Lingering Woes of War

Posted By: Sarah

If you know CIVIC, you know we stay above the fray of politics. It’s not often easy, but we want to focus on the suffering of war victims without getting diverted from their faces, stories, and needs.

Who was hurt? How? What help do they need?

This trip to Lebanon and Israel has made very clear what war victims around the world already knew: war never ends. Even when the bullets and bombs stop, ordinary people are left to pick up the pieces. Bombed out buildings, severe injuries that need years and years of treatment, psychological damage that never heals. It’s 18 months after the 2006 clash between these two countries… and the wounds remain fresh.

And at CIVIC, we’re a bit stubborn. We believe that the warring parties who did the harming should also do the helping. But here? The animosity is so great from side to side, it’s hard to imagine the scenarios where Israel would help Lebanese war victims and vice versa. Still, we have some ideas. Stay tuned.

Sarah