Welcome to the Mourning Project.
Our mission is to build public understanding of the true costs of war. For example:
More than 90% of all casualties are civilian noncombatants, many of whom are children.
This is the real meaning of "collateral damage."
We gather at 7 pm on the first Thursday of the month at the Japanese-American Memorial in Waterfront Park, Portland, Oregon.
A year ago February, ten million people met in the cities of the world to cry out, trying to
stop a war from happening. They became the voice of what
The New York Times
called
a new World Power,
and we heard them singing.
But the war began, and we were disheartened. Now we gather again, for there is a comfort in joining with others that should not be abandoned just because one means of democratic dissent is ignored. Now we gather again, this time to mourn for the dead.
We mourn for those whose lives we tried and failed to save. We mourn for the dead—all of the dead—the American and allied soldiers, and the Iraqi and Afghan citizens and soldiers. None of them, soldiers or civilians, could any more escape the demands and forces of their governments than they could escape the bombs and bullets that destroyed them.
We cannot put aside the burden of these lives by assigning guilt and innocence, for we too failed to stop the slaughter. But we can try to bring comfort to the bereaved, and to ourselves, so that we may find the strength to continue to demand peace, and continue to demand an end to the killing.
With these thoughts, you are invited to gather in mourning at 7 pm on the first Thursday of each month to honor and mourn the dead of war, until the killing has stopped. In Portland, Oregon, we gather at the Japanese-American Memorial in Waterfront Park on Northwest Naito Parkway at Northwest Couch Street, just north of the Burnside Bridge. Please join us.
Our brochure. Our current press release. June, 2004.
New Year’s Day 2004 ceremony
February 5th, 2004 ceremony
March 4th, 2004 ceremony
April 1st, 2004 ceremony
May 6th, 2004 ceremony
June 3rd, 2004 ceremony
On the 26th of May the Mourning Project visited The Viewing Project on the campus of the University of Oregon in Eugene. Students and faculty left notes of remembrance and pinned flowers by the names friends and family members now gone.The next regular gathering of the Mourning Project will be on July 1st, 2004, when we will be joined by the Aurora Chorus.On May 29th we joined the gathering of Vancouver for Peace, at the Vancouver Farmer's Market in Esther Short Park. Many shoppers thanked us, and left flowers at the base of the lists.
On June 27th we visited Rise in Remembrance in Lauralhurst Park. It was a warm afternoon with many fine speakers, including Jefferson Smith of the Bus Project, and Grant Remington, President of Veterans for Peace, chapter 72. Many people visited the Mourning Project lists. Some matched names to the names on their balloons. Some found relatives or friends.
Links to our sources and to sites with similar missions*.
Our expenses are minimal, but real. Your donation can be sent to:
The Mourning Project, Postal Box 82289, Portland OR 97282
The Mourning Project is a registered nonprofit in Oregon only, and donations are not tax-deductible.
Get in touch with us at
info@theMourningProject.org, or by
phone at (503) 869 8794
Tell us if you'd like to receive announcements of web updates and monthly gatherings.
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