Healing Trauma

To move forward we must face the past.

Healing Power of Prison Poetry

by Eli Hastings

posted Sep 09, 2009

Writers help teens in jail learn to express difficult truths by putting pencil to paper.

YES! Film Picks: War Child / The End of Poverty?

posted Feb 13, 2009

Reviews of some of our favorite films of the season.

In Review :: Bill Cleveland’s Art and Upheaval

by Brooke Jarvis

posted Feb 13, 2009

Review of Art and Upheaval: Artists on the World's Frontlines, by Bill Cleveland

Iraqi Families on the Borders

by Johnny Barber

posted Feb 13, 2009

Families share their stories of escape and survival.

Art and Upheaval :: Photos from the Book

posted Feb 13, 2009

This photo-essay features images from William Cleveland's book Art and Upheaval. The book tells remarkable stories about artists who resolve conflict, heal unspeakable trauma, give voice to the forgotten and disappeared, and restitch the cultural fabric of their communities.

YES! Film Picks :: The Power of Forgiveness

by Carol Estes

posted Oct 31, 2008

This thoughtful film recounts the stories of people who have suffered almost unbearable losses and invites us into their struggles to forgive. The film also explores the life journeys of Holocaust-survivor Elie Wiesel and Vietnam War-survivor Thich Nhat Hanh. Both found so much power in forgiveness that they have made it the centerpiece of their life’s work...

Life Reclaimed

by Madeline Ostrander

posted Oct 31, 2008

After growing up amid violence and harassment, Jarid Manos found a way out for himself and for troubled youth—restoring prairie ecosystems.

Building Peace in Iraq

by David Smith-Ferri

posted Oct 03, 2008

What happens when we listen to Iraqis' stories, and trust that Iraqis are the best source for information about their own experiences? The story of Direct Aid Iraq.

Scared Sacred

by Velcrow Ripper

posted Jul 18, 2008

In a world teetering on the edge of self-destruction, award-winning filmmaker Velcrow Ripper sets out on a unique pilgrimage. Visiting the 'Ground Zeroes' of the planet, he asks if it's possible to find hope in the darkest moments of human history.

Heal the Warrior, Heal the Country

by Edward Tick

posted May 19, 2008

Breaking the cycle of war making: our country will not find peace until we take responsibility for our wars.

FALLOUT: Coming Home From the War in Iraq

by Ava Lowery

posted Apr 30, 2008

A short film by Ava Lowery about the war in Iraq and its effects on our returning troops. Pro-war or anti-war, we should all take the time to listen to what our returning troops have to say.

Where FEMA feared to Tread

by Tim Shorrock

posted Aug 09, 2006

When Katrina hit New Orleans, medics on bicycles toured the city bringing relief where other agencies failed to show.

Men, War, and Families

by Robert F. Johnson, Gordon Mustain

posted Jun 05, 2006

Two poems by veterans who recall the effect of military combat on their own lives.

Can Soap Operas Save the World?

by Carol Estes

posted May 02, 2006

In some battle-fatigued areas, soap operas have become a path to healing.

Reaching for Higher Ground: an interview with Russell Henderson

by Sarah Ruth van Gelder

posted Dec 12, 2005

No-bid contracts. “Opportunity” zones. Massive federal spending. Big decisions are being made about the Gulf region, but what do residents and evacuees want? YES! editor Sarah van Gelder interviews Russell Henderson, a resident of New Orleans and a convener of the Rebuild Louisiana Coalition.