The Coalition

Buy Shoes. Save Lives. is a collective of partnerships; some formal, some informal. The people below make things happen and we are thrilled to support their work in the world!

MUSICIANS

James Peel

James Peel was an early adopter of the Buy Shoes. Save Lives. vision. Through his music recordings, live concert events, and cooperative projects with Buy Shoes. Save Lives., James is getting the word out and we’re happy to partner with him in the effort for a better Iraq. Check James out on iTunes or at virb.com/jamespeel. You can even download a free track from James Peel here at Buy Shoes. Save Lives. as our way of encouraging you to check out and support James’ music. Download “Asphalt” here.

The Fabulous

The Fabulous hail from Grand Rapids, MI where they are creating some mad synth-rock that keeps us in the Preemptive Love Coalition office here in Iraq bobbing our heads all the live long day. Having just completed a new recording with James Paul Wisner (Dashboard Confessional, etc), we expect The Fabulous to become more of a household name in coming years. Check them out at MySpace.com/thefabulousband

Bryson VanCleve

Bryson VanCleve is a Southerner who has been mysteriously transplanted to Los Angeles, CA. Appropriately, he sounds like a country-fried LA rocker. We cannot really describe it. It’s something that is instantly familiar and elusive. He’s bought into the Preemptive Love Coalition and is actively promoting preemptive love in Iraq by sharing his stage and sharing his music. Check out Bryson’s music at MySpace.com/brysonvancleve

Ben Moore

Ben Moore is a Texas musician who puts his entire heart into the way he expresses his values and beliefs through the music he sings. In his live events he eschews the normal frontman hype and assumes a more humble posture of leading the gathered into something more significant than himself. It’s an enjoyable, refreshing thing in which to participate. Now he’s partnering with Buy Shoes. Save Lives. to help lead people into action for Iraqi children, as well as contemplation on the weightier issues of life and God.

ARTISTS

Ben Humeniuk

Cartoonist and social commentator Ben Humeniuk has been a capable and eager partner of Buy Shoes. Save Lives. and is always ready to bring his wit and pen to bear on our efforts to make a significant statement on behalf of Iraqi children who need heart surgeries.

PHOTOGRAPHERS

Julie Adnan

Julie Adnan is a Kurdish photographer from the city of Kirkuk - the site of much devastation in recent history and today. As a child of this city, Julie has been exposed to a great deal of heartache and always seeks to tell a hopeful story through her lens.

Abigail Criner

Abby Criner is a Texas-based photographer who provided most of our studio shots and promotional pictures for various media publications that have covered our work. Abby is a lot of fun to work with and extremely giving. We’re grateful to have her on our side from the beginning.

Kameran

Kameran is a Kurdish photographer who travels with us in Iraq, provides translation, and basically ensures that we get both quality photos and a whole lot of fun in our work. He’s been with us since the inception of this idea.

Jamal Penjweny

Jamal Penjweny is an award-winning and increasingly well-known Kurdish photojournalist whose works have been published by Yahoo! News, Rueters, The New York Times, and the Human Rights Watch. Jamal takes his work extremely seriously, goes to the hardest places to get the story, and brings a great deal of artistry to any gig. He has played a vital role in helping us get BSSL off the ground.

SUPPORTERS

Sulaimaniyah Governorate

The Sulaimaniyah Governorate has been a meaningful supporter of the work we are doing with Buy Shoes. Save Lives., sharpening our ideas, promoting our work, and lending a hands and local services wherever they can. As one of the safest provinces in all of Iraq, Governor Dana Ahmed Majeed and his staff have created a very safe - and increasingly prosperous - place for their people to live.

Skate Across Florida

Skate Across Florida is a cooperative of Florida-based longboarders who have decided that they can make a difference in Iraq by doing what they love most - longboarding! Click here to learn more and sponsor their long distance skates to raise funds for heart surgeries for Iraqi children.

Hey! Unite

Hey! Unite is a clothing line and a self-proclaimed cooperative of awareness. This year Hey! Unite is seeking to raise awareness for children’s issues in Iraq by donating profits from their 2008 line of designer tees to Buy Shoes. Save Lives. Hey! Unite designed our Preemptive Love shirt (coming soon!) for their 2008 line and sells the shirt worldwide to help Buy Shoes. Save Lives. fund heart surgeries and spread the unique message of proactive, preemptive, undeserved love. Check out the rest of the products in their clothing line and enjoy the softest shirt you’ll ever wear.

Zamwa Art Gallery

Zamwa is one of the oldest and most prestigious art galleries in Northern Iraq, and they have agreed to throw their history and weight behind our effort to draw in the artist community for the purpose of saving lives and raising a voice. Thanks to the efforts of Kak Rostam Aghala, about 40 Kurdish artists are raising their voice alongside Buy Shoes. Save Lives. for the month of May 2008 to praise hope where it may be found and to decry the injustices they see around them. You can buy a coffee table book of their artwork at our online store. All proceeds go to fund heart surgeries for Iraqi children in need.

PHILANTHROPISTS

Shevet Achim

Shevet Achim does a great deal of the on-the-ground work for children we send to surgery. Their work in Israel and Jordan is incredible and the amount of international press they have generated for their efforts in a testament to their vision for a better Middle East. Working with Shevet and learning from them has been one of the great privileges of this journey!

Kurdistan Save the Children

Kurdistan Save the Children offers something that truly no one else can: access to the people of Iraq and a deep understanding of their ways and their needs. Kurdistan Save the Children is the authority on the current health and education needs in Northern Iraq, and Buy Shoes. Save Lives. would be almost completely at a loss without their vast experience and network to help us navigate these difficult waters.

Rayalla Centre

Rayalla Centre is a Kurdish organization that plays an integral role in helping us secure transportation and visas for many of the children we send outside the country for medical care. Led by Kak Barzan (a famous Kurdish actor/activist and veritable Kurdish Clooney), Rayalla Centre helps subsidize the costs of airfare through their relationships with local airlines. They also help us expedite the visa process through embassies in Jordan and Israel. We’re happy to be a part of such a meaningful network of organizations all seeking to address the same issues.