September 11th Families for Peaceful Tomorrows: Turning Tragedy into Hope for a Better World [Paperback]

David Potorti (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 2003

Nominated for this year’s Nobel Peace Prize, the Peaceful Tomorrows (families of September 11 victims) present a groundbreaking collection of essays, poems, songs and art about pacifism as a response to tragedy.

Opposition to George W. Bush’s war against Iraq is growing. No voices in the resistance are more powerful, more visible, or more credible than "September 11 Families for Peaceful Tomorrows," a nonprofit group of family members of September 11 victims dedicated to finding alter-natives to war as a response to personal and national tragedies. The Peaceful Tomorrows represent more than fifty people who lost loved ones in New York, Washington and Shanksville, PA, as well as more than two thousand supporters. They have spoken in twenty-five states and eight foreign countries, and have sent delegations to both Afghanistan and Iraq to meet with civilians who similarly lost loved ones due to terrorism and war. On February 15, 2003, members of Peaceful Tomorrows led the United for Peace march in New York City, which drew more than two hundred fifty thousand people.

This book will begin with an account by editor (and group member) David Potorti, covering the first year and a half of the Peaceful Tomorrows—how they came together to form the group, how they pursued their mission without an income, and how they connected with people in other countries. This introduction will be followed by -essays from group members on various topics, including forgiveness and keeping the faith (Andrew Rice/Myrna Bethke); the power of music (Kristina Olsen/Derrill Bodley); creating community (Barry Amundson); a military perspective (Ryan Amundson); a report from the delegations to Iraq (Kat Tinley, Terry Rockefeller), Afghanistan (Kelly Campbell, Rita Lasar), and Hiroshima/Nagasaki (Amundson, Lasar); and a commentary on the media’s -response to both the 9/11 disaster and the work of the Peaceful -Tomorrows (Potorti). The volume will also include guest essays from high-profile supporters of the Peaceful Tomorrows.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Over three thousand families were torn apart on September 11, 2001. But from the devastation of that day, another family was formed--a family bound not by biology, culture or country, but by compassion and the commitment to spare all others the loss and pain they had shared. It is almost unfathomable to think that on the day following the September 11 attacks, some of the victims' families were already thinking about the terrible political consequences of their personal nightmares and were seeking a means to prevent them. September 11th Families for Peaceful Tomorrows: Turning our Grief into Action for Peace describes how these families (totaling 80 to date), from all over the country and from all kinds of backgrounds, formed a non-profit organization dedicated to finding peaceful alternatives to the U.S. war on terror. The book intersperses a narrative that describes the group's development and activity (written by David Potorti, a group member) with personal essays by individual family members, and (the sometimes shocking) e-mail responses to the group's website: www.peacefultomorrows.org.

The mission of the September 11th Families for Peaceful Tomorrows is idealistic: it opposes war in the name of their lost loved ones and advocates the prevention of terrorism by addressing the difficult problems that lie at its root, namely extremism, militarism, poverty, racism, ignorance, inequality, hatred, hopelessness, and rage. Angry opponents to the group's goals and pursuits, including some in the media, have labeled them "unpatriotic," "cowards," "ignorant," and "naïve"--particularly in response to their reaching out to the Afghani and Iraqi victims of U.S. military action. But fair-minded readers of this powerful book will certainly be moved by the courage, commitment, compassion, and moral conviction expressed by these extraordinary/ordinary people and their supporters. Joined together by their grief and dedication, the group shows how "people-to-people, you can make a difference." --Silvana Tropea

From Publishers Weekly

Many of the relatives of September 11th victims who disagree with the U.S.'s military response to the terrorist attacks formed an activist group named Peaceful Tomorrows. In this enlightening volume, Potorti, a journalist and member of the organization, offers a history of the little known group. Among other activities, Peaceful Tomorrows members have visited Afghanistan and Iraq in order to spur the American public's sympathy with the citizens of countries attacked by the U.S. The book includes essays by members about their journeys with the group, letters from members to the federal government expressing disappointment in America's diplomatic efforts, and e-mails to the group's Web site, some expressing support for the group, others disapproval of their pacifist stance. These very personal and moving accounts will appeal to those who, like the group's members, believe violence was the wrong response to the tragedy of September 11. Photos.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 250 pages
• Publisher: RDV Books (September 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0971920648
• ISBN-13: 978-0971920644
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.3 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #835,880 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)