Ava Lowery

Infobox_Person
name = Ava Lowery


image_size = 100px
caption =
birth_date = 1990, Alabama
known_for = Peace Activism, Animations, 'WWJD'? [http://www.peacetakescourage.com]
website = [http://www.peacetakescourage.com|Peacetakescourage.com]
footnotes =

Ava Lowery is an American peace activist from Alabama who has created over 70 Flash-based animations denouncing the Iraq War, President Bush, policies of the Republican Party and several individual Republican politicians. She has actively demonstrated against the war, and in support of soldiers.Associated Press, [http://www.wtvm.com/Global/story.asp?S=5573410&nav=8fap Pint-sized peace activist stages protest in Montgomery] WTVM9, October 22 2006]

Lowery is also the creator of the website [http://www.PeaceTakesCourage.com Peace Takes Courage] , and she and her work have received national media attention in 2005 and 2006, including interviews on Fox News. She is noted for her creation of an online animation, [http://www.peacetakescourage.com/wwjd.html "WWJD"] (which stands for "What Would Jesus Do?"). Ava Lowery interview - CNN "BlogBuzz", Sunday, June 19 2006] This flash-based animation displays photographs of wounded Iraqi children and suggests what we should do from a christian angle over the song "Jesus Loves Me."

Peace activist Cindy Sheehan, founder of the [Gold Star Families for Peace] , has praised Lowery and her work and wrote an article in support of her "new friend... (who) is also against the war and the Bush regime." [Sheehan, Cindy, [http://www.gsfp.org/article.php?id=159 Peace Takes Courage] , Gold Star Families for Peace, April 25 2006] In July 2006 Lowery was awarded the BuzzFlash "Wings of Justice" award. [" [http://www.wingsofjustice.com/06/06/woj06026.html Ava Lowery] ", Wings of Justice, June 28 2006 ] She is also a person of interest in the blog world, and was a featured speaker at the 2006 YearlyKos Convention.Ms. Lowery's appearance of the 2006 Kos Convention was described by Adam Cohen of the New York Times, who noted that "it shows that a 15-year-old with video software and Internet access can now create and disseminate a professional-quality political ad."Cohen, Adam, " [http://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/14/opinion/14wed4.html?ex=1307937600&en=079b79c4ba711dc1&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss Could a 15-Year-Old With a Laptop Be the New Campaign Media Guru?] ", The New York Times, June 14 2006]

Lowery conceived and organized the "16 Candles for Soldiers" event. This rally in support of the troops and against the war was held on the steps of the Alabama state capital in Montgomery on October 21 2006.

Lowery and her activism were profiled at length in the 28 January 2007 edition of the Mobile Press-Register. [cite news |first=Roy |last=Hoffman |authorlink= |coauthors= |title=Waging Peace: Alabama teen's anti-war Web site creates pro-war furor |url=http://www.al.com/news/mobileregister/index.ssf?/base/news/1169979617152330.xml&coll=3&thispage=1 |work= |publisher=Mobil Press Register |date= |accessdate = 2007-01-29 ]

Lowery is a homeschooled student. [Brady, Jonann, [http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/story?id=1059369&page=1 What Does Back to School Mean for Homeschoolers] ABC News Special Report, 30 August 2005]

References

External links

* [http://www.motherjones.com/news/feature/2007/03/are_you_there_george_its_me_ava.html An article about Ava and Peace Takes Courage] from "Mother Jones" magazine
* [http://www.southflorida.com/citylink/sfe-cl-080206cover,0,5138207.story Ava Lowery] South Florida City Link
* [http://www.theredalert.com/features/peacetakescourage.htm A conversation with Ava Lowery] The Red Alert, May 2006
* [http://pdamerica.org/articles/news/lowery.php 15-Year-Old Peace Activist Ava Lowery Talks with PDA] Progressive Democrats of America
* [http://www.buzzflash.com/interviews/06/07/int06025.html Ava Lowery Knows Peace Takes Courage] A Buzzflash Interview, July 13 2006