January
11, 2007
Opening
Night at the Mizel Museum
I
am very grateful to have this opportunity to speak tonight
at this event. First of all, I would like to express my appreciation
to Ellen and Georgina at the Mizel Museum for bringing the
vision into reality, and creating with co-curator and artist
Lee Lee and other artists such a powerful exhibit that I am
honored to be part of.
In
addition, I would like to use this occasion to express special
thanks to all the wonderful people who've inspired me, encouraged
me, assisted me and believed in me so I can be here today.
I am so grateful to have so many of you as a part of my life.
My
last 16 years were dedicated to assisting war/torture/genocide
survivors in numerous countries to overcome horrors that they
and their loved once were exposed to. I had the privilege
to work with people from more than 50 countries where unfortunately
such events took and/or are still taking a place. This has
been a priceless experience. One thing that I learned along
with them is their gratitude, trust, respect, love, compassion
and foremost forgiveness. In addition, I witnessed their strength,
resiliency and passion for life that has been my photographic
focus that I am with pride sharing with you tonight.
If
they can forgive brutal treatment, or find the peace with
loss of loved once, or humiliation by the hands of their own
country men, and then work on healing in order to start new
life in this country then how can we remain ignorant and silent?
How can we not care? Are we privileged? Are we going to wait
until “they” come to get us and/or our family?
Who is going to be by our side then?
Many
of them are around us tonight and they do not look or act
anything different from us. But they are trying to be accepted
for who they are in the culture that still has a lot of prejudices,
judgment and discrimination. I am asking you tonight to find
the way to spread genuine compassion as a human being for
each other deep within by helping us to create safe environments
for war/torture/genocide survivors in Denver, in Colorado
and in the United States of America. Let’s revive the
American dream today by working first in our own backyard
so we can be much more effective in understanding and supporting
others in different parts of the world.
Please
help us to live locally but think and act globally –
it is the secret to true passion of life discovered by war/torture/genocide
survivor who is among you tonight.
Lastly,
I would love to read one poem that I would like to leave you
with…
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