She spoke in Russian, a language I don’t speak, but I knew exactly what she was saying. Aleta Borsovna Gasnova conveyed all the horror of her experiences as a hostage in Beslan's School No. 1, North Ossetia, Russia, [2] through her voice. It was a chilling moment. Even though I have met thousands of other victims and survivors of terror her pain touched all who heard her terror-stricken story.
The 2008 United Nations Symposium on Supporting Victims of Terror was a transformational experience for me and the nearly two dozen other victims of terror. I was invited to represent American victims after my mother Judy Larocque [3] was murdered on September 11, 2001 when the plane she was a passenger in was hijacked and flown in the World Trade Center. While there was no way to encapsulate the pain suffered by all American victims in a mere five-minute speech, I did my best to demonstrate that the United States has suffered at the hands of terrorists by detailing the story of finding my mother’s left foot, unburned, five and a half years after her murder. These were emotional, but also empowering two days. And they changed the course of my life.
Beyond the obvious need for all UN member states to hear the stories of the victims, the symposium also filled a vital gap – enabling victims from around the globe to stand united against terrorism and to use their stories to convince the world’s leaders to work together to stop violence against innocents. The unique environment was an opportunity to highlight victims far and wide who are fighting to stop terrorism in the only way we can, by speaking out against it.
I will never forget meeting Ashraf Al-Khaled [4], a Jordanian man whose November 2005 wedding was bombed, killing 27 members of his family, or Ben Borgia [5], an Australian man whose mother and 13-year-old sister were killed while on holiday in Bali. Not only did their tragic stories move me, but their dedication to speaking out was contagious. We decided, along with other participants, that our voices needed to be heard outside the walls of the United Nations. We needed to unite, to be stronger and louder than those who would do us harm.
Global Survivors Network [6](GSN) launched in November 2009. Open to all interested in preventing acts of terror, the organization has members from six continents and enables people to speak truth to terror. We recognize that terrorists have sophisticated press operations, are able to release statements and videos and respond to media requests. We want to provide the counter narrative that for too long has been overlooked. Why do communities know the names of terrorists, discuss their actions and debate their motivations all the while ignoring the victims and survivors of their crimes? The GSN is changing that.
We started with a ceremony in Amman to commemorate four years since the three hotel bombings there, inviting diplomats and survivors to plant trees of peace. Under the patronage of Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah, the event was covered on the front page of every major newspaper, as well as 15 television and radio networks.
A two-day event took place in Jakarta in February 2010 in collaboration with ASKOBI, the organization for victims of terror in Indonesia. This event consisted of three parts: the first highlighted the launch of a website for Indonesian victims of terror; the second was a working discussion of experts in new and traditional media alongside government officials and civil society leaders about how to best distribute the message of the victims; the third involved students from around Jakarta who pledged themselves to volunteering to help prevent future acts of terror.
Victims in Pakistan were so inspired by the event in Amman (especially Tahir Wadoor Malik [7]
and Dr Habiba Rahim [8] Shah who participated in the launch) that immediately after the launch they created a GSN Facebook site, gaining more than 100 members in less than 24 hours. Work has begun to create a local Terrorism Survivor Network. Talks have been given by victims at universities in Pakistan, and a large event at Moon Market in Lahore was planned around Pakistan Day in March. The event included the unveiling of a memorial to victims of terrorism in the Moon Market that has been a target of terrorism on multiple occasions.
Participants in GSN events share the sentiment found amongst those who first met in 2008 and are anxious to do more, to speak out and to take forward the incredible energy generated at the UN Symposium. The voices and stories of victims in Asia, the European Union and around the globe provide their neighbors, friends or acquaintances susceptible to a terrorist’s message a reason not to act or give support. Quite frankly, our voices could be one of the most effective and credible channels for counter-terrorism communications.
In an effort to broaden the reach of our voices, we began making movies. The first one, called ‘Killing in the Name’ [9]features Ashraf and others engaging with former terrorists, recruiters and others in Jordan and Indonesia. It won an award for Best Documentary at the LA Shorts Fest 2010 and was nominated for a 2011 Academy Award for Best Documentary Short. Being invited to walk the red carpet together, Ashraf and I were honored to allow survivors of terror a chance to be heard by millions watching the awards ceremony.
Our latest series of videos, ‘Five’ highlights the compelling stories of five Pakistani man, each a survivor of a different terrorist attack in Pakistan, and each speaking out to make sure what happened to them never happens again. ‘Five’ [10] was featured at the Cannes Film Festival in France in May 2011.
We hope to collect and share more victims and survivors’ stories and share those online, so the emotion conveyed in voices like Aleta’s can move not just a room but rather the entire world. We hope the peace-loving conscientious people to join us.
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