deadly conflict,
--Ending the war: current options and alternatives in Iraq, alternative legislative proposals; related material from the American Friends Service Committee, Friends Committee on National Legislation, Code Pink, United for Peace and Justice and others.
--being an engaged and empowered citizen,
--on being an activist: the many ways and means to do something that makes a difference, have your voice be heard and hold elected officials accountable.
--what people should know if they are considering joining the military and alternatives to recruitment,
--Amnesty International and peace
--Women in Black, women and non-violence
--Department of Peace
--Vets Journey Home
--UN and UNESCO
Closing ceremony: Baker Park, Band Shell 6:15.
Have Peace Activists Ever Stopped a War?
The Optimism of Uncertainty--some thoughts on why to do this work
Refelctions of participant Dena Ward Clayton:
"It was both an enormous responsibility and absolutely the only thing I could do, to stand vigil by these combat boots. Not so long ago, each one of these particular soldiers was my neighbor here in Maryland. We never met in life. Now, we are meeting in a kind of otherworld, in a space of respect, anguish, honour, gratitude, and compassion. I love them deeply."
"In silent procession Sunday, I carried a pair of green huerache sandals from the steps of UCC on Church Street down to Baker Park. Holding these in my hands may have changed my life. The name of a 10-year-old from Iraq was on a tag affixed to them, Hawaa Abed Alqahar.
I thought of this little one as a girl-child. She died as a result of the war my country is fighting on her country's soil. Tears slid from my eye corners as I walked."
"This pair of shoes joined many, many others in a beautiful labyrinth of remembrance beneath maple and elm trees. Later, walking this path inward, my heart witnessed the significance of shoes donated by local people, including my own friends, my sister, and my closet. The more than 100,000 Iraqi citizens who have died were reverently memorialized this day."
"Combat boots . . . . black combat boots were on exhibit, tagged with names and ages of Maryland soldiers, some as young as 20 when they died serving their country, my country. I saw 39 people carrying these boots, walking in the procession, tenderly cradling these soles in their hands, mourning the deaths and honouring the lives of the soldiers and the sacrifices of their families."
"Boots, shoes, something we all wear, we all use nearly every day. The commonality of human experience can draw us ever closer together, dancing and eating, praying and talking, walking and living - - side by side, face to face, soul to soul."