ACCLAIMED NATIONAL WAR CASUALTIES EXHIBITION ON DISPLAY IN SATELLITE BEACH



WHO: American Friends Service Committee and area peace activists

WHAT: Eyes Wide Open - AFSC’s widely acclaimed war casualties exhibition illustrating the human cost of the Iraq war

WHERE: Satellite Beach Civic Center 565 Cassia Blvd. Satellite Beach, Florida
WHEN: March 15, 2008 10am - 5pm



Over 167 Pairs of Combat Boots representing the U.S. Soldiers from Florida who have fallen in the Iraq War and 200 pair of shoes representing the Iraqi Civilian Casualties to be memorialized.



Satellite Beach, Florida ─ The American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) in cooperation with local peace activists will honor fallen U.S. military personnel and Iraqi civilians with its traveling exhibition: Eyes Wide Open: The Cost of War to Florida, which will be on display at The Satellite Beach Civic Center on March 15, 2008.



AFSC, an international social justice organization, created Eyes Wide Open: The Human Cost of War to illustrate the lives lost in the war in Iraq. It first opened in Chicago's Federal Plaza with just over 500 pairs of boots in January 2004. The national exhibit was last displayed on Memorial Day weekend 2007 with over 3,400 pairs of boots. This was the last time that the entire death toll was represented in one location. Since then the exhibition has been divided into state displays and traveled throughout the nation to smaller cities and towns. All the state exhibits combined now include more than 3945 pairs of combat boots representing U.S. military casualties, along with a memorial to the tens of thousands of Iraqi civilians who have been killed in the conflict.

This will be Florida's first State Casualty Exhibit. The exhibit will be a site of quiet reflection and thought. It will not be a protest or demonstration. Join us in the spirit of this solemn occasion. Let us make March 15th a day of reflection and spiritual transformation that honors those who have died and renews our commitment to create a more peaceful world.

The American Friends Service Committee is a Quaker organization that includes people of various faiths who are committed to social justice, peace and humanitarian service. Its work is based on the belief in the worth of every person and faith in the power of love to overcome violence and injustice.