EYES WIDE OPEN FLORIDA

EYES WIDE OPEN FLORIDA
Acclaimed War Casualties Exhibition in Melbourne FL
Sat. Nov. 28, 2009
10am - 5pm
Wells Park, 635 Hibiscus Blvd. Melbourne FL (next to the Melbourne Auditorium)

Over 245 Pairs of Combat Boots Representing U. S. Soldiers from Florida who have fallen in the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars and Civilian Casualties to be memorialized.

The American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) in cooperation with the Peace Coalition Of Brevard, and local patriots will honor fallen U.S. military personnel and civilians with it's traveling exhibition: Eyes Wide Open: The Cost of War to Florida.

EYES WIDE OPEN : The Cost of War to Florida focuses on the specific costs of war to the state of Florida. The exhibit includes 245 pairs of boots representing fallen servicemen and women from Florida, and a visual representation of civilian casualties. This exhibit is part of AFSC's national Eyes Wide Open: The Human Cost of War network.

AFSC, a Nobel Peace Prize recipient is an international social justice organization. AFSC first created Eyes Wide Open: The Human Cost of War to illustrate the lives lost in the war in Iraq. It 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 5271 pairs of combat boots representing U.S. military casualties in both the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars.

"The exhibit will be a site of quiet reflection and thought. Join us in the spirit of this solemn occasion. Let us make November 28th a day of reflection and spiritual transformation that honors those who have died and renews our commitment to create a more peaceful world."
-- Vicki Impoco, Florida State Coordinator EYES WIDE OPEN

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. It's work is based on the belief in the worth of every person and faith in the power of love to overcome violence and injustice.

MORE information: http://www.afsc.org/eyes/