Ashoka
Jerry White – global survivor activist, Nobel Peace Prize laureate, co-founder of Survivor Corps, and author of I Will Not Be Broken – continues his remarkable work to help victims of violent conflict all over the world.
At the age of 20, Jerry lost his leg, and nearly his life, after stepping on a landmine while hiking in an area forested with waterfalls in Northern Israel. His experience as a survivor led him to co-found Landmine Survivors Network, now Survivor Corps, in 1997, which is dedicated to “helping people around the world who have suffered war and violence rebuild their lives and rejoin their communities.” In fact, not only does Jerry enable survivors to reintegrate, he empowers them to become active contributors and leaders by changing their self-perceptions from passive victim to active participant.
In 2009, Survivor Corps teamed up with leading veteran services, nonprofits, government, businesses, and universities to launch “The Campaign for Healthy Homecoming,” the first plan of its kind in the U.S. to actively ensure that veterans will have a healthy homecoming and reintegration after war.
According to the campaign, over 1.8 million service members and veterans have served in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Without an effective program to reintegrate these members back into their communities and help them rebuild, there has been a drastic spike in unemployment, substance abuse, domestic violence, failed marriages, homelessness, and suicides.
“The Campaign for Healthy Homecoming” strives to provide concrete and diverse solutions and services to tackle these difficult issues. The campaign adopts a multi-pronged strategy that facilitates reintegration by assisting veterans with employment opportunities, preparing universities to fully integrate veterans, and providing access to quality healthcare and affordable housing. Additionally, the campaign champions the importance of a robust peer support system, a strong, resilient family, and community engagement in the veteran’s homecoming.
For more on this, watch the short CNN interview with IED survivor Captain Scott Quilty
Furthermore, Survivor Corps continues to propel their goal of eliminating and banning landmines by calling on all citizens to urge and encourage President Obama to sign the Mine Ban Treaty. They are close to the 200,000 signatures goal – 183,569 and counting! You can add your name here.