The Communication Initiative Network

Where communication and media are central to social and economic development

E-magazines


Average Rating: no ratings submitted

Warrior Writers

Country

United States

Programme Summary

The Warrior Writers Project is a community-based art as activism project working to provide the tools and space for community-building, healing, and redefinition for United States (US) veterans of the war in Iraq. Through writing/artistic workshops that are based on personal experiences, the veterans are provided with the chance to connect with each other on a personal and artistic level. The writing from the workshops is compiled into books, performances, and exhibits that provide a lens into the hearts of people who have an intimate relationship with the Iraq war. The purpose of Warrior Writers is to give the veterans a sense of ownership of their stories and strength in their voice, perspective, and power. It is hoped that, through these workshops and sharing, the reconciliation process can strengthen and continue.

Communication Strategies

In Burlington, Vermont, on April 21 2007, Lovella Calica from Iraq Veterans Against the War (IVAW) conducted a writing workshop at the Green Door Studio designed to help veterans deal with their experience of war through personal writing. Later that evening, several participants shared their words with each other at the opening of the "Re-making Sense" exhibit. A handmade book, "Warrior Writers: Move, Shoot and Communicate", created in collaboration with the People's Republic of Paper (PRP), was also released. "Re-making Sense" is the second anthology in the Warrior Writer series; organisers describe it as "testimony that art and community are powerful and transforming."

One participant's reflections on the workshop illuminate the communication strategy: "We gathered, we wrote, we shared, we grew. IVAW members from as far as Missouri and Chicago made their way to Burlington, Vermont for a powerful weekend. We set up an exhibit of IVAW member art and photographs of members....On Saturday, we participated in a writing workshop where we read works by other veterans and wrote about what it was like to come home, photographs from Iraq, etc. We opened up the gallery to the public and shared our writing with folks who attended the event..."

Development Issues

Conflict.

Contact

Drew Cameron
Green Door Studio

18 Howard Street

Burlington VT
05401
United States
Tel: 802 316 1124

Source

e-CIVICUS 456, September 18 2009; and Green Door Studio website, accessed on October 28 2009.


Placed on the Communication Initiative site October 28 2009
Last Updated October 29 2009



How useful did you find the knowledge and contacts on this page to your work?


0
No votes yet
Your rating: None

Post your comments (review comments from others below):

CAPTCHA
This question is for testing whether you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.

COMMENTS POSTED


Help Seed The CI Network

Jobs and more...

Journalist/Reader Connection

What are the best possibilities for journalist-readership connections? (you may choose more than one; please add clarifying comments)