Iraq

"Purple Hearts," a series of portraits by photojournalist Nina Berman, documents the return of 17 Army soldiers and Marines wounded in the Iraq war. "Youths tend to get wrong impression from video games, TV shows and movies that tend to romanticize and glorify combat," said Bob Alft.

Sanctuary volunteer Bob Alft has made a personal commitment to get Nina Berman's "Purple Hearts" photographs, exhibited at the Sanctuary in Fall '09, to schools and community organizations across the region.

Congrats to Bob, for arranging to have an exhibit at a local high school, and for getting an article written in the Times Union!

Check out this article in the Times Union: 'Purple Hearts' exhibit honors Iraq war veterans

"It's great to see this important work have a life in the Capital Region, beyond our gallery show.  These are powerful and moving images that reflect and create an important debate about the role of military in society and recruiters in our schools," says Steve Pierce, Executive Director, Media Alliance at The Sanctuary for Independent Media.

Nearly two million people around the world have watched the Sanctuary TV production "WikiLeaks' Collateral Murder: U.S. Soldier Ethan McCord's Eyewitness Story," based on the material allegedly released by Pfc Bradley Manning, now imprisoned at Quantico.  Our video also can be seen at the WikiLeaks "Collateral Murder" and Bradley Manning Support Network websites.

6:30- 7:00  Nina Berman Artist Reception (sponsored by the Honest Weight Food Coop)

Join us during this artist's reception, and have an opportunity to view this great exhibition and meet Nina personally before the event begins!

7:00- 9:00 Nina Berman multi-media presentation and conversation with Kathy Kelly, followed by a poetry reading by Albany Veterans for Peace

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Acclaimed photo-journalist Nina Berman, internationally known for her photographs of wounded American military, will share a multi-media presentation and discuss her exhibit "Evidence and Fantasy: Militarism in American Life" with legendary peace activist Kathy Kelly. Berman will discuss work from her series "Purple Hearts," "Marine Wedding," and "Homeland."

The Sanctuary for Independent Media and Bethlehem Neighbors for Peace welcome filmmaker Joe Stillman and Iraq Veterans Against the War co-founder Jimmy Massey for a screening of the new documentary "From Mills River to Babylon and Back... The Jimmy Massey Story."

Former Staff Sergeant Jimmy Massey, a 12-year Marine veteran, served in Iraq in 2003. He witnessed—and in some cases participated in—the killing of innocent civilians. The Iraqis “were just doing their normal routines,” he says, “and they were getting frickin’ blasted for it.” He began to speak out to his superiors and was eventually diagnosed with depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. He won an honorable discharge in December 2003

By Danielle Furfaro

The three Iraqi teenage girls show up at the library wearing red and black. The red, they explain, symbolizes the blood of dead Iraqis. The black represents the tears and sadness of their country.

Shahad Jassim, 18, Wead Jassim, 16, and Tethkar Ahmad, 15, are refugees.

They fled their war-torn country with their families within the past two years. They fled the scourge of dead bodies in the streets and bombed-out buildings. They fled what they felt would be their own certain deaths.

Now living in Albany, they aim to use art to educate the world about atrocities happening in Iraq and to express their hopes for peace. When they speak about their homeland, they can't help but cry. Their art gives them a voice, and it seems to help. At least a little.

Iraqi Children make art from war

By DANIELLE FURFARO

Times Union, Style Section, 3/19/09

http://timesunion.com/AspStories/storyprint.asp?StoryID=781892

The three Iraqi teenage girls show up at the library wearing red and black. The red, they explain, symbolizes the blood of dead Iraqis. The black represents the tears and sadness of their country.

Shahad Jassim, 18, Wead Jassim, 16, and Tethkar Ahmad, 15, are refugees. They fled their war-torn country with their families within the past two years. They fled the scourge of dead bodies in the streets and bombed-out buildings. They fled what they felt would be their own certain deaths.

Now living in Albany, they aim to use art to educate the world about atrocities happening in Iraq and to express their hopes for peace. When they speak about their homeland, they can't help but cry. Their art gives them a voice, and it seems to help. At least a little.

The girls are participating in the Iraqi Children's Art Exchange, an international program based in Northampton, Mass. A collection of murals, created one day last fall by refugee children ranging from preschoolers to teens, will be on exhibit at the Albany Public Library through March 27. A reception for the young artists will be 5 p.m. Monday.

Iraqi Children make art from war By DANIELLE FURFARO

http://timesunion.com/AspStories/storyprint.asp?StoryID=781892

The three Iraqi teenage girls show up at the library wearing red and black. The red, they explain, symbolizes the blood of dead Iraqis. The black represents the tears and sadness of their country.

Shahad Jassim, 18, Wead Jassim, 16, and Tethkar Ahmad, 15, are refugees. They fled their war-torn country with their families within the past two years. They fled the scourge of dead bodies in the streets and bombed-out buildings. They fled what they felt would be their own certain deaths.

Now living in Albany, they aim to use art to educate the world about atrocities happening in Iraq and to express their hopes for peace. When they speak about their homeland, they can't help but cry. Their art gives them a voice, and it seems to help. At least a little.

The girls are participating in the Iraqi Children's Art Exchange, an international program based in Northampton, Mass. A collection of murals, created one day last fall by refugee children ranging from preschoolers to teens, will be on exhibit at the Albany Public Library through March 27. A reception for the young artists will be 5 p.m. Monday.

Reception for Exhibit of Iraqi Refugee Children’s Murals at Albany Public Library Murals painted by Iraqi children and teenagers are currently on exhibit on the second floor of the Albany Public Library through March 27.

The public is invited to a reception at the library for the young artists on Monday, March 23 from 5 to 6 p.m.

In September 2008, young Iraqi refugees recently arrived in the Capital District participated in a one day mural painting workshop with American artist/teacher Claudia Lefko and Iraqi artist Thamir Dawood at the Sanctuary for Independent Media. They created five 36” x 50” murals on canvas depicting their thoughts and feeling about having to leave their beloved home country in a time of war and upheaval. Click here to check out "Don't Forget Us: Iraqi Children," a short video documenting the Sept. 08 mural workshop!

The young Iraqis who painted the murals are part of a community of about 75 Iraqi refugees who have been resettled in the Albany Capital District over the past two years. They come here mostly from Jordan, Syria and Turkey, where they fled to escape the violence of the war in Iraq. There are currently an estimated two million Iraqi refugees living in countries neighboring Iraq in the biggest refugee crisis in recent history.

Iraqi–American digital artist Wafaa Bilal’s new book “Shoot an Iraqi: Life, Art and Resistance Under the Gun” tells the story of the Domestic Tension project that placed him 24/7 on the receiving end of a paintball gun accessible online to a global audience—and what really happened on his infamous visit to Troy NY last spring.  He's returning to Troy to talk about his experiences and the new book.

Missed the controversy last year?  See the photos and watch the oniine documentary!

Our press release:

"Virtual Jihadi" artist returns to Capital Region with new book;
 Wafaa Bilal braves fear of RPI/Troy censorship to speak again!