Four people who lost loved ones on September 11 will leave for Afghanistan on Saturday, January 12. They will arrive in Islamabad, Pakistan on January 14 and then travel to Kabul, Afghanistan on January 15. The victims' families will spend up to eight days in Afghanistan meeting with those who are also suffering the grief of loss. While in Afghanistan, the US visitors will meet with street children who lost their parents during the recent bombing, visit a hospital in Kabul, and help an Afghan family rebuild their home.

"For me, this trip is about respect and love for all human beings by all human beings, regardless of where they come from," says Derrill Bodley, a music professor from Stockton, California whose daughter, Deora, died on United Airlines Flight 93. "I'm going on this journey to show my concern for those innocent Afghans who have died or are suffering now. By embracing our common humanity and sharing our sorrow perhaps we will be able to avoid other loss in the future."

The victims-to-victims delegation is being organized by Global Exchange, an international human rights organization whose motto is 'building people-to-people ties.' Global Exchange hopes the meeting will have a profound impact in both countries by showing that individual Afghans and Americans suffer alike. Afghans will see that US citizens do care about their well being. The US visitors will gain a deeper understanding of Afghans as real people. And people around the world who learn of the exchange will get to witness the common humanity of all persons.

The four US citizens who will travel to Afghanistan are:

Derrill Bodley is a 56-year-old professor of music at Sacramento City College and the University of the Pacific in Stockton, California. Derrill lost his daughter, Deora, on United Airlines Flight 93, which crashed in Pennsylvania. His first response to the tragedy was a musical composition that came to him as he sat at his piano on September 13. Called "Steps to Peace--For Deora," he played this music at a White House tribute and gave a copy of the CD to President Bush.

Rita Lasar is a 70-year-old retired small businesswoman from New York. Rita lost her brother, Abe Zelmanowitz, at the World Trade Center. Abe was on the 27th floor of 1 World Trade Center when the first plane hit. Although he could have gotten out of the building, he chose instead to stay with his friend, a quadriplegic who could not get out. President Bush mentioned Abe's heroism during his speech honoring the victims at the National Cathedral.

Kelly Campbell is a 29-year-old environmental campaign coordinator in Oakland California. Her brother-in-law, 28 year-old Craig Amundson, was killed in the Pentagon attack, leaving behind a young wife and two small children. Kelly is travelling on behalf of Craig's widow, Amber Amundson, who has been an outspoken voice for reconciliation. In the weeks after the attack, Amber wrote in the Chicago Tribune: "My anguish is compounded exponentially by fear that [Craig's] death will be used to justify new violence against other innocent victims."

Eva Rupp is a 28-year-old woman who works in Washington DC at the Department of Commerce's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Eva is the step sister of Deora Bodley, and the two of them were close from the time Deora was five. "I'm going to Afghanistan because I hope to build more understanding between Afghans and Americans, and increase the potential for positive relationships between us," Rupp says.

A full accounting of civilian casualties from the US bombing campaign has not yet occurred, but reports from human rights organizations and academics place the number of innocent Afghan victims at between 2,000 and 4,000 people. At the very least, it is clear from news reports that thousands of people were either maimed or killed by US air strikes.

"The people of the United States, indeed the world, have shown tremendous compassion for the families of the victims of September 11. Shouldn't our hearts and helping hands also go out to those Afghans who are as every bit innocent as the victims of September 11?" says Medea Benjamin, founding director of Global Exchange. Ms. Benjamin will accompany the family members to Afghanistan. "Don't we, as citizens of a wealthy nation that unleashed deadly force against Afghanistan, have a moral responsibility to help Afghanistan's innocent victims?"

For more information about the victims-to-victims exchange, contact Jason Mark in San Francisco at 415-558-9486 x 230 or jason@globalexchange.org .

2017 Mission St, Suite 303 * San Francisco, CA 94110 * 415.255.7296 * fax 415.255.7498 * www.globalexchange.org

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