Women's Words of War
From Bette BonFleur

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
For more information contact:
Bette BonFleur, Chairman
Ivanhoe Broadcast News
434-296-7657
wordsofwar@ivanhoe.com

Women, Inspired by Edward R. Murrow, Start “Healing” War Wounds Around the World
Beginning Friday, April 4, 2003, women around the world will start the healing process that must come with war and its aftermath. A 1950s best-selling book by the acknowledged “Dean of Broadcast Journalism,” Edward R. Murrow triggered the idea.

And, solid medical research is playing a part, too.

“We produced a medical news story about Dr. James Pennebaker at the University of Texas who had clinical proof that writing about highly emotional events had a calming effect on the body. The effect can be measured scientifically,” says Bette BonFleur, chairman of Ivanhoe Broadcast News. According to BonFleur, Ivanhoe is the largest producer and syndicator of breakthrough medical news in the world.

Pennebaker has a book, Opening Up: The Healing Power of Expressing Emotions. His work, funded by the National Institutes of Health, has been acknowledged as “Solid. He actually showed a long term increase in T-helper cells,” says BonFleur.

“Emotions are the same everywhere whether you’re American or Iraqi. No matter the uniform, a son is a son, a mother…a mother. For the first time we’re seeing a war ‘LIVE’ during breakfast, lunch and dinner. But now, I think the great mass of us out here need more life-giving sustenance.”

BonFleur proposes that beginning April 4 every woman in the world, who can, write down “what they see, what they feel, what they believe about the war. And, we need to do this now, not after we’re totally drained by the pictures.”

One of the top ten bestsellers in 1952 and 1953 was a book titled This I Believe by Edward R. Murrow. He took 600-word essays he had asked people to write about what they believed in and produced the book. What a librarian in Kansas had to say ranked equally with the words of Eleanor Roosevelt. The so-called “ordinary” people got to have a voice. This I Believe went on to be translated into 30 languages.

“While reading about Murrow, years ago, I discovered the book and have always wanted to revive his unique idea and format to use his brilliance again, for another generation,” says BonFleur.

“Now’s the time. Nothing positive is happening. The use of chemical weapons looms. But thousands of women in every country writing from their true hearts…not trying to change anyone’s mind about war, might cause the ‘Pennebaker Effect.’ That is, a calming, on a global scale. This massive wave of women—moms, daughters, sisters, friends, neighbors—all writing at the same time can only help do that,” says BonFleur.

What BonFleur wants women to do: “Just sit down and write. Don’t edit yourself. Don’t be afraid. Now’s your chance to prove that the pen is, indeed, mightier than the sword. CNN reports live and makes history, but they can’t do what you can. You can change the world.”

BonFleur has set a goal of having 100,000 “women who write,” but says, “A million or two would be even more powerful.”

One year from now BonFleur wants to have a book containing the “words of war” ready to go. “This time, the book will include voices from around the world, not just the United States,” says BonFleur. “It’s hard to improve on Murrow, but this way we move his original idea to today’s world. I think he’d approve.”

“Also, women love to share and they love community. By sharing now, a world community will self-form,” says BonFleur. “If our community is large enough, we’ll have the power someday to stop the wheels of war before one soldier or Marine hits the ground.”

She asks women to send their words by e-mail to wordsofwar@ivanhoe.com or regular mail to P.O. Box 488, Ivy, VA 22945. BonFleur says many of the words will be posted at www.ivanhoe.com where there will be a discussion room as well. “We’ll build from this foundation one word at a time. If you’ve ever wanted to write—do it! You will always remember the day you started.”

For more information or to arrange an interview with BonFleur or Dr. Pennebaker, contact: Bette BonFleur, Chairman, Ivanhoe Broadcast News, (434) 296-7657, wordsofwar@ivanhoe.com