Shireen Shakouri
Niece of FF Dennis Scauso
I learned about September Eleventh Families for Peaceful Tomorrows in 2022, after reading media reports about how billions of dollars from Da Afghanistan Bank were sitting in purgatory, money that should have beyond question gone to support Afghan humanitarian efforts and stability reforms, but were potentially up for grabs by U.S. interests.
I could not sit with that knowledge, and decided to look for the helpers. I have been continually impressed by the bottomless capacity for compassion, moral clarity and authority, and hard-won expertise found among the ranks of September Eleventh Families for Peaceful Tomorrows.
As an Iranian-American and the niece of a fallen WTC firefighter, this is the 9/11 family community I would have loved to have since 9/12. I am grateful for this group’s advocacy, experience, intelligence, and perseverance through the years, and proud to be a small part of their vision for the future.
Chanel Shum
Daughter of See Wong Shum
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As a younger 9/11 family member, I discovered September Eleventh Families for Peaceful Tomorrows (PT) later than most—through a New York Times op-ed by PT member Julia Rodriguez. Finding a community of people who share both my loss and values was a revelation, and I am deeply grateful to belong to a group dedicated to breaking cycles of violence fueled by war and terrorism.
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It has been 23 years since my father lost his life at the World Trade Center. September 11, 2001, was my first day of preschool, and while I was too young to understand the events, I am thankful for PT’s commitment to advocating for humanitarianism since 2001. I believe that, as 9/11 family members, we have a responsibility to use our voices to promote empathy, human rights, and compassion—not Islamophobia or further violence.
Through my work with Peaceful Tomorrows, I aim to counter narratives that have used my father’s death to justify violence, amplify marginalized voices, and promote justice through reconciliation, peace-building, and self-determination. I believe the stories we tell—and those we allow to be told—are what ultimately shape the world we live in.