Camilla Carr and Jonathan James, speakers at the 2018-19 Martin Forum at University of Idaho, were working on a rehabilitation center for the youth of Chechnya when they were kidnapped by Chechnian rebels. They were held in captivity for over a year and described having to endure beatings, rape, and mental torture.
“I think (our work) is a huge factor to mitigate or to lessen the effects,” James said after deliving remarks Tuesday. “I have done a lot of tai chi, yoga, a bit of martial arts. It certainly empowered me internally.”
Through use of tai chi, meditation, and humor, Carr and James managed to survive their captivity. Now, they travel the world to show others how they can use these coping mechanisms to survive their own traumas.
“You are a victim of an awful situation,” Carr said. “Even though that’s there and you can’t really escape that, you don’t need to believe that you are a victim.”
Though their main speech has passed, Carr and James will be on the University of Idaho campus 4:00 p.m. Thursday to provide a workshop “Surviving a Kidnapping” in the Idaho Commons Horizon room.
In 2008 Carr and James published their book titled “The Sky is Always There.” Writing the book was not just a way of sharing their experience but it was a form of healing, they said.
“It was my idea to write,” Carr said. “Even when we were in captivity, I thought I really want to write about this. I actually had some bits of paper and Jon found a pen and I actually started writing. I used to hide it under my sanitary towels, but one day they were mad at us for no reason and they came and emptied my bag. I was thinking oh my god if they find those they’ll definitely think we’re spies.”
James recounted the process of writing the book as difficult, but necessary. He wasn’t called to action in the same way Carr was.
“I needed to add my voice,” James said. “I still find it a bit too close. The memory gives me a headache. I would take a recording with me and go out to the mountains. I’d read what Camilla’s done and add my own words in there. For me, because it was a big expansive space instead of being inside this little cell, I felt like it was being let out.”
Carr and James said they feel it’s important to tell others about their experience to show them how to survive their own traumas and stresses in modern day society.
“A lot of it is about feeling safe in your own identity,” Carr said. “There are things that we learned about ourselves and I guess that I hope that the way we survived will help people think, ‘Well wow there are things that I could do that would’ve helped me in that sort of situation and maybe I could use in other situations.’”
Brianna Finnegan can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter at @BriannaFinnega8