Discussion facilitators trained together over three days to form the Duty and War’s Impact on Women (DWIW) Cadre. Image courtesy of the David J. Drakulich Foundation.
As part of the Dialogues on the Experience of War program, the David J. Drakulich Foundation hosted Duty and War’s Impact on Women, a preparatory workshop for discussion leaders and a two-year literary discussion program across Northern and Central Nevada. This program brought together veterans and civilians to explore women veterans’ experiences—particularly themed around duty towards homecoming and reintegration—and greatly expanded the capacity of an independent Nevada organization to serve the state’s veterans through the humanities.
“The military-connected community is getting smaller and smaller. We need projects that bring us together. Veterans tend to isolate their experiences to ‘fit in,’ projects like this give people an opportunity to express their feelings in a supportive environment.”
–Survey respondent
Read More
Discussions explored themes of duty, homecoming, and reintegration. Image courtesy of the David J. Drakulich Foundation.
The public discussions explored readings and engaged in critical discussions on women’s experiences of war from World War I to the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts, including Elizabeth Shepley Sergeant’s Shadow Shapes: the Journal of a Wounded Woman and Shoshana Johnson’s I’m Still Standing: From Captive U.S. Soldier to Free Citizen—My Journey Home. One-hundred percent of survey respondents agreed these discussions helped them consider perspectives and experiences of service members that were different from their own, and offered an opportunity to talk about a variety of challenges veterans/service members may have experienced. In reflecting on the different experiences discussed that differed greatly from their own, one discussion participant stated: “[This program] reminded me that the military is not a monolith. […] Having empathy for different experiences is very helpful in the journey of healing for me. We all suffer in different ways but we are a connected community now helping to process that.”
Facts & Figures
100%
of respondents agree this program gave them opportunities to consider and share experiences from their lives.
Facts & Figures
93%
of respondents thought it was important to offer programs like these to veterans in other communities.
These dialogues were made possible through trained discussion leaders. Prior to returning to their communities, the discussion leaders had a three-day training session that covered group facilitation techniques, norm development, and safe talk training. As a result, 100 percent of survey respondents felt their groups were safe and supportive places for discussion. One female veteran respondent reflected on what it meant to her to discuss her experiences as a high-ranking woman in a male-dominated field: “Personally, I found fellowship with people who are unafraid to speak about real issues that impact well-being. Well-being to me is related to my self-worth and realizing […] that I am worthy.”
