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OUR CORE VALUES: Long Term, Local Solutions
February 15, 2010 by Jeremy · Leave a Comment
Dr. Aso Faek in his small clinic in northern Iraq where he sees hundreds of kids each month suffering from congenital heart disease. Photo: Matt Addington
Dr. Aso Faeq is a visionary and one of my personal heros. He is certainly one of the foremost long term, local solutions to runaway congenital heart disease as it faces the children and families of Iraq today. A shoemaker named, Aram, is another; as is a radio station director named Rawand; an information technologies guru at the Ministry of Councils who recently moved back from Dubai; a local television host and newspaper editor back from London; and a local women’s basketball coach.
Foreigners like us can be especially susceptible to thinking of ourselves as heros. We are not heros. We are part-time servants; we’re itinerate and our expiration date may be fast approaching. We will always be foreigners. Our kids have foreign names, and the pajamas we wear inside our house when no one else is looking bely the fact that - whatever we may look like on the street - we come from outside.
Luckily, the kids of Iraq are not left to outsiders to solve their problems. There are a slew of long term, local solutions to these local problems developing throughout Iraq every day. Many of these solutions are taking place tangential to us and we are riding along in their stream. But we do our best to ensure that all of our programs are geared toward empowerment so that Arab, Kurdish, and other minority Iraqis truly begin to own the vision for a better, more giving, more unified and agile response community.
A Kurdish shoemaker supplies us with a powerful symbol of grassroots action. Photo: Matt Addington
Our flagship program is called Buy Shoes. Save Lives. - based on a commerce model of selling fabulously produced local footwear to foreign markets. Through this program we consistently accomplish a number of things:
- * invest foreign and domestic capital into the local economy and provide jobs
- * use profit to fund heart surgeries for Iraqi kids
- * upgrade local production and management skills through emphasis on quality controls, inventory management, and by reducing supply chain inefficiencies
It sounds a little boring until you start looking at it through the eyes of a guy like Aram Majid, who puts food on his family’s table every night and hopes to one day send his daughters abroad for education because of the shoes he makes and the management skills he’s learning. Or look at it through the eyes of Kadeeja Mahdi, whose family paid for their portion of her surgery because of the shoes they’ve sold locally and through our Buy Shoes. Save Lives. program.
Lawen Azad - a local media maven - moonlights to organize a local-language Public Service Announcement about kids in Iraq suffering from congenital heart disease. Photo: Matt Addington.
The “long termness” of this solution does not lie primarily in the fact that these shoes have been produced by hand for the last 3,000 years. In fact, that trade is dying off in spades as the country modernizes. The take away from our commercial efforts in Iraq has more to do with shaping a culture of compassion; of teaching the benefit of doing business to do good for others outside of one’s immediate family network, even a stranger. And because we believe that a “compassion” that seeks to keep the peace but fails to work for the good of the other is no compassion at all, those who participate in our program learn the value of strict quality control measures, standardization, waste reduction, and innovation - and those are take-aways that they can readily apply to any industry, family discussion, or government office.
And because we’ve sought to make this shoe the centerpiece for our grassroots action throughout the world, it seems we’ve made it a little bit easier for many to see more clearly the simplicity of a single act to change the neighborhood or world around them. So we increasingly meet Kurds in London running for a child in Iraq; or a radio station putting on a campaign to save a life; or college students deciding that they’ve had enough waiting on the government for more handouts. Grassroots action in on the rise, and that is one of the most long-term, local solutions of all!
Dr. Aso is currently learning intervention - the ability to patch holes and perform other corrective measures without invasive (dangerous) surgery.
But all the money and good intentions in the world will mean nothing for the thousands of children in Iraq waiting in line for life-saving heart surgery without the local skill to cut into a child in hopes of patching a hole, fixing a valve, decreasing dangerous pressure, or “rearranging the pipes.” Thankfully, due to the similar vision of groups in Italy, Israel, and the Anadolu Medical Center in Istanbul, Turkey, there are men like Dr. Aso Faek who are increasingly ready to intervene on behalf of a child and be the local solution to their problem for years and years to come.
And one of the most exciting things about Dr. Aso is that nearly every time we go into his office he is training someone else, passing on the knowledge, preparing the next generation. When we walk through the halls mothers surround him for a chance to have their baby seen. If Bono himself were to walk the halls beside us he would be invisible. Dr. Aso is the hero here.
People like us just serve in the shadows.
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Jeremy Courtney lives and loves in Iraq as a co-founder and Executive Director of the Preemptive Love Coalition. He's also the father of two spectacular children, and married to the lovely Jessica Courtney. When not absorbed in PLC work he can be found writing songs and singing about hope and future. |
ONE DAY SALE: Valentine’s Day Saves Lives
February 14, 2010 by Jeremy · Leave a Comment
44% Off Tees for a Life-Saving Valentine’s Day! One Day Only!
Valentine’s Day is a day of love and romance. And we think you should buy some chocolates or roses for your best friend, spouse, parents, kids, or even for a stranger. Those things are not trivial or just commercial fluff! Who’s to say that people who feel loved and appreciated don’t live longer, healthier lives than those who feel alone and forgotten? I’d go so far as to say that Valentine’s Day (and every other day lived like it) saves lives!
But just to make sure, we’re giving you a special $11 OFF V-Day discount on our new Peacemaker and Heartmender tees - one day only. This way you can ensure that you show some love and save a live today.
So act now, put a shirt on your loved one and save a child’s life in Iraq. All profit from the sale of these shirts go to fund life-saving heart surgeries and our post-operative Followthrough Program in Iraq.
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VALENTINE’S DAY SALE: Peacemaker TeeEvery time we give a heart surgery to an Iraqi child we broker reconciliation between clashing communities. Imagine yourself in this shirt waging peace on Iraq! All proceeds fund our Family Services Followthrough program. |
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VALENTINE’S DAY SALE: Heartmender TeeThese dear Iraqi kids are often born with holes in their hearts that need patching and valves that need replacing. And it’s outrageously expensive! Buy this tee and stand in the hole between what could be and what should be. |
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GENERAL DONATION
Donate the amount of your choice to our February surgery group by entering it in the field below.
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Jeremy Courtney lives and loves in Iraq as a co-founder and Executive Director of the Preemptive Love Coalition. He's also the father of two spectacular children, and married to the lovely Jessica Courtney. When not absorbed in PLC work he can be found writing songs and singing about hope and future. |
OUR CORE VALUES: Multi-Dimensional Reconciliation
February 8, 2010 by Jeremy · Leave a Comment
Photo: Matt Addington
Call it settling accounts, setting to rights, or the restoration of friendly relations - reconciliation is why we do what we do.
There are thousands of children in Iraq who are born with hearts “at odds” with the good intentions of GOD when He created the world. We want to set that physical situation to rights; to reconcile what is with what should be.
But a healed heart is an occasion for only a tempered celebration if your family is living in the middle of civil conflict between ethnic neighbors or regional superpowers. Sure, much of this strife comes from global issues that are beyond our direct reach. But a few days on the ground in Arab Iraq, Kurdish Iraq, Turkey, etc makes it clear that these “global issues” are exacerbated by our closely held opinions about “the other.”
Photo: Matt Addington
So we work to unravel the effects of evil that were wrought by Saddam Hussein’s genocidal campaigns, by years of sectarian conflict between Sunni and Shi’i Muslims, and by ethnic struggles.
For example, Kurds, Arabs, and Turkmen are in a political (and possibly cultural) struggle over the historic city of Kirkuk - each laying some sort of ancient claim to the city; each group (generally) vilifying the other. On his Restorative Justice blog, Dr. Howard Zehr talks about our “temptation to emphasize ‘otherness’,” whether it be through photography, storytelling, or our administration of justice. At the Preemptive Love Coalition, we do not deny “otherness” when working between ethnic and tribal prejudices or religious worldview differences. But we try not to make “otherness” our starting point.
Communication guru Joseph Grenny talks about the important role that “storytelling” plays in our emotions and actions. According to Grenny, (1) we make an observation (e.g., Saddam Hussein was an Arab with largely Arab soldiers that attacked our city) and (2) immediately start telling ourselves a story (e.g., therefore all Arabs in Iraq want “our” land and are evil and would kill us if they had the chance) which (3) leads to strong emotions (like fear and hate), thereby (4) triggering fight/flight instincts inside us such as protectionist policies or aggressive police (or vigilante) action. The fork in the road is that first story we tell ourselves when faced with an observable fact.
Photo: Ben Hodson
Torture used by Saddam’s Baath Party in the “Red Security” building leaves an easy “observable fact” as the basis of an errant Kurdish story against all Arabs.
You can see how this plays out closer to home, as well. Observable fact: Men who wrapped themselves in Islam attacked America on September 11, 2001. But the stories that have flowed from that fact have been varied. And the emotions that arise from those stories have been serious and sincere. And over the past decade the actions that have come out of those various emotions have changed the course of world politics, international relations, and daily life for millions.
So when you donate, host an event, or buy a tshirt or pair of shoes, you are engaged in something bigger than the shuffling of money from one place to another to save a child’s life. We give people over “here” a tangible opportunity to save a life over “there” and to see “those” people as exactly that: people. Humans. Sons and daughters. We are all more than the images we receive from the professional media. It’s not “us” helping “them” get over “their” problems. It’s “us” becoming reconciled with “us”.
And in case you are wondering… Yes, we are just naive enough to believe that when we start seeing each less as other and more as brother these “global issues” might start to change too. And if they don’t… well, we are still committed to making change in the neighborhoods where we live and work; to be people of peace - whether anyone joins us on the journey or not.
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Jeremy Courtney lives and loves in Iraq as a co-founder and Executive Director of the Preemptive Love Coalition. He's also the father of two spectacular children, and married to the lovely Jessica Courtney. When not absorbed in PLC work he can be found writing songs and singing about hope and future. |
Danar’s Echo Shows No Septal Defects; Instead Infection Eats Away Tricuspid Valve
January 6, 2010 by Jeremy · 1 Comment
Both of the holes in Danar’s heart (an ASD and a VSD) that were previously seen by two cardiologists in Iraq have apparently closed over by themselves. Still, the infection in his heart is doing severe damage to Danar’s tricuspid valve. Doctors determined today in the consult to attempt a correction of the valve.
Because of Danar’s age and weight, an artificial valve - such as the ones funded by our Heartmender Tee - is not an option. They hope to correct and reconstruct the valve with the tissue of his own pericardium.
Follow 3-year-old Danar on Twitter: @danarsami. Subscribe to Danar’s updates via RSS HERE. Follow Danar’s thread of longer stories (with pictures & video) on the PLC blog HERE.
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Jeremy Courtney lives and loves in Iraq as a co-founder and Executive Director of the Preemptive Love Coalition. He's also the father of two spectacular children, and married to the lovely Jessica Courtney. When not absorbed in PLC work he can be found writing songs and singing about hope and future. |
Do YOU Have What It Takes?
December 9, 2009 by Cody · Leave a Comment
“This is all it takes?”
That was our response when we received some heart valves in the mail this past week. This tiny piece? This is all it takes to turn a little boy gasping for breath into a soccer player? This is all it takes to turn a little girl who has to be carried to school into a girl who laughs as she races her friends to the playground for the first time? To turn a dying heart into a thriving heart?
This is it. (Plus a couple decades of practice, amazing medical facilities, and a stellar surgical and support team!).
Now, this ACTION TEE below is all it takes to put a life-saving, child-transforming, heart-mending valve into the hands of our doctors! Order our NEW Heartmender Action Tee TODAY and you’ll put a gift under the tree that literally SAVES LIVES with profits from the shirt covering the costs of these heart valves!
This is all it takes. Do you have it?
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DID YOU GET YOUR SHIRT?
CHRISTMAS BLOG SPECIAL — 20% OFF! |
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Cody Fisher is a co-founder and U.S. Director of the Preemptive Love Coalition. Cody is married to the marvelous Michelle Fisher and they currently live in Southern California. Cody is a lover of people, good music, photography, and anything that makes him laugh. |
NEW Shirts Just For YOU!
December 4, 2009 by Cody · Leave a Comment
Dear Peacemakers & Heartmenders -
As 2009 draws to a close you’ve used your voice, resources, and passion to provide 21 heart surgeries for children in Iraq! Twenty one boys and girls, 42 parents, and countless communities across Iraq and the world have been affected by your generosity this year alone!
But here’s another way you can mend hearts and make peace this Christmas! You’re the first to see our brand new Heartmender & Peacemaker tees! Wipe the drool off your keyboard, get out your digital shopping cart and give your family and friends a t-shirt that literally mends hearts and makes peace!
Put our yellow Heartmender Tee under the tree this year and 100% of the profit pays for heart valves and patches–the pieces that literally turn a dying heart into a thriving heart!
Stuff our olive Peacemaker Tee into a stocking this Christmas and 100% of the profit goes directly to our Followthrough Program, the program that creates cooperation and peacemaking opportunities between communities at odds. In this shirt, your family and friends can know that you’ve brought together Arabs, Kurds, Turks, and Westerners who are breaking down the barriers to peace in Iraq and throughout the world with life-saving heart surgeries.
CHRISTMAS SALE: Peacemaker Tee
Every time we give a heart surgery to an Iraqi child we broker reconciliation between clashing communities. Imagine yourself in this shirt waging peace on Iraq! All proceeds fund our Family Services program.
CHRISTMAS SALE: Heartmender Tee
These dear Iraqi kids are often born with holes in their hearts that need patching and valves that need replacing. And it’s outrageously expensive! Buy this tee and stand in the hole between what could be and what should be.
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Cody Fisher is a co-founder and U.S. Director of the Preemptive Love Coalition. Cody is married to the marvelous Michelle Fisher and they currently live in Southern California. Cody is a lover of people, good music, photography, and anything that makes him laugh. |
An Interactive Graphic Overview of What We’ve Been Up to for the Last Few Years
August 23, 2009 by Jeremy · Leave a Comment
Drag and drop and click and scroll and comment and push and play your way through some of our [online] activity from the last year.
Special Features of Note:
Be sure to Click on Map>Play Events for a Worldwide Conversation of Sorts Between Our Offices Around the World
View fullscreen below for more room to play around!
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Jeremy Courtney lives and loves in Iraq as a co-founder and Executive Director of the Preemptive Love Coalition. He's also the father of two spectacular children, and married to the lovely Jessica Courtney. When not absorbed in PLC work he can be found writing songs and singing about hope and future. |
Introducing Kids Klash!
September 14, 2008 by Jeremy · Leave a Comment
In all of the recent excitement over the last couple of months about our internship program, expanding partnerships in the US, and, most of all, even more kids who are returning home with healed hearts, we’ve barely mentioned an exciting new product that will help the Preemptive Love Coalition fulfill its mission to fund heart surgeries for the no less than 3,000 children in Iraq who are dying on a waiting list.
Kids Klash are a great way to help younger kids connect with the lives of their global peers. Many of the kids on the surgery waiting list are between the ages of 1 and 6—the same age range that will be able to enjoy wearing Kids Klash. When a child has the chance to wear a great handmade shoe, it provides an opportunity to teach them about the wider world and the challenges of poverty and conflict faced by kids like them around the world. It’s not quite walking a kilometer in someone else’s shoes, but it’s at least a start.
Kids Klash don’t just help build perspective—they make a real difference, too. These shoes are handmade over the course of 20 hours per pair by village cooperatives, by prisoners seeking to rehabilitate their lives, and by victims of landmines seeking a living wage. Each purchase invests money in their economy. And, even more, each purchase helps to fund a heart surgery for one of the 3,000 Iraqi children waiting for the chance to live.
With a lower price (only $25!) and a more kid-friendly rubber sole (water and washing are no problem now), Kids Klash are a perfect way to change lives and save lives.
CLICK HERE TO BUY KIDS KLASH NOW!
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Jeremy Courtney lives and loves in Iraq as a co-founder and Executive Director of the Preemptive Love Coalition. He's also the father of two spectacular children, and married to the lovely Jessica Courtney. When not absorbed in PLC work he can be found writing songs and singing about hope and future. |
Official Wrapping Up at Zamwa Gallery
June 15, 2008 by Jeremy · Leave a Comment
Today marked the official wrap up of the Preemptive Love exhibition at Zamwa Gallery. We met with a representative from the US State Department, gave an update on our work, and spoke briefly about a few opportunities on the horizon for future networking together.
Many thanks from all of us at PLC (formerly BSSL) to the US State Department and their incredibly capable staff here in Iraq. We are very grateful to Rostam Aghala at Zamwa Gallery for his partnership on this project. Thanks also to the First Lady of Iraq, Hero Talabani, for her kind endorsement of the exhibition and the tour she gave to her foreign guests from the RAND Corporation while they were in country a few weeks ago.
If you haven’t bought a book of Kurdish art yet to fund heart surgeries for Iraqi children, you can do so here. You can also view all of the art in the gallery before buying right here.
Best,
The PLC
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Jeremy Courtney lives and loves in Iraq as a co-founder and Executive Director of the Preemptive Love Coalition. He's also the father of two spectacular children, and married to the lovely Jessica Courtney. When not absorbed in PLC work he can be found writing songs and singing about hope and future. |
Large Sizes Available (Limited Time)
June 8, 2008 by Jeremy · Leave a Comment
Just a quick note to say that we have a limited number of 11″ and 11.25″ Red/Blue and Blue/White shoes available for those of you who have been patiently waiting for some larger sizes to come along.
Due to our limited quantities, please email us at orders@buyshoessavelives.com and we’ll make sure we get you all the information you need to buy that pair of gargantuan shoes you’ve been waiting on.
Peace on earth,
Jeremy
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Jeremy Courtney lives and loves in Iraq as a co-founder and Executive Director of the Preemptive Love Coalition. He's also the father of two spectacular children, and married to the lovely Jessica Courtney. When not absorbed in PLC work he can be found writing songs and singing about hope and future. |
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