We Begin With #peace:
Dear Friends and Supporters of September 11th Families for Peaceful Tomorrows (PT),
Twenty-two years have passed since the day that cost many of our loved ones their lives and permanently changed our world. Having immense feelings of grief alongside witnessing the changes of the geopolitical landscape ensuing has been at times overwhelming. Almost a quarter century has passed and a generation has now only seen the post-9/11 world. In the meantime, PT members have been working since 2002 to find unity, seek justice, and use nonviolent means when addressing terrorism, in hopes of children instead growing into a world with peaceful action.
My father was killed at work in the World Trade Center. I spent my childhood grappling with what it meant to be a “9/11 kid” while I grieved my father. Like many other kids born in the late 1990s, I only know the political aftermath of the attacks. The War on Terror was a consistent backdrop to my childhood.
I found PT when the U.S. withdrew its troops from Afghanistan in 2021. I was angry and wondered: “How could the war end like this?” I thought of the young girls in Afghanistan who had civilian parents, never returning home due to an attack. How could I not see myself in those young girls? I was relieved to now have access and companionship with others who share my perspective, understand my pain and want to shield others from living similar or worse horrors. Importantly, the PT community understood the importance of politics and nonviolence as a response to the 9/11 attacks.
I am amazed by what the other members in the organization have accomplished over the years. However, there is more to be done. In our unity, we aim to channel our grief into change. We hope that one day a child will grow up without war and terrorism in the backdrop, but instead in an environment upholding human rights, justice, and peace.
We kindly ask for your continued support and donations as we head into 2024 so that we may keep amplifying our voices and pursue our work.
With warmest regards and wishes for peace,
Rhiannon O’Connor
Daughter of Keith Kevin O'Connor Member of September Eleventh Families for Peaceful Tomorrows