9-11 Tribute at Fire Chiefs Convention, an article from News 10 Now, notes
the performance of six volunteers from the Tribute Center who shared their
personal experiences of 9/11—survivors, first responders, family members
who lost loved ones, residents of Lower Manhattan, and volunteers —
during the annual Association of Fire Chiefs convention on
Thursday, June 11, 2009 in Verona, NY. They detailed their individual
challenges, stories of healing, and how the Tribute Center has inspired them.
Donna Kaz, an experienced theater writer and director, combined the personal
experiences into a 75-minute stage play which explores the tragedy and
triumph of 9/11.
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Verdict ruled in Omagh Bombing of the Real IRA in Northern Ireland
Monday June 8, 2009, a judge found that the real IRA leader Michael McKevitt
was responsible for the 1998 Omagh bombing in Northern Ireland. Mr. Justice
Morgan made the ruling after a landmark civil case brought by some of the
families of the victims of the atrocity. The 12 relatives were awarded more than
£1.6m in damages for the attack in which 29 people and unborn twins died.
Mr Justice Morgan also found dissident republican organization the Real IRA
liable for the bomb. He said it was clear that the bombers' primary objective
was to ensure that the bomb exploded without detection, and the safety of
those members of the public in Omagh town centre was at best a secondary
consideration.
He said he was "satisfied that those involved in the planning, preparation,
planting and detonation of the bomb recognized the likelihood of serious injury
or death from its detonation but decided to take that risk". Mr. Justice Morgan
said McKevitt "held and has always held a significant leadership role in the
Real IRA,", and was heavily involved in the procurement of explosives at the
time of the bombing.
Michael Gallagher, who lost his 21-year-old son in the attack, said it was a
"result better than we could ever have imagined." In a speech following the
verdict on behalf of the families, Mr. Gallaher stated
We stand here today after 11 grueling years of campaigning for justice for
Northern Ireland ’s worst terrorist atrocity. It has been uphill all the way
and we thank those who have climbed with us.
Mr Blair and Ahern told the world that ‘no stone would remain unturned’
in the quest for justice at Omagh. As politicians repeatedly let us down,
we and our legal team were left to turn over every stone with our bare hands.
Mr Blair, Ahern, and Flanagan. We shouldn’t have had to do this.
Today’s historic verdict is against a background of your moral cowardice.
You should each hold your heads in shame. Omagh is your true legacy to
Northern Ireland . May it haunt you for the rest of your days.
What peace process can hold its head high in the world when it abandons
those victims of terror? Leaving victims to fend for themselves? History
has judged it today and history will not be kind to you.
We speak not just for ourselves but for victims of terror everywhere.
Across Northern Ireland and the UK . And further afield:
September 11 th families, those in Madrid , Colombia and
London to name but three.
Today is not the end. Whilst nothing will bring back our loved ones,.
we will pursue damages due to us in full. There will be no hiding place
or bank account to escape justice.
We will not go away. We will not be quiet. We will not be forgotten.
No-one has ever been convicted in a criminal court of causing the deaths.
The only man to face criminal charges over the Omagh killings, 38-year-old
Sean Hoey from Jonesborough in South Armagh, was acquitted in 2007. The
families brought the multi-million pound action in an attempt to bring fresh
information about the atrocity to light.
Civil cases have a much lower burden of proof, with the judge reaching his
verdict on the balance of probabilities. In criminal law, guilt must be proved
beyond reasonable doubt.
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America's Camp
America’s Camp will run from Tuesday, August 18, 2009 - Tuesday,
August 25, 2009 this summer. Currently there are 230 campers
enrolled for the 2009 season. There is space for about 50 more
children but spaces are filling up quickly. If any new families
are interested in enrolling a child, please call 1-800-548-6295 or
email Beth at beth@americascamp.org. Enrollment forms can also
be found on www.americascamp.org, but new families are encouraged .
to contact the office first, so that their questions can be answered.
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The World Trade Center Family House
The Family House trailer is now located on Washington Street
between Carlisle and Albany Streets.
The Family House is open 7 days a week from 9AM - 7PM. A
Family Identification Card from the Medical Examiner's Office will
provide access into this area.
If you do not have a Medical Examiner's Family Card, you can
contact the Medical Examiner's office at 212-447-4394 to make an
appointment to get one. We would encourage all family members to
do so. This will give you access to other family related sites, such
as the Family Room on the 20th floor of One Liberty Plaza,
Memorial Park at the Medical Examiner's location, and will be your
ID when needed for different events throughout the year.
For further QUESTIONS or INFORMATION, please contact
Davella May,at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey at
212-435-5552 or e-mail at dmay@panynj.gov.
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Submit a Photo of your Loved One to the Tribute Center Family Gallery
The Tribute WTC Visitor Center includes a special Family Gallery where loved
ones’ photos show our visitors how special those we lost were. We hope to
display photos of all those who were killed on September 11 at the World
Trade Center, the Pentagon and on Flight 93, and in February 26, 1993.
If you are an immediate family member who did not receive our request for
a photo submission and you would like to send photos, please email
kgrieger@911families.org. We know that your care and generosity in sharing
these memories with the world will help to ensure that those we lost on
September 11, 2001 and February 26, 1993 will never be forgotten.
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Tribute WTC Visitor Center
The Tribute Center is a project of the September 11th Families
Association. The Association realized the need to provide
information to the thousands ofvisitors who gather at the World
Trade Center site each day. The Tribute WTC Visitor Center
opened in September 2006 at 120 Liberty Street in New York across
the street from the World Trade Center site. Tribute is a place where
visitors can learn about the events of February 26, 1993 and
September 11, 2001. Through the voices of many individuals in the
exhibitions and programs, Tribute informs, educates and provides a
place for reflection.
The Tribute Center grew out of the need to respond to the desire of
people to come to the site. It grew out of the desire of families and
those closely affected by 9/11,to share the story of the people, the
day, the actions, the heroism, the courage,the loss and the grief. It
came from a realization that history is being written everyday and in
order to share the individual stories with people who have come
seeking enlightenment and personal contact, there is a need to create
an organization and a physical point of origin so that the needs of
those coming to learn could be alignedwith the need of those willing
to share.
To volunteer for the Tribute Center guide program,
email volunteer@tributewtc.org or visit www.tributewtc.org.
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Stepping Forward
On January 7, 2009, the September 11th Families’ Association
hosted a special evening at the Tribute Center to welcome families
and professionals from the 9/11 Project. In October 2001, the 9/11
Project was established to provide legal assistance in the aftermath
of the attacks.
The Project was the only connection some families, who were
undocumented, had to the 9/11 community. Living in the
shadows, many were scared to come forward. The 9/11 Project
has been working to secure permanent legal status in the United
States for these families. In August 2008, they obtained a
temporary humanitarian parole from the Department of Homeland
Security giving the family members legal presence in the United
States.
The 9/11 Project assisted with linguistic and cultural barriers by
lending support & resources. Ana Soria, who lost her husband in
the attacks, said “Since the day we got legal presence, our lives
changed a lot.”
The 9/11 Project counted on the commitment of volunteers from
New York City law firms. Debra Brown Steinberg, a senior
partner at Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP, was instrumental
in coordinating this pro bono effort.
Debra felt the event was important after visiting the Center, stating,
“Tribute is the connective tissue which binds us together no matter
what language we speak, where we were born, or how we mourn
that day. The names and faces on the walls of the Tribute Center,
and the names and faces of their families walking in the galleries,
come from every corner of the map, reminding us that the World
Trade Center attacks were not just on the citizens of New York,
but on the citizens of the world.”
The family members and law professionals were greeted by
Tribute Center volunteers who spoke about their personal
experiences. Shannon, who lost her husband on Flight 11, said
“It was wonderful to meet more members of the community
and to welcome them into this network of support & healing
we’re all part of. Hopefully they will decide to get involved in
Tribute tours or as gallery guides.”
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Tribute Center Teacher Awards 2009
On February 26, 2009, the second annual Tribute Center Teacher
Awards were presented. Four teachers received awards for
projects commemorating September 11th in their classrooms.
Teachers Aaden Stern and Courtney Winkfield of Academy for
Young Writers, Brooklyn, NY require students to onduct oral
histories to learn about historical events that occurred in their
life-times and connect these events to their own lives. Students
chose to conduct oral histories about the attacks of
September 11, 2001 and then published them. Michael Chrvala of
Shiloh Middle School, Hampstead Maryland is an 8th grade U.S.
history teacher who considers September 11th a “teachable moment.”
“Through the use of videos, readings, and a lot of discussion …I
believe that it is my job to make certain that my students appreciate
the dedication and selflessness of the rescuers.” Teacher Noriko Koide
from Valley Stream HS and Lynbrook HS, Long Island, NY teaches
Japanese. Since 9/11/01 she has had her students make origami cranes
for the victims of 9/11 as a symbol of and hope for world peace, and has
involved her students in conversations about the meaning of this history.
Teacher Jamie Ellinger and her students from Northside College
Preparatory HS, Chicago, IL participate in a Living History Project.
10th grade students came to NYC specifically to conduct their oral
histories. The awards have been made possible by the generous support
of: The Brooke Jackman Foundation; The Christopher Slattery 9/11
Memorial Scholarship Foundation; The Greg Richards, Larry Polatsch,
Scott Weingard Memorial Fund; The Welles Remy Crowther Charitable
Trust; and The September 11th Families’ Association. They were
presented by New York State Education Department, Deputy
Commissioner for Cultural Education Jeffrey Cannell.
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Sabino Arana Award
On Saturday, January 31, 2009 at a gala event at the Euskalduna
Conference Center and Concert Hall in Bilbao, Basque Country, Spain,
the September 11th Families’ Association/Tribute WTC Visitor Center
jointly with the March 11th Association of Those Affected by Terrorism
based in Madrid were honored as recipients of the prestigious Sabino
Arana Foundation XX Anniversary Award in recognition of both associations’
contribution in civic engagement and commitment to bring peace to the world.
Present to receive the award from the hands of the foundation’s President,
Mr. Juan Maria Atutxa, and on behalf of the Association were CEO Jennifer
Adams and President Lee Ielpi along with other staff members who were
graciously hosted by the Basque government to attend the awards as well as
to have the opportunity to visit various institutions in the Basque Country. In
the past 50 years, hundreds of people have lost their lives to terrorism in the
Basque Country. These opportunities “to not only visit this beautiful country
but to also to hold meetings with various government entities and civilian
groups and exchange experiences with others affected by terrorism reinforced
the importance of our mission and expanded our vision to unite people against
terrorism in peace” expressed Lee Ielpi in his acceptance speech in front
of an audience of almost 2,000 which included the President of the Basque
Country, Lehendakari Ibarretxe, members of Basque government and cultural
institutions as well as recipients of the awards from the last 20 years.
The winners of this year’s awards along with the September 11th Families’
Association/Tribute WTC Visitor Center and the March 11th Association of
Those Affected by Terrorism were the French-Basque Cardinal Roger
Etchegaray, the Basque writer Toti Martinez de Lezea, the Bilbao Fine Arts
Museum, the Euskadi (Basque Country) Cyclist Foundation and the business
group Arteche. The Sabino Arana awards are given annually by the Sabino
Arana Foundation in commemoration of the birth of the founding father of
Basque nationalism – Sabino Arana.
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