Panel
focuses on casualties of war
By Jack Schneider
On-line Forty-Niner
Civilian
casualties and horror stories of concentration
camps were some of the many topics discussed
in a panel titled “War: The Human Casualties”
as part of International Education Week.
The panel brought up issues of a country’s
battle with war, and the ugliness behind
hazardous materials used in war.
Panelists included faculty and students,
who shared their knowledge and experience
with war.
The speakers included:
•
Joanne Tortorici Luna: assistant psychology
professor, who spoke about the impact of
war on children;
•
Liv Aung: Cambodian student who received
a masters in marriage and family therapy
and talked about Cambodian war experiences;
•
Reza Toosi: mechanical and aerospace engineering
professor who spoke about the global impact
of war on technology;
•
Gina Piane: associate health science professor
who spoke about the impact of war on health;
•
Sherna Gluck: history professor who lectured
about the Middle East;
•
Alan Nishio: associate vice president for
Student Services, who spoke about the Japanese
internment.
Tortorici Luna moderated the panel and shared
experiences of the horrors of children involved
in warfare in Vietnam.
“Children had nightmares, rainy seasons
and massive confusion,” Tortorici Luna said.
After the discussion ended, Aung rose to
the podium to discuss the concentration
camps in Cambodia, during the Pol Pot regime.
“I was 8 years old and we would eat anything
to stay alive,” Aung said. “There was no
shelter from the rain at night.”
Aung described the horrors of the concentration
camp, having to survive on whatever was
available to eat and the hatred of the thought
of dead bodies.
The panel shifted gears as Toosi spoke about
the classification of freedom in America.
In his discussion, Toosi asked the audience
to define democracy, freedom and liberty.
Toosi also used his knowledge of science
to bring up the nature of man and war.
“Man is the missing link between humans
and apes,” Toosi said. “We need to identify
the conflicts of us versus them and good
versus evil.”
The next speaker, Piane presented facts
on the effects of bombs on children.
One of the facts she mentioned is that in
the 17th century, there were only 9,500
casualties. In the 20th century that number
rose to 458,000.
One startling fact in the presentation was
that it takes $3 to $30 to purchase a land
mine, and $300 to $1,000 to remove them.
Piane concluded her speech with an empowering
statement to eliminate the horrors of the
war.
“The impact of war is totally preventable,”
Piane said.
After Piane’s speech, Gluck talked of the
diversity and conflict in the Middle East.
Gluck mentioned that 39 percent of the children
in the Gaza Strip have seen one type of
war.
“People are paying an extraordinary price
for war,” Gluck said.
The panel concluded when Nishio spoke about
being born in the cafeteria of a Japanese
Concentration Camp in Manzenar, Calif.
“When I was young, I didn’t know where Manzenar
was,” Nishio said. “In the concentration
camp, two thirds of the people were U.S.
citizens.”
Nishio wrapped up the panel with how American
democracy is working with diversity.
“We are trying hard to build a multi-cultural
society,” Nishio said. “We need to understand
that our democracy is fragile and is tested
on the edges.
One audience member knew firsthand about
what Aung was saying.
“I could relate to what she had to say,”
said Jason Huett, a graduate student in
education. “I am opposed to war and seeing
innocent people getting hurt.”
The panel concluded with different ways
students could get involved and keep up
with the issues of war in Iraq.
“Students need to get involved in learning
what’s happening in Iraq,” Gluck said. “There
are many resources on campus and students
need to put into those.”
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