Written by Neil Horsky, this column was originally published in the July 2015 issue of the Boston Compass

Art by Katie James, “Old Man’s War Fodder”

On July 23 2004 the 19th annual Veterans for Peace convention was held at Emerson College on Boston Common. At the event, seven attending veterans who served during the 2003 invasion of Iraq founded the organization Iraq Veterans Against the War (IVAW).

Since its inception IVAW has steadily grown in membership, with chapters forming across the US and abroad. Employing a decentralized cooperative leadership model, individual members and chapters have worked for peace through a variety of methods. These range from traditional advocacy, such as the Right to Heal campaign to ensure traumatized soldiers receive exemptions from additional tours of duty, to creative activism and community-building projects.

In the street theater piece Operation First Casualty, veterans in combat gear patrol city streets and detain citizen (actors) to bring to the fore of public consciousness the frightening reality of urban warfare. Veterans seek cross-cultural dialogue and reconciliation in the Enemy Kitchen, where veteran and Iraqi chefs collaborate to provide Baghdadi meals, recipes and cooking lessons. IVAW’s Burlington, VT chapter initiated the Combat Paper Project to help veterans process their wartime experiences. Veterans cut their combat uniforms into small pieces and reduce them to pulp to make paper for artwork, poetry and journaling.

Following the 2011 American withdrawal, Iraq has been in a perpetual state of violence and lawlessness. Although the 9-year occupation has ceased, IVAW’s work has not. The flourishing of their veteran community has inspired a farther-reaching vision of change:

“We strive for a world free of unjust war – a world without the political and economic conditions allowing militarism to exist, and without structural forces pushing our youth, our poor and those facing incarceration into the military… We strive for a society that holds political leaders, profiteers, and war criminals accountable for the consequences of their actions… We strive for a political culture… committed to building peace and preserving life…[and] that acknowledges our nation’s moral responsibilities to the people of Afghanistan, Iraq, and all civilians adversely affected by U.S. military intervention.”