On this Veterans' Day we are pleased to share the latest Making Peace Visible podcast episode called "Shining A Light on Veterans and Their Children" which explores the topic of military deployments and their impacts on military families and children. The podcast host, Jamil Simon, interviews Susan Hackley, producer of our short documentary, Veteran Children: When Parents Go To War and Dr. Harold Kudler, a psychiatrist and preeminent expert on posttraumatic stress disorders. The rich conversation highlights the invisibility of the wounds of war on those who serve and their families. On Veterans' Day this podcast is a way to honor the military community by shining a light on their strengths, sacrifices, and struggles. 
Please listen to this informative podcast here: https://youtu.be/CRldc8wc094?si=Nk7zvfamClxamBvY.

Each new year holds the hopes of a more peaceful world. But only one month into 2024, those aspirations have been shattered with the tragic wars and conflicts continuing in the Middle East.

Throughout the month of January, American soldiers deployed to the Middle East have faced over 100 missile and rocket attacks in Iraq and Syria, injuring more than 80 military personnel. The US Navy and Air Force are engaged in  dangerous missions protecting international shipping vessels in the Red Sea against persistent attacks by Houthi militia in Yemen. Most tragically, four days ago a drone attack in Jordan injured 40 service members and killed  three US Army reservists.

These conflicts are distant for most Americans but for military families they are close and very real. Parents, spouses, and children live with constant fears for the safety of their loved one serving abroad. Some are grieving the deaths of their precious family members -- a stark reminder of the sacrifices and realities of military service. 

Within the military community November is an important month, filled with gatherings and events to celebrate the strengths of all members of military families and to put a spotlight on the unique challenges of military life.

There are a few organizations devoted to addressing pressing needs within military families that we want to highlight.
The National Military Family Association for over 50 years has created programs to support family well-being. Currently, many military families face food insecurity, access to affordable child care, military spouse unemployment or underemployment and teen mental health challenges.

The Elizabeth Dole Foundation is the preeminent organization that supports military caregivers, including children and adolescents who care for parents with visible and invisible wounds. Using research on the impact of caregiving on the lives of military children, and partnering with Wounded Warrior Project and other organizations, EDF created effective programs like Hidden Heroes to support military caregiver kids.

BLOOM is a website created by military teens for military teens, who built a worldwide community through writing. The platform helps them to cope with the disruptions of moving every 2-3 years, connect with friends they had to leave, and give guidance on navigating new homes, new countries and new schools. It's a special place for military teens to share emotions and challenges they face while also showcasing their art, adventures, music and poetry.

These and many more organizations contribute enormously to military families and we thank them.

Memorial Day is an important and solemn day to remember, appreciate, and think about the costs of war and the loss of precious lives to war. Our part at the Veteran Children Project in paying tribute to all who lost their lives is to continue to share our short documentary film, Veteran Children: When Parents Go To War.

Already in 2023 the film has resonated with more audiences around the world, receiving awards at the Sydney Indie Short Film Festival, Dublin World Film Festival, Munich Short Film Awards, and Austin International Film Festival.
 
We are humbled and honored to play a small role in telling important stories of military service and sacrifice.

April is the Month of the Military Child, a time when the military community honors and celebrates the 2 million military children whose parents are currently active-duty service members in the US and around the globe.

Military children and families face many unique challenges of military life -- they move every 2-3 years on average, leave old friends, start new schools, and often learn new customs, cultures and languages when assigned to other countries. They frequently experience significant periods of time without a parent who is away training or deployed.

We want to express our appreciation to non-military organizations that have made April 2023 fun and enriching for military children.

These include: Disney World, Legoland, Universal Studios, National Parks and numerous zoos and aquariums for providing free or discounted admission. Old Navy, LLBean, Under Armour, Wrangler, Crocs, Nike and Reebok helped keep costs down on clothing, sports and school apparel for military children.

Tutor.com and eKnowledge provide free or discounted academic support. Jo-Ann Fabrics and Michael’s gave discounts on craft and school supplies.

Thank you to the many other companies and local community events that recognize and support military children in the month of April and throughout the year.

While working on our film about what American military children experience when their parents go to war, we never imagined that their stories would resonate so strongly with audiences around the world. Once again, they have.

We are so pleased that we won Best Short Documentary Film at the Rio de Janeiro World Film Festival this summer.
At the Paris Women Festival in August we were selected the semi-finalist.

Thank you, to both of these international film festivals!

On this Memorial Day 2022 in Boston, it could not be a more beautiful day of warm sunshine, blue skies and
billowy white clouds which makes even more poignant the scene of thousands of flags placed in orderly rows
across a wide expanse of historic Boston Common, each one signifying -- this was a life lost in service to our
country.  Tributes honoring the fallen brought people together today in cities and towns across the nation.

At the Veteran Children Project we add our sincerest respect and gratitude for all who have served and given their
lives. We also want to acknowledge their families, who have endured the tragic loss of a son or daughter,
brother or sister, mother or father. 

Our film which puts a spotlight on the struggles, sacrifices, and strengths of military children and families was affirmed at the London International Film Festival. We are pleased they nominated us for Best Short Documentary.

Our goal in 2021 is to share the film Veteran Children at live screenings, if that is possible in light of Covid, as well as through virtual screenings and virtual events. 

As we work to set these up, we are still reaching new audiences, in the U.S. at the Chicago Indie Film Awards and in Germany at the Berlin Film Festival. We're pleased to have received film awards at both festivals.