THIS week, ceremonies will take place around the world to remember the victims of the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001. Two high profile events will be held in Boston, Massachusetts, the city of departure for both the planes that brought down the World Trade Center in New York. Today, the $3.5 million Airport 9/11 Memorial will be unveiled on a 2-acre site in the midst of Logan International Airport. The memorial consists of a grassy knoll planted with ginkgo trees and capped with a translucent green-glass cube, which contains the names of the 148 people onboard American Airlines Flight 11 and United Airlines Flight 175. View the project at www.moskowarchitects.com/911.htm.
On Thursday, the Annual 9/11 Vigil will be held at the Boston Common. This year the vigil program will be led by Sonia Tita Puopolo, daughter of Sonia Mercedes Morales Puopolo, a philanthropist and patron of the arts who was on American Flight 11, the first plane that hit the World Trade Center. Organizers stated that the program is to remember the victims of 9/11 and all the victims of terrorism and violence worldwide. The Vigil will include prayers, music and a special collaborative and commemorative artistic presentation by Saudi artist Nada Farhat. The artistic presentation will focus on healing, peace and harmony. The Vigil will also launch Sonia’s Ring Foundation dedicated to “promoting arts and communication to help advance humanity over insanity.”
The victims of Sept. 11, 2001 continue to be remembered by their loved ones and there are numerous tribute websites that have been created and welcome the participation of the global public. Two of the largest are at www.legacy.com/Sept11/Home.aspx and www.voicesofsept11.org.
The Legacy webpages were created to remember and celebrate the lives of those lost on Sept.11, 2001. The pages include guest books and profiles for each of the victims. Originally launched in Sept.2001, the site has received more than 4 million visitors and has over 150,000 guest book entries. Visitors to the site are encouraged to read the profiles and add their comments to the guest books.
VOICES of September 11th (VOICES) offers both online and real world resources. The organization advocates and provides services for those affected by the events of September 11, 2001. VOICES promotes public policy reform on prevention, preparedness and response to terrorism. Through its work, VOICES strives to build bridges between international communities changed forever by terrorism. In 2006, VOICES launched the 9/11 Living Memorial digital archive, to commemorate the lives and stories of September 11, 2001 and the February 26, 1993 World Trade Center bombing. The 9/11 Living Memorial digital archive offers a remembrance of the lives that were lost and documents firsthand accounts of rescue workers and survivors at the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and Shanksville, PA. It is planned that the 9/11 Living Memorial digital archive will be incorporated into the National September 11 Memorial & Museum at the World Trade Center (www.national911memorial.org) in the Museum’s Digital Resource Center.
