Calling All War Veterans: G.I.V.E. is Just for You
The Afghan war has ended and the U.S. soldiers have returned to American soil. But what do they do now? Any man or woman who puts his/her entire life on the line for others deserves recognition even when the fight is over. Let me introduce you to G.I.V.E. (Global Initiative for Veteran Entrepreneurship), an initiative from Film Annex as a way to re-introduce the veterans of the Afghan War back into society.
Again I ask you, what do these men and women do after the war has ended? Usually, my mind goes straight to the thought that these veterans continue with their lives where they left off. And of course the media reminds me of the rise of veteran Post-traumatic Stress Disorder,or PTSD. The idea that veterans have more to do for us is what G.I.V.E. wants to make known.
Francesco Rulli, the CEO and president of Film Annex, is the man behind the mission. His goal is to give veterans an opportunity to be in their own business. Veterans can share their stories while making revenue through advertisement and views on the Film Annex website. Rulli fully believes that veterans have enough ambitions and an understanding on consequences from their mistakes to succeed in anything. And he brings up a great point about war movies: actors portraying veterans is basically an oxymoron. How can someone who hasn't even experienced being in actual battle tell the story right?
G.I.V.E. was created to give a voice to the ambitions, skills, and ideas from war veterans (from the Vietnam, Afghanistan, Iraq, and non-combat wars) in the form of film, writing, and business management. With Film Annex WebTv, each veteran has the chance to create personal documentaries about their future ambitions and experiences. They have done so much for their people, why not give them a chance to say what's on their minds?
Although I myself am not a veteran, I do have friends who are. Hearing about their plans, as well as the veterans interviewed by Rulli, for their futures is utterly inspiring. One of the most aspiring videos I have seen for G.I.V.E. is the personal documentary from Marine Luke Deer. He explains his aspirations, his want to take his skills from past experience in working in a pet store and the efforts he witnessed from the Afghanistan kids providing for his/her family, and his heroes as a huge influence on his future goals. Hear stories just like this with Film Annex's G.I.V.E.
I am no longer left to ponder if there are more possibilities for these veterans when they return home.I have no doubt in their capabilities and I hope they all can share their ideas and ambitions with the world through G.I.V.E.
For more information about G.I.V.E., visit the Film Annex Corp. blog here.
Be sure to check out some of the veteran personal documentaries!
Keisha Douglas is an independent filmmaker who specializes in music videos. When she is not filming, she spends much of her time blogging and freelance writing. She is the voice behind Mito Vox, an entertainment & etc. blog. To learn more about her freelance services visit her website. View all her Film Annex posts on her WebTv Channel.
