Born and raised in the West End of Boston, an old section of the city, demolished in 1960 to make way for new high rise condominium living, that experience, I have always been deeply effected by that experience. Along with my experience as a soldier in Vietnam, it has informed most every action in my life, from my commitments to the struggles for social justice to my commitment to local community arts. For over twenty-five years, as Director of the William Joiner Center for the Study of War and Social Consequences at Mass Boston, I was fortunate enough to be in a position to work with veterans, refugees, immigrants, artists, scholars, and activists locally, nationally, and internationally on these issues, most specifically those related to war, trauma, displacement, and the challenge of creating programs, spaces, and new communities for healing.