Quakers' "Human Cost of War in Iraq" Exhibit at All Souls in Asheville April 28, 29 & 30

American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) offers the exhibit known as “Eyes Wide Open North Carolina: the Human Cost of War in Iraq.”

With your help, a dynamic exhibit on the human cost of war will be coming to The Cathedral of All Souls, Biltmore Village, Asheville, NC. 

When: Friday, April 28, 9am–9pm;
Saturday, April 29, 9am–9pm; 
Sunday, April 30, 9am–3pm

The American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) exhibit, “Eyes Wide Open North Carolina: the Human Cost of War in Iraq” will open on Friday, April 28th at The Cathedral of All Souls, Biltmore Village, Asheville and will remain in place through Sunday, April 30th.

“It is not intended to be a political event and no political group will be presenting material here," said The Very Reverend Todd Donatelli of The Cathedral of All Souls in Biltmore Village, located just south of Downtown Asheville.

"It will be an exhibit offered in silence and respect for the lives ended in the war and will hold up the hope that nations will someday find a way to live together apart from wars.

"Also offered in displays will be information that speaks to the losses in Iraqi families.

"Again, this is not to say whose lives are important, but to remember that all families suffer in times of war.”
 
Why the Exhibit
The goal of the exhibit is to put a human face to the casualties both in the Iraq war and the war in Afghanistan, as well as spotlight the deaths of US soldiers and Iraqi civilians. It urges the U.S. Government to be accountable. The exhibit is traveling throughout the state of North Carolina.
 
Volunteers, visitors, and sponsors are welcomed and needed.

How to Become Involved with the Exhibit
All interested groups are asked to compile a list of names and phone numbers of volunteers from your group and email to Susan Oehler at dancewater@aol.com. and Gwin Jones at rossgwin@charter.net. 

Further Information
Or you may phone in the information to Linda Spangler at 828-684-6805. Peace Coalition members can email Susan directly. Please include what times you might be available to work. Spangler is organizing two-hour volunteer shifts for the exhibit. Help is also requested for those who enjoy publicity work and can distribute flyers.

Donations Welcomed
Donations from sponsoring groups and individuals are welcomed. Make checks payable to: WNC Peace Coalition, and mail to: Susan Oehler, 2605 Vineyard Blvd., Asheville, NC 28805.

Questions and Answers About the "Eyes Wide Open" Exhibit

Who, When, Where, Why
* Who created “Eyes Wide Open (EWO)? The American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) in Chicago.
* What is AFSC? AFSC is a Quaker organization, founded in 1917, that includes people of various faiths who are committed to social justice, peace, and humanitarian service.
* Why was the exhibit created? To show the stark realities of war and its physical, emotional and psychological toll.
* Why is the exhibit called Eyes Wide Open? The exhibit attempts to show the costs of war in terms of human life. AFSC hopes to open people’s eyes to the futility of war.
* When did EWO begin touring? March 2004
* Where has EWO traveled so far? More than 40 cities including Chicago, Philadelphia, D.C., Providence and Boston. For a complete tour list refer to http://www.afsc.org/eyes.
* Why are boots used in Eyes Wide Open? Combat boots symbolize the U.S. military personnel killed in Iraq. 

Understanding The Boots
* Why combat boots? AFSC selected combat boots because they are a powerful symbol of life in battle.
* How are the boots grouped? The boots are tagged with each soldier's name, age, rank and home state.
* How many boots are in the exhibit? As of March 23, 2006, there were 51 North Carolinian deaths from the Iraq War and nine Afghanistan Enduring Freedom deaths from Afghanistan. The number of boots exhibited grows with the number of fatalities. (Families receive a letter explaining the exhibit before it opens. If they do not wish to have the name of their loved one included, we respect that request.)
* Which state has the most boots? California, followed by Texas.
* Where does AFSC get the numbers of military casualties? AFSC obtains the numbers from www.icasualties.org, which tracks the Defense Department’s reports on U.S. military killed in Iraq. The Afghanistan casualty numbers come from the Department of Defense record for Enduring Freedom casualty listings. 
* Are these the soldier’s actual boots? The majority of boots have been donated by an Army surplus store.

Understanding "The Wall of Remembrance" and "The Iraqi Civilian Shoes"
* What is the Wall of Remembrance? It is a space where people can be reminded that loss of life transcends national borders. The wall includes a list of Iraqi civilians killed in the war, along with their ages and cause of death.
* Why does the exhibit include civilian shoes and teddy bears? The civilian shoes and teddy bears represent Iraqi lives lost. We don’t have accurate counts, so the 50 adult shoes and 100 teddy bears are shown to help us remember the many Iraqi deaths.
* What other individuals have been killed in the war? A number of soldiers have committed suicide. Also, many journalists and their aides (www.cpj.org), members of Coalition Forces and contractors, have been killed (www.icasualities.org). It is difficult to get accurate accounts.

All are welcomed to view the exhibit. Your comments are also welcomed at: dancewater@aol.com and rossgwin@charter.net

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