----- Museum of Innocence -----

• Circle of Miracles—in  Sculpture Garden: 
   A place to ponder, release pain or experience an epiphany through the spiritual peace the circle creates
  Auditorium: To show the finest within; Bring classic concerts, ballet, drama, conventions
• Memorial Sculpture Gardens:   Where visitors can wander at leisure, reflect upon their own experiences and ponder the beauty of the gardens, Say a prayer or aspiration,
  Memorial Children’s Wall:  A long beautiful wall or walls filled with the names and stories of children who died because of abuse or chronic neglect
  Book Store:  Free literature on the subject and obtaining help will be available including information to access other resources related to the effort

Society Needs to take a Hard Look at Iself

In spite of all the information via the media,  the jucicial changes,  the advanced social work, the charities that have sprung forward in the past thirty or so years, it isn't enough!  Dysfunctional familes and abuse have increased not decreased.  More laws, better teachers,and more police don't work.  It is time for society to do more to diminish this problem.

Family violence costs the nation from $5 to $10 billion annually in medical expenses, police and court costs, shelters and foster care, sick leave, absenteeism, and non productivity.  Ignorance, denial, and silence are the cause for its long term continued practice. (American Medical Association)

“Long term effects of child abuse include fear, anxiety, depression, anger, hostility, inappropriate sexual behavior, poor self esteem, tendency towards substance abuse and difficulty with close relationships.”  (Browner & Finkelhor) 

Within the Safety and Nurturing of the Museum  of Innocence Environment

Goal – Take abuse practices out of the closet to bring public focus upon it

Objective – To overcome the ignorance, denial, and silence about its practice

Objective –  To create a safe, loving, and beautiful environment for the public to learn    about the heinous practice of child abuse in all its forms

Hope for outcome –Through up close and personal public awareness to offer hope to adult survivors, diminish the practice of abuse upon all the innocent 

“They found hope in art”  Tamim Ansary  (Article in Parade magazine 11/30/03) 

The three main causes of continued abuse practice upon the innocent are

                 silence, denial, and ignorance

Child protection laws prevent public exposure of the details and horror of child abuse. Because of these laws, the majority of this practice remains cloaked in secrecy. This  conintues to promote silence, denial and ignorance. The public isn’t aware of the major  price society pays for the luxury of the several million dysfunctional families. Society needs to become informed.

Through the freedom of art, the secret practices of abuse can be uniquely exposed.  This will reveal society’s greatest closet problems. Silence no more. Denial ceases.  Ignorance is replaced with knowledge! Knowledge is power!

Thus the first real steps to understanding the planets greatest problems will begin. The Museum of Innocence  believes, through awareness, abuse practices on the planet will seriously diminish and ultimately stop. There is no better method of expression about the subject than through the freedom of art which will tell 

          " the truth, the whole truth, and nothing
                 but the truth, so help us God." 

 “NO one knows how hard we struggle in our lives.  We are lucky if we can show the world one page from our book of troubles.  That’s why art is important.” Saadat Ali from article by Tamim Ansary in Press Enterprise’s Parade Magazine, 11/30/03