Susan Hackley and Congressman Seth Moulton spoke at Harvard University on December 8, 2014, about: Why is it hard to talk about war? Bridging the civilian-military divide.
Hackley and Moulton shared their personal stories and why they believe it is vitally important for Americans to talk about war in a way that honors the experiences of veterans and allows those who haven’t been to war to be part of the discussion. In the audience were ardent peace activists and veterans. While there wasn’t always agreement, there was a candid and respectful exchange of views.
Hackley and Moulton shared their personal stories and why they believe it is vitally important for Americans to talk about war in a way that honors the experiences of veterans and allows those who haven’t been to war to be part of the discussion. In the audience were ardent peace activists and veterans. While there wasn’t always agreement, there was a candid and respectful exchange of views.
Hackley showed the 8.5 minute rough cut trailer of her documentary film project, A Child’s Guide to War, which focuses on the impact of war on America’s children and families. She noted that most of us don’t realize that nearly two million American children have a parent who has been to war, and the impact on these children can be significant. We need to support those families, raise awareness of what they might be enduring, and factor in their experiences when we are talking about the true costs of war. She recalled when her son went to war, and how lonely she felt in a community that did not share her experience.
Moulton recalled his days at Harvard and the impact of seeing the names of veterans who had died in our wars at Memorial Church. He joined the Marines before 9/11 and served four tours of duty in Iraq. He said that veterans react to their war experiences in different ways, noting that they are “disproportionately CEOs of Fortune 500 companies and disproportionately homeless."
This event was part of the Herbert C. Kelman Seminar on International Conflict Analysis and Resolution. It is sponsored by the Program on Negotiation at Harvard Law School, the Nieman Foundation for Journalism, the Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics, and Public Policy, The Weatherhead Center for International Affairs, and Boston area members of the Alliance for Peacebuilding. The theme for the Kelman Seminar is “Negotiation, Conflict and the News Media."
Massachusetts Congressman Seth Moulton plans to make veterans health care a priority while in Congress.
Susan Hackley is managing director of the Program on Negotiation at Harvard Law School. She is a past chair of the Alliance for Peacebuilding, and she is producing the documentary film, A Child’s Guide to War, focusing on the impact of war on America’s children and families.
Moulton recalled his days at Harvard and the impact of seeing the names of veterans who had died in our wars at Memorial Church. He joined the Marines before 9/11 and served four tours of duty in Iraq. He said that veterans react to their war experiences in different ways, noting that they are “disproportionately CEOs of Fortune 500 companies and disproportionately homeless."
This event was part of the Herbert C. Kelman Seminar on International Conflict Analysis and Resolution. It is sponsored by the Program on Negotiation at Harvard Law School, the Nieman Foundation for Journalism, the Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics, and Public Policy, The Weatherhead Center for International Affairs, and Boston area members of the Alliance for Peacebuilding. The theme for the Kelman Seminar is “Negotiation, Conflict and the News Media."
Massachusetts Congressman Seth Moulton plans to make veterans health care a priority while in Congress.
Susan Hackley is managing director of the Program on Negotiation at Harvard Law School. She is a past chair of the Alliance for Peacebuilding, and she is producing the documentary film, A Child’s Guide to War, focusing on the impact of war on America’s children and families.
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