Global Solidarity: Post 9/11 International Responses

In the hours and days after the 9/11 attacks, people all over the world gathered shoulder-to-shoulder in compassion for the people of the United States. Many nations united in peace and observed a moment of silence for the innocent dead. American flags appeared all over the world, people gathered in prayer, the U.S. embassies around the world were overcrowded and the world was covered in flowers and lighted candles for the lost souls. The local channels had replaced usual programming with breaking news from the United States. An article published on the website of history channel illustrates the responses from other nations: “Meanwhile, statesmen and women rushed to condemn the attacks and to offer whatever aid they could to the United States… Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien tightened security along the border and arranged for hundreds of grounded airplanes to land at Canadian airports… The Cuban foreign minister offered airspace and airports to American planes. Chinese and Iranian officials sent their condolences ” (history.com 2010). All flights from and to America were cancelled which meant that Americans who were in other states prolonged their staying by a few days. In December 2013, The Foundation Center published a research entitled

Sadly, one of the most disturbing heath impacts appeared on children of women who exposed trauma as a result of 9/11. Their children subsequently exhibited an increased distress response when shown novel stimuli, suggesting that the effects of the trauma were passed on to the children prior to birth (Carter 2013). Joe Carter, an editor for The Gospel, stressed the results from a longitudinal study: “…38 women who were pregnant on 9/11 and were either at or near the World Trade Centre at the time of the attack found that those