Frequently Asked Questions
How is The CELL organized and funded?
What are The CELL’s admission costs?
Why an exhibit about terrorism?
Why Denver?
What is the museum trying to say about terrorism?
What can an individual do to help marginalize the threat of a possible terrorist attack?
Is there a relationship between the Mizel Museum and The CELL?
Who is Larry A. Mizel?
Couldn’t The CELL be used by some groups or individuals to glorify and justify the use of terrorism?
Could a terrorist use the information in the exhibit to make a bomb or execute a terrorist action or plot?
What defines terrorism?
Isn’t it true that one man’s terrorist is another man’s freedom fighter?
How will The CELL stimulate dialogue about terrorism?
The Center for Empowered Living and Learning (“The CELL”) is a non-profit institution dedicated to addressing the most important global issue of our time – terrorism. Its exhibits and programs provide a comprehensive look at the security and related social challenges that face civilized societies today. The CELL exists to educate citizens on the realities of today’s global terrorism threats, and seeks to empower both individuals and organizations with the knowledge and the tools to proactively effect change.
The CELL was founded in 2004 and is located in Denver, Colorado, within the Denver Civic Center Cultural Complex adjacent to the Denver Art Museum.
The organization’s exhibit, Anyone, Anytime, Anywhere: Understanding the Threat of Terrorism, is experiential and interactive using state-of-the-art multimedia tools to educate its visitors. It is the only exhibit of its kind in the world.
The exhibit’s mission is to advance and disseminate information about terrorism and the ideologies that attempt to justify and drive its proliferation. The CELL strives to deepen public understanding by encouraging visitors to think about the moral, philosophical, legal and existential questions raised by terrorist organizations, and the best known policies employed to combat such current and future threats to American citizens and people around the world. These are not easy questions. The CELL intends to encourage community involvement and activism, providing patrons with information to help them prepare for and help to prevent the next terrorist attack.
How is The CELL organized and funded?
The CELL is a non-profit, non-partisan organization founded in 2004. It is a subsidiary of the Mizel Museum and is funded through private contributions. Upon opening in the fall of 2008, The CELL will receive funding through visitor admission fees as well.
The information assembled and presented in the state-of-the-art exhibit was completed by world-renowned experts in the fields of terrorism, counterinsurgency and public safety. Anyone, Anytime, Anywhere is presented in a non-biased, interactive, multimedia platform created under the direction of Emmy and Academy Award Winning artists, including Richard Trank, Todd Brunelle and Kimo Oades.
What are The CELL’s admission costs?
Admission price for The CELL’s inaugural exhibit Anyone, Anytime, Anywhere will be $8 for adults and $6 for students and seniors who are not Colorado residents. Colorado residents will pay $6 for adults and $4.50 for students and seniors. Schools and education programs will pay $3 per group member.
Why an exhibit about terrorism?
The CELL’s inaugural exhibit Anyone, Anytime, Anywhere: Understanding the Threat of Terrorism addresses the most salient global issue of our time – terrorism. From its origins to its presence in today’s world, terrorism is a subject difficult to understand. Working with terrorism experts and world-class producers and designers to develop The CELL, the exhibit will make available to the public for the first time learning tools capable of teaching citizens about the true nature of terrorism and how it affects each and every one of us in our daily lives.
The result will be a more engaged public, focused on the need for community involvement and preparedness in response to the current ongoing global terrorism threat.
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From the horrific events of September 11, 2001, to the attempted attack on Los Angeles International Airport by the Millennium Bomber Amad Rasam, to that awful day in Oklahoma City and the destruction of the Murrow Federal Building, what these three events make clear is that terror knows no boundaries. It is not relegated to our coastal cities in the U.S. any more than it is limited to a specific country or region in the world. Anyone can become a victim of terror, anytime, anywhere. In that regard, as a travel destination in its own right and as a gateway to the West, Denver’s central location makes it the ideal location for The CELL. In addition to servicing its own community, The CELL is well-positioned to impact the millions of people traveling to and through Denver each year.
What is the museum trying to say about terrorism?
The CELL’s exhibit will convey a true sense of severity and scope behind terrorist threats and the suffering it causes victims, while also providing a positive and important outlet for education, preparedness and response. The exhibit will illustrate how terrorism has evolved and will explore the range of terrorist motivations globally. Visitors will have the opportunity to explorethe threat of terrorism and the affect it has on all facets of society.
Terrorism is complex, driven by ideology for political and social gain. It does not discriminate. It recognizes no boundaries. It takes life indiscriminately, purposefully and without remorse. It exists all over the world and is not limited to any one nationality, ethnicity, or religion. It is difficult to combat, but with education, individual citizens can empower themselves to take action and become more involved in their communities in way that can help make the world a better, safer place. The CELL provides the necessary tools to take these important steps.
What can an individual do to help marginalize the threat of a possible terrorist attack?
The simple answer is to become better educated regarding the central questions surrounding terrorism, become more aware, more prepared and more active in your local community.
Individuals can educate themselves and their communities. There are several ways citizens can remain vigilant in the fight against terrorism. Such opportunities exist with participation in groups like the Citizen Corps, Neighborhood Watch and others. Preparedness can start with a review of the DHS website Ready.Gov and involvement with local community law enforcement and Red Cross programs. Anyone, Anytime Anywhere provides the information that can make a difference.
Is there a relationship between the Mizel Museum and The CELL?
The CELL is an organization funded by and is a subsidiary of the Mizel Museum, and was founded by local Denver philanthropist Larry A. Mizel.
Larry A. Mizel is the chief executive officer and chairman of the board of MDC Holdings, the parent corporation of Richmond American Homes. He founded MDC in 1972 and subsequently has established numerous other local and national businesses. He is also philanthropist, living in Denver. Together with his wife, Carol, he founded the Mizel Museum, which promotes multicultural understanding through the arts. In addition, he was one of the founders of the Simon Wiesenthal Center, a human rights organization of which he now serves as the International Chairman.
Couldn’t The CELL be used by some groups or individuals to glorify and justify the use of terrorism?
The CELL’s exhibit, Anyone, Anytime, Anywhere: Understanding the Threat of Terrorism is a carefully developed presentation using the expertise of educators, terrorism experts, and award-winning designers and producers. Its purpose is to present educational information on a complex subject matter using state-of-the-art multimedia tools. Patrons of The Cell will be provided a stark, realistic portrayal of the grim impact terrorism has on the every-day lives of innocent people around the world. In no way does it glorify terror, quite to the contrary. Rather, it shows terror as a senseless and violent act of desperation. Despite this, The Cell recognizes any institution or organization can be used in ways that may be unintended. In this regard, The Cell has taken great care in its content development to ensure its message is not misunderstood – terrorism is never justified.
Could a terrorist use the information in the exhibit to make a bomb or execute a terrorist action or plot?
All of the information presented in the CELL is derived from open, publicly available sources. Nothing in the exhibit is new information that a terrorist might seize upon. All the messages and images used in the exhibit are taken from historical and current events as well as everyday life. The CELL’s existence will not contribute to this ability; rather, it is The CELL’s intention to help eradicate it.
You could do an exhibit just on that question alone. For various political, social and cultural reasons, currently there is no universally accepted definition of terrorism. The CELL has adopted the following definition for this exhibit:
Terrorism is the premeditated use of violence or the threat of violence targeting civilians or their property for political, religious or ideological gain. It is a tactic used to create an environment of fear, chaos and intimidation in order to further the terrorists’ objectives.
Isn’t it true that one man’s terrorist is another man’s freedom fighter?
No. Some terror cells and terrorists exist because they believe a people, ideology, or religion is being threatened by outside forces and must be protected or liberated. That, however, is not an excuse nor does it justify targeting innocent civilians and taking their lives. Freedom is not achieved through, intimidation, murder, and chaos.
How will The CELL stimulate dialogue about terrorism?
The Center for Empowered Living and Learning is dedicated to empowering the public with knowledge and tools to proactively affect change as it relates to terrorism. Visitors to The CELL exhibit will leave the museum with a far greater understanding of the most important issues driving global policy and politics today – terror. They will also be empowered with new knowledge and capabilities allowing them to prepare for and even prevent a terror attack.
The CELL also intends to begin working with universities, first responders and law enforcement officials on programs and outreach that will promote greater awareness and more effective means of combating terrorism. Early efforts included co-hosting a seminar with the Naval Post Graduate School, on preparedness and response coordination for the Democratic National Convention activities here in Denver for local business and first responder communities.
