December 5, 2002
Tacoma campus to honor victims of abuse, injustice
For 12 hours on Dec. 10, the names of victims will echo across the UW Tacoma campus.
Victims of Latin American civil wars and the Holocaust. Victims of the
Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks and World War II. Victims of slavery, injustice and the abuse of their most basic human rights.
“It’s so easy to forget,” UW Tacoma graduate Crystal Peterson said.
Peterson and other members of the UWT student group HOPE Network (Organizing for Human Rights through the Power of Education) are coordinating the second annual Living Memorial, a daylong commemoration of victims of human rights crimes. From 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. in the Garretson Woodruff Pratt (GWP) building atrium, students, faculty, staff and community members will take turns reading names from a list of victims.
The event marks the 53rd anniversary of the United Nations’ Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The UN has declared Dec. 10 to be International Human Rights Day.
Nearly 25 people have signed up to read names, and organizers expect about 20 more. HOPE member Mark Dodson, a UWT student, said last year’s reading prompted a deep emotional reaction for both readers and listeners.
“It’s very visceral,” he said. “You become an active part of the memorial. Many people last year read longer than their allotted time — they recognized that the names in their hand were people who didn’t need to suffer.”
Student Tony Painter joined HOPE after stumbling across last year’s Living Memorial.
“I was compelled to stop and sit down and listen,” he said. “To think about the immensity of human rights issues, it’s really overwhelming.”
The GWP building contains the bookstore and is located at 1900 Pacific Ave., across from the Washington State History Museum.
HOPE is still seeking people to read names for the Dec. 10 event. If you are interested in participating, e-mail Peterson at crystalp@u.washington.edu. The HOPE Network is a student group focusing on educating people about human rights issues. For information about HOPE or the Living Memorial, contact Painter at 253-627-6876.
