Camp Hope - Countdown to Change

Dan Pearson — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 14:12:40 -0600

Short Information Teaser

A presence in Hyde Park January 1st-19th, 2009

Excerpt

November 5, 2008

www.camphope2009.org

In January, 2009, Barack Obama will be inaugurated as president of the United States. We earnestly hope his presidency will signal the dawning of long-needed progressive change in the United States. To help build popular momentum behind the progressive goals of President Obama’s campaign, we intend to maintain a 20-day presence, from January 1 – January 19, 2009, in Hyde Park, Chicago: “Camp Hope: Countdown To Change.”

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November 5, 2008

www.camphope2009.org

As activists committed to nonviolence, several groups working for peaceful and just social change, both locally and nationally, plan to launch Camp Hope. These groups include: Voices for Creative Nonviolence, the St. Louis-based Justice and Peace Shares, Pax Christi, IL, AFSC, IL Coalition for Peace, Justice, and the Environment, the Eighth Day Center for Justice, Kairos Chicago, North Suburban Peace Initiative, North Shore Coalition for Peace and Justice, Hyde Parkers for Peace and Justice and the Peace Action Sub-committee of the First Unitarian Church of Chicago.

Now, we welcome your participation in this promising project. Every day from New Years’ to Dr. Martin Luther King Day (1/1-1/19), whatever winter has in store for us, we will set up at the intersection of E. Hyde Park Blvd. and 5100 S. Drexel Ave to congratulate Senator Obama as our new President-elect and recommit ourselves to progressive actions he promoted on his campaign trail. We are urging President-elect Obama to take eight actions immediately upon being sworn into office, and reminding ourselves that these are only eight early steps to more profound policy changes.

As Commander-in-Chief, issue an order directing the U.S. military to reduce the overall levels of U.S. military personnel deployed in Iraq by no fewer than 5,000 military personnel per month and to immediately cease offensive combat operations, with the ultimate objective of removing all military personnel from Iraq (other than those required for normal embassy missions) and the complete cessation of hostilities within Iraq.
Establish a commission to explore and develop policy proposals for full employment, living wage jobs and job training

i-in light of the impact of unemployment, especially amongst Black, Latino and other young adults; and,

ii-recognizing that unemployment and the prison-industrial complex are intrinsically race-based and connected in that the U.S. elects to imprison people of color rather than create living wage employment opportunities.

Cease and desist in the execution of all raids and immediately suspend deportations until comprehensive immigration reform is completed. Support comprehensive immigration reform which promotes the reunification of families and provides legal status with a path to citizenship for the millions of persons who are currently undocumented; suspend all of the Bush administration’s policies regarding border patrol until comprehensive immigration reform is completed
Take all nuclear weapons off hair-trigger alert and begin negotiations with other leaders of nuclear weapon states to reduce and eliminate all nuclear weapons.
Close Guantanamo; eliminate military tribunals and accord, to detainees being held at Guantanamo and other U.S. detention facilities, access to the U.S. court system. We ask that the President-elect reverse the Bush administration’s advisory opinions regarding the permissibility of torture in extracting information from detainees and forbid all forms of torture by any and all US agencies and personnel.
Establish a commission to explore policy proposals which would provide universal health coverage and make recommendations that would cover all pre-existing conditions, provide no less coverage than what the Congressional health care plan provides, and provide health care to the greatest number of people.
Establish a 90-day moratorium on all housing foreclosures.
Submit the Kyoto Protocol to Congress for ratification, making a commitment to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming.

In addition to our daily vigil, we will organize community workshops, forums, and town hall meetings on these policies and on nonviolent strategies for achieving them. Peace and justice advocates who wish to visit Chicago to be part of Camp Hope will be warmly welcomed, whether for a single day or the duration of the encampment. We’ll offer logistics help to the best of our abilities, but we do ask participants to anticipate covering their own expenses for housing, transportation and food.

The 2008 election energized countless Americans to organize anew for change. Now that the election is over, it will take continued outreach, organizing, and popular involvement – including pressure on Congress - to enact the progressive changes that brought Americans to the polls to elect Barack Obama. We hope you’ll consider joining our efforts in 2009.

Contact Camp Hope: Countdown to Change

Phone: 773-878-3815

Email:

www.camphope2009.org

Project

Camp Hope: Countdown to Change

OBAMA'S HOMETOWN KICKS OFF "CAMP HOPE"

Dan Pearson — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 15:09:52 -0600

Project

Camp Hope: Countdown to Change

Short Information Teaser

Sub-freezing temperatures and a brisk wind did not darken the day in Drexel Park for the kick off of Camp Hope, an 18-day vigil just down the street from Barrack Obama's home on Chicago's south side

Excerpt

Kansan Cathy Smith, the mother of Tomas Young, a soldier who received a gunshot wound to his cervical spine in Iraq and is now a paraplegic said, “My son and I were in Grant Park celebrating with thousands of others here in Chicago on election night. But then I remembered how I felt in 2006 when we put in a new Congress that was supposed to stop the war…that can’t be allowed to happen again.”

Voices Author

Mike Ferner

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OBAMA’S HOMETOWN KICKS OFF “CAMP HOPE”

by Mike Ferner January 2, 2009 Chicago

Rev. Dr. Finley Campbell introduced a program of speakers which included Rev. Gregory Livingston, National Field Coordinator ofSub-freezing temperatures and a brisk wind did not darken the day in Drexel Park for the kick off of Camp Hope, an 18-day vigil just down the street from Barrack Obama’s home on Chicago’s south side, yesterday.

Organized by a coalition of social justice, religious and peace organizations from the Chicago area, Camp Hope’s goal is to remind President-elect Obama of the progressive themes he sounded in his campaign and urge him to follow through with policy changes when he takes office later this month.

Asked what she was hoping for, Jessica Phillips, 37, answered, “I hope Barack Obama hears of us and gets our message. I hope he realizes that the promises he made and the reasons we elected him are important.”

The Chicago resident said in particular, she wanted the city’s most famous resident to keep in mind his commitment “to rely on the primacy of diplomacy — to get the U.S. military out of Iraq and change America’s image as the bully of the world. He’s got a lot of issues facing him but he knew that when he decided to run and convinced us to elect him. We commit to doing our part, by being public in our actions and supporting him to make hard decisions.”

Jevoid Simmons, director of employee relations for the Chicago Art Institute attended the Camp Hope opening to say that he hopes “Obama will see there is a broad base of people pushing peace, justice and fairness. I’m concerned about some of his cabinet selections but I hope he will marshal them into a force for positive change.”

One of the camp’s organizers, Marcia Bernsten, from the North Shore Coalition for Peace and Justice, said they got the inspiration for Camp Hope from the example of people she knows in St. Louis who participated in a similar vigil in Plains, Georgia, when Jimmy Carter was President-elect. The issues they highlighted at that time were support for an amnesty for Viet Nam war resisters in Canada and opposition to the B-1 Bomber. Within days of taking office, Carter issued the amnesty and the B-1 was cancelled six months later. Holding a large box wrapped in red, white and blue and festooned with labels reading “HOPE,” Dan Kenney, a fourth grade teacher at Gwendolyn Brooks Elementary in DeKalb, stood hatless, looking very cold. “I asked my students what they would like to give to Mr. Obama and they answered, “‘A box of hope.’ So that’s what I have here — letters and photos from the nine and ten year-olds in my class.”

Responding to a request to read one of the letters, Kenney reached into the box and pulled one out that began, “Dear Mr. Obama, I hope we could keep gas prices low, recycle, and stop the war. It breaks my heart to see homeless people, especially when it’s snowing. Sometimes when I’m walking home and it’s really cold, I call my mother to pick me up. Then I think of the homeless. So please, Mr. Obama, help the homeless by making more Home Havens (a local shelter).”

Rev. Dr. Finley Campbell introduced a program of speakers which included Rev. Gregory Livingston, National Field Coordinator of Rainbow PUSH Coalition. After saluting the crowd with several rounds of New Year’s greetings, Rev. Livingston said, “But it’s not enough to just say Happy New Year. We must make this a Happy New Year. Camp Hope is not just a symbol; it’s an exercise in justice.”

Explaining that he has toured many parts of the country with Rev. Jesse Jackson to talk with people who lost their homes to foreclosures, Livingston said, “The melding of colors and incomes that we’ve worked for all these years we’ve finally seen in the tsunami of foreclosures. Unregulated greed is why we have all these foreclosures. Unregulated greed is why we are at war. Unregulated greed is why we do not have universal health care. America’s thread of optimism has been snapped in two by unregulated greed…but Camp Hope is the base camp from where we begin in the next 19 days to change all that.”

Dr. Marjorie Fujara, MD, a pediatric physician at Stroger Jr. Hospital of Chicago said, “After eight years of living with an administration which has displayed utter contempt for the poor and middle class I was elated on the morning of November 5. The election of Barrack Obama made me optimistic for the first time in eight years. I was finally proud to be an American. But my euphoria began to fade when I came to grips with the huge gulf that existed between where we are, and where we need to go.”

She explained how at her hospital, budget cuts have increased wait times to see a doctor from weeks to months, neighborhood clinics have closed, doctors have been laid off, and nurses are forced to function as clerks, housekeepers and maintenance workers.

“The election of Senator Obama is a beacon of hope,” Dr. Fujara added, “but there is still a long way to go. We need to redouble our efforts to create a system with the premise that universal health care is a right, not a privilege.”

Camp Hope continues in Drexel Park from 8:00 am to 6:00 pm every day until January 18, including evening programs of speakers and films. Tomorrow night’s program features Dr. Quentin Young, a national leader in the single-payer health care movement.

Ferner is a freelance journalist from Ohio and author of “Inside the Red Zone: A Veteran For Peace Reports from Iraq.”

Criminal on Wheels?

Dan Pearson — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 17:56:28 -0600

Short Information Teaser

The officer who was taking the lead yelled at the youth in a commanding voice: “get off the bike, get OFF the bikes!”

Excerpt

December 29, 2008

By Joshua Brollier

I recently witnessed the arrest of a young black male by the Chicago Police Department for doing nothing more than sitting on a bike on the sidewalk. As a member of Northside Action for Justice’s CopWatch program, I have often seen and grown to expect such unwarranted arrests in our neighborhood of Uptown, but this incident struck me as particularly aggressive, uncalled for, and just plain stupid.

Body

December 29, 2008

By Joshua Brollier

It was a Saturday morning and I was on my way to the Voices for Creative Non-Violence office over on Argyle. I decided to stop at a local store close to the intersection of Wilson and Broadway to pick up a pack of smokes. Upon exiting the store, I noticed there was a street stop in progress across the intersection by the Currency Exchange. I decided it was my civic duty to bear witness to the event.

I crossed Broadway and stood approximately 15 feet from the scene where a man was being detained by two CPD officers. He was placed up against a squad car as the officers wrote a contact card. This is a regular practice in Uptown, usually implemented through racial profiling, to gather information on “suspicious” persons and often gives officers an excuse to harass an individual in the future. Nonetheless, this was a routine stop and the man being detained was quietly complying with police orders.

The corner by the Currency Exchange is a busy spot, and several other people were watching the event as they waited to cross the street. Everyone seemed to be looking at each other with a feeling of frustration, wondering why the man was being detained, but no one really said anything. I proceeded to pass out a few CopWatch fliers and several people thanked me for the work we were doing in the neighborhood.

Just as the cops appeared to be finishing up with the contact card on the detainee, two undercover “tac” cars, sometimes know as “attack” cars, arrived hurriedly on to the scene. Four officers jumped out of their cars and immediately approached two black teenagers who were sitting on their bikes, approximately a foot from the street, waiting on the light to cross the intersection. I had been so focused on the street stop that I had not even really noticed the two youth or their mother who was standing directly behind them.

The officer who was taking the lead yelled at the youth in a commanding voice: “get off the bike, get OFF the bikes!” Both of the teenagers moved to calmly get off of their deadly, two-wheeled carriages of crime, but one committed the unforgivable sin of smacking his lips as he did so. He did not say a word; he merely expressed the frustration that any human feels when being verbally assaulted by another. The officer took that as an insult, placed the young men up against the car, and began searching them with no probable cause.

At this point the unnoticed mother decided to assert her presence. She said; “Hey these are my sons! Why are you searching them?” The cops ignored her, so she leaned over and repeated the question. This was too much communication for one of the tactical officers, so he proceeded to forcefully shove the mother away from the scene and her son. “You know not to interfere with a police investigation,” he shouted as he disregarded her concerns.

Approximately 15 people were watching now, and the small crowd echoed the indignation of the mother. The police looked a bit uneasy and quickly decided to place the teenager who had smacked his lips in the back of the car. The frustrated young man said little to nothing during the whole encounter, even as his mother was shoved by the police. Now, he was being rewarded for his good manners by being arrested and taken away to the infamous Area 3 police headquarters at Belmont and Western, a known site of police torture during the Burge years.

As this whole debacle went down, I was documenting the license plate numbers of the undercover cars and as many details about the officers as I could gather. I handed the information to the mother with a CopWatch flier and let her know that we could help her file a complaint. The cops saw our interaction, and one officer barked at the mother; “you can get all the correct information, even spelled correctly, at Belmont and Western when you come to look for your son.” The cops sped away and left the mom and her more fortunate son to figure out some way to get over to Area 3. Never mind what they had been doing before their unlucky encounter; never mind their plans for the rest of the day. Now, bus fare, a whole day, and likely the evening would be spent trying to sort this mess out.

This arrest, a ticketable offense at best, is indicative of the usual and everyday harassment that many citizens of color face by the Chicago Police Department. What’s more, the teenager who was arrested will now most likely have a contact card, a police record, and be well on his way to early criminalization that happens so disproportionately to African American youth in the Criminal Justice System. Can you imagine this scenario happening to a white teenager riding a bike on a sidewalk in Oak Park or Wilmette?

Consider these findings from a recent report titled Critical Condition: African American Youth in the Justice System from the D.C.-based Campaign for Youth Justice:

White youth are significantly more likely than African American youth to use drugs and 30 percent more likely to sell drugs, but African American youth are twice as likely to be arrested and detained for drug offenses.

Drug cases were filed against African American youth in adult courts at nearly five times the rate of white youth, and African American youth accounted for 87 percent of those charged with drug offenses.

In Cook County, Black youth currently make up 84.2 percent of the population at the county’s only juvenile center, while Hispanics make up 13.9 percent, whites 1.4 percent and 4 percent are other nationalities. Males, he said, make up 92.2 percent and females 7.8 percent.

I can personally testify to implications of these statistics having grown up in Tennessee as a middle class white kid who got high and occasionally sold marijuana to friends. I never saw even so much as a fine and many of my friends escaped jail time all together after having been caught numerous times with sellable amounts of narcotics.

And let‘s have no illusions, I am sure there are many upper class white condo owners right here in Uptown that use illegal drugs and do not have to worry about being shaken down by the police on the corner. It is obvious that our justice system discriminates in implementing the “war on drugs.”

At Northside Action for Justice (NSAJ), we are striving to build a society where it is easier for people to live full lives. I think one of the key elements in that struggle is to reduce state and institutional violence along with addressing street violence. Most of the people that fill our prisons are doing time for non-violent drug offences. If incarceration has proven to produce more of the same and higher recidivism rates, why would we pursue these failed policies so blindly?

The officers at local CAPS meetings and the pro-gentrification class in Uptown would have you believe that picking up the phone and calling 911 is the most effective, even righteous, thing to do when you see two or more young black males on a sidewalk in the neighborhood. It takes more courage and character to stop and say hello than it does to make such a fearful call that might lead to who knows what for the youth.

I have often heard it said over at Voices for Creative Non-Violence; “if you want peace, then build justice.” That is what Voices is working towards in Iraq and the Middle East, and that is what CopWatch aims to do here in Uptown.

NSAJ is advocating for affordable housing and jobs that pay a living wage so that Uptown can maintain its diversity and people of all colors and economic backgrounds can live a life of dignity in this community. If we come together and support these low-income and minority groups that have historically been chased off by the police and the gentrification class, this community will be an eclectic and vibrant place where our youth can flourish and explore their potential.

Joshua Brollier is a member of the Francis of Assisi Catholic Worker Community, an activist with Northside Action for Justice, and a co-coordinator with Voices for Creative Non-Violence.

Shoes Thrown in Iraq

Dan Pearson — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 11:09:26 -0600

Short Information Teaser

an essay from Middle East coordinator for Direct Aid Iraq, Najlaa Al-Nashi

Excerpt

December 17, 2008

By Najlaa A. Al-Nashi, with Noah Baker Merrill

It was only a few seconds - the shoes were flying toward President Bush, and with them a huge insult in Iraqi tradition.

You may have heard the news that an Iraqi journalist threw his shoes at the American president, but as an Iraqi I’d like to share with you a few details about the journalist, and why he did that.

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December 17, 2008

By Najlaa A. Al-Nashi, with Noah Baker Merrill

It was only a few seconds - the shoes were flying toward President Bush, and with them a huge insult in Iraqi tradition.

You may have heard the news that an Iraqi journalist threw his shoes at the American president, but as an Iraqi I’d like to share with you a few details about the journalist, and why he did that.

Muntather Al-Zaidi, the journalist mentioned in the reports, is 28 years old. He is from the Southern city of Nasiriyah, and lives in Baghdad. He works for the Egyptian-owned Al-Baghdadiya channel, but he is Iraqi.

Muntather is well-known among those who know him as being against the occupation. Several months ago, he promised his brother that, if he was ever selected to interview President Bush, he would throw his shoes at him as a sign of his outrage and opposition to Bush’s role in the suffering of his people and the destruction of his country. At the time, his brother thought it was nothing more than words spoken in an angry moment.

Muntather’s last reporting assignment, which ran last month, was an investigation of the conditions for Iraqi widows and orphans. As a result of three wars, the rule of a dictator, devastating sanctions, and a disastrous occupation, it is estimated that 5 million children are without at least one of their parents and there are 1.5 million widows. As he prepared this report, he was deeply impacted by what he saw, and he can be seen crying in the film that was broadcast in Iraq.

Now let’s have a look at what’s going on in Iraq, and how these events are viewed among Iraqis:

At Baghdad University and Al Mustansiriya University, students have refused to study or attend classes. Instead, they are protesting and asking for the release of Muntather by Iraqi security forces.

From all over the world, Iraqis are sending messages thanking Muntather and his family for their son’s message. In TV interviews and with phone calls, Iraqis are expressing their support of his actions.

Many Iraqis inside and outside their country are saying that “for each action there is a reaction”. Bush hurt everyone, they say, and so why is he surprised when he is met with an angry and insulting response on behalf of the people of Iraq?

In Iraq, the traditional community is deeply rooted in tribal relationships. Whether Sunni or Shi’i (and some tribes contain members of both sects), in Iraqi tradition if a member of a tribe takes an action or is in trouble, members of his tribe will represent him and will be responsible for supporting him. But in Muntather’s case, tribal leaders from throughout Iraq, from the North to South and from East to West, have claimed him as their son. They have said that they want him released safe and sound, offering to pay whatever fine the government will set for him.

Muntather’s actions have, for these days, united Sunnis, Shiites, and Christians. It united Iraqis as Iraqis. And it only took a few seconds. Sunni and Shiite tribal leaders have publicly asked that Muntather not be referred to using his tribal affiliation (Muntather Al-Zaidi), because they believe his tribal affiliation now encompasses all the tribes of Iraq: They’ve asked for him to be referred to as “Muntather Al-Iraqi” (Muntather the Iraqi). At the same time, the tribal leaders have said that they hope it is now clear that they have only one enemy - the occupation of Iraq.

The Iraqi response shows clearly that Muntather’s actions have triggered a deep release in Iraqi society. It gives an indication to the outside world how much so many Iraqis oppose the occupation and the ongoing presence of foreign troops in their country, but have been without a voice that cut through the walls of silence and the filtered mainstream media.

It is important to be clear that this action by a single man does not arise from his role as a journalist, or from some specific incident or time in his life. It comes from an Iraqi man who, like all of his people, has suffered greatly from occupation, from the actions of mercenaries like those employed by Blackwater Worldwide, from the torture of Iraqis by American soldiers at Abu Ghraib prison and elsewhere, and from the sectarian violence that the occupation has cultivated, fueled, and allowed to thrive. Muntather himself was kidnapped a few months ago, though thankfully he was released alive.

Now let’s stop to analyze the situation. Why do so many Iraqis consider Muntather “their son”, and why are they calling him a hero? Why are people printing his photo and distributing it in many parts of Iraq as a symbol to promote Iraqi courage and freedom?

His actions expressed the same anger and pain they feel. But his actions gave it a voice, and in that one small action he lit a spark in them that reminds them of their history and their dignity. His symbolic act of protest told the whole story, cutting through the carefully constructed image that has been built by Bush and his supporters since they defied the UN and the world to invade and occupy Iraq.

Getting back to responses:

More than 200 Iraqi and Arab lawyers have volunteered to defend him in Iraqi courts, if they are given that opportunity.

One Iraqi businessman signed a blank check and called on Munthather to make it out for any amount, as long as the businessman could receive the shoes that Muthather threw. Another man from Saudi Arabia offered 10 million dollars for the shoes.

Muntather’s nephew is about 6 years old. He was shown on video carrying another pair of his uncle’s shoes, and he told Al-Baghdadiya Channel that he was prepared to throw this second pair of shoes, too, if they wouldn’t release his uncle.

In Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon and Palestine, there have been strong expressions of support, including protests and celebrations.

Many Iraqis are saying that the situation in Iraq now is like it was before the revolution in 1920 which threw out the British occupying forces. They’re saying that Muntather might be a spark for a new revolution in his country. In recent days, there have been protests all over Iraq asking for Muntather’s release. Crowds in Najaf threw shoes at occupying forces. The streets of Iraq are filled with anger as people learn that Muntather has been beaten and tortured while in the custody of US-supported Iraqi forces.

Yesterday in Jordan, a good Iraqi friend of mine got into a taxi cab. For Iraqi refugees in Jordan, riding in a cab often means insults, scorn, and disdain from Jordanians and Palestinians unhappy to have so many Iraqis seeking refuge in their country. But this time, it was different. The cab driver treated her with respect. Recognizing her Iraqi accent, he said he’d take her anywhere she wanted to go, and he would do it with pleasure, because she was one of the “shoe throwers”.

His case is not just a personal case - it is a national concern. Yesterday parliament had a meeting to help in releasing him. The news yesterday was that within two days he would likely be released, after having paid the fine for his actions under Iraqi law - 200 Iraqi dinars, or, after the catastrophic collapse of the Iraqi economy in recent years, less than twenty US cents.

Today, though, the situation remains tense, and has worsened. The Iraqi government says he will likely have to serve 7-15 years in jail, with no possibility of paying a fine to be released. But in spite of this news, it does seem as if they will have to release him soon. If they don’t, they risk losing the tenuous control they have in many parts of Iraq. Muntather’s actions could serve as a spark bringing Iraqis to unite to oppose the occupation and the US-supported government. Anyone who knows Iraqi history knows very well what the anger of the tribes can do.

Before the British were thrown out of Iraq in 1920, there was a recently-signed agreement on the status of occupying forces in the country. Under the pressure of a sustained national uprising opposing foreign occupation, the troops left far sooner than the British occupiers had hoped. It may well be that the agreement that Bush and Nouri Al-Maliki signed just before the “moment of the shoes” will fail before 2011, following the same course. Many Iraqis today hope so.

Meanwhile, Muntather is still in jail, where he has suffered serious injuries, including what are likely a broken hand and arm, an injury to his eye, and possibly to his legs. Today there were protests in many of Iraq’s governorates demanding his release.

I remember, in the early days of 2003, it was said that invading US troops would be “greeted with flowers”. No one said anything about how Iraqis would say farewell to Bush and his occupation.

Refugee Narratives: A reflection by Cathy Breen

Joel Gulledge — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 09:42:59 -0600

Short Information Teaser

I arrived four days ago from the Middle East and find myself caught as it were between two worlds.

Excerpt

Affectionate greetings to you all. I arrived four days ago from the Middle East and find myself caught as it were between two worlds. I feel like I left one family there in order to return to family here. Despite the starkly different realities, both places seem equally familiar. In ways hard to describe, life there seems easier.

Body

Dear Friends,

Time did not permit me to write a final letter from Jordan, so I want to do this now. Words can’t express my gratitude to you for your prayers and support. It is you who made the trip possible, and I can assure you that your money gifts and messages brought much healing and some relief to many Iraqis. I regret that I was unable to write each of you individually, but I trust you understand.

Jet lag has me rising at 3:00 or 3:30am these last days and, despite my somewhat weary state, it is good to be with my community and friends again. Little by little I am catching up on the events of the last four months. Little Esther, one month and scrawny when I left, is now the most charmingly beautiful hamster-cheeked baby, smiling from ear to ear! As I feared, seventeen month old Tobias forgot me, but we will soon remedy that. Jonah, almost nine now, embraced me with a big hug!

Excited shouts from the 4th floor of our house two nights ago caused me to go up to see what was going on. As I suspected, the family from the Congo was beside themselves with joy at the news of Obama’s victory. Jaded as I am from the last two years of campaign frenzy and mistrust of our political system, I can’t help but be caught up somewhat in the enthusiasm around me. I want to believe that things will get better.

My last two weeks in Jordan found me paying visits to a much neglected sector of the Iraqi refugee population, that of single men between the ages of 20 to 35. As I write you, I have their faces before me. It helped greatly that I was taken to their homes by someone they know and trust. For the most part, their initial cautiousness faded as we visited, and one by one they told me something of their situations. I was amazed by their open expressions and the lack of anger and rancor in their voices. Sometimes as many as six men are sharing an apartment with only a mattress or blanket on a bare floor. They have all fled violence and many have lost loved ones and/or have suffered physical harm themselves.

Separated from their families, they are unable to return to Iraq and fear pickup and deportation should they be caught working. As “younger” single Iraqi men, they are lowest on the “totem pole” of candidates for resettlement. Not permitted to work, they nevertheless have to find ways to pay rent and support themselves. Many eat only one meal a day and, without even a hotplate, they can’t make a hot cup of coffee or tea to help ward off the cold. They live in a constant state of anxiety and fear. Unable to pursue work, studies or their careers and trades, their desperation grows. Women in the same circumstances to often feel driven to prostitution in order to survive. What, we must ask ourselves, will these men be forced to turn to? Here are a couple of stories. The names have of course been changed to protect them.

Mohammed, 20 years old. He came to Jordan in 2004 when he was just 15 years old. The militia was trying to force him to join them, kidnapped him for two days and under torture he accepted their demand and was released with the promise to come back to them. His family sold furniture to help him go to Jordan. He is living with four other men in miserable conditions.

Abu Mustafa, 32 years old. He came alone to Jordan in 2006. He worked as a police officer. Threatened by militia (two of his police friends were killed in front of him), he had to flee. He left a wife and small son. His wife gave birth to a baby girl 20 days after he left Iraq. She is now 2 1/2 years old and he has never seen her. Recently his 5 year old son said to him over the telephone “Baba (father), come and eat with us, we are going to have lunch.” He has relatives in the states and in Germany. He lives with four other men in very poor conditions.

Mazen, 28years old. From a family of eight brothers and sisters, he came alone to Jordan in 2003. His whole family is in southern Iraq. He was forced to flee when armed men with black masks attacked them. His father was so badly beaten that he can no longer walk. The area where they lived had problems between Shi’a and Sunni. He is unable to return or he will be killed. He has no relatives outside of Iraq.

These are only three brief accounts of about twenty men I met one evening. The same evening we learned that the housemate of one of the men was seriously ill with fever and vomiting. After speaking with all of the men, we went to the apartment and found the man lying on the floor on a blanket. With the help of his friends we were able to get him to a hospital. I saw him three days later in the hospital. He was receiving IV antibiotics, but still had a fever and intense headache and cough. A nurse told us he had pneumonia. After another couple of days his condition had improved, thank God. But how can he return to an unheated apartment, to a bed of blankets on the floor? He was the only person working in the household, having found work breaking up concrete from 6am to 8pm daily. His wage, when the boss was willing to pay, was 50-100JD monthly (approx. $70-$130.).

The desperate and urgent situations of these young men follow me back to the states. We have a way to get money directly to such households. If someone among you, or a group or community, would be able to wire a monthly contribution directly to our friend, she would make sure that it reaches such a household. You can call me or write me for detailed information. Tel. 212-777-9617, email: .

I greet you with much love, Cathy Breen

VCNV Author

Cathy Breen

Resettling by Cathy Breen

Dan Pearson — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 17:35:33 -0500

Short Information Teaser

I learned that among the things he was forced to leave behind was a large feather pillow his mother had made about seventy years ago.

Excerpt

Amman, Jordan
October 22, 2008

I learned that among the things he was forced to leave behind was a large feather pillow his mother had made about seventy years ago. She had gathered the feathers herself. Also left behind were some embroidery pieces she had made as well as a couple of books and other items. When his wife died of cancer over 28 years ago, this gentle man had raised his three children alone. I met his only daughter recently in Syria. She and her husband are among the refugee population there longing to join family in a safe place where they can work and raise their two small daughters. I thought of an embroidered pillow case cover my mother gave me some years back. It is something I cherish imagining how she had laid her head on it as a child. Maybe, I told him, I could retrieve some of the things left behind with a neighbor.

Body

Amman, Jordan
October 22, 2008

Dear Friends,

The other day I saw an elderly Iraqi gentleman off at the Amman airport. After months of waiting on his security clearance, he was finally on his way to join his two sons and four grandchildren in the states. He has been living alone in Amman for at least two years now, and I had asked him if he would like me to accompany him to the airport. He accepted my offer.

As we made our way to the airport in the early morning hours, I asked him if he had gotten any sleep. He said he had been up all night trying to pack, to fit all of his worldly belongings in two medium size suitcases. I learned that among the things he was forced to leave behind was a large feather pillow his mother had made about seventy years ago. She had gathered the feathers herself. Also left behind were some embroidery pieces she had made as well as a couple of books and other items. When his wife died of cancer over 28 years ago, this gentle man had raised his three children alone. I met his only daughter recently in Syria. She and her husband are among the refugee population there longing to join family in a safe place where they can work and raise their two small daughters. I thought of an embroidered pillow case cover my mother gave me some years back. It is something I cherish imagining how she had laid her head on it as a child. Maybe, I told him, I could retrieve some of the things left behind with a neighbor. Iraqi Gentleman at the Amman Airport

As we waited in the airport we were surrounded by a host of other Iraqis, also being resettled to the United States, taking the same flight. Some had family there, others were going to states to which they had been assigned. I watched as each received a large white plastic bag with the letters IOM (International Organization for Migration) on it. The bag would identify them as refugees when they arrived at their various destinations. It seemed so demeaning. As the time drew near to enter the passenger checking area, we joined the others lining up with their suitcases and bags. In front of us was a woman clothed from head to foot in a black abaya. Only her eyes were visible through a slit in the face covering.

Despite all the years I have spent in the Middle East, the sight of women with their faces covered is something that always seems to give me a start. The woman in front of us at the airport was accompanied by her husband, a blind gentleman who stood behind her with his hand on her shoulder. I wondered what type of welcome was in store for them in the states. Where were they going? Did they speak any English at all? What will await them? At a recent McCain rally in Minneapolis, an elderly woman took the microphone to speak. She said “I don’t trust Obama. I’ve read about him, and he’s an Arab.” McCain’s awkward reply seemed to imply that being an “Arab” and a “decent family man” were somehow mutually exclusive.

A friend arrived from the states yesterday. We first met in 2003 in Baghdad in the weeks preceding the U.S.-led invasion. He too was with Voices as part of the Iraq Peace team. He will be spending the next weeks in Jordan and Syria to follow the plight of Iraqi refugees in the region. Last night we went to visit a family of eight who have been advised that they will be resettled in the U.S. They have no family there, and have no idea where they will be assigned. Ironically the father of the family is also blind due to an injury he suffered in the Iraq-Iran war over twenty years ago. It was my third visit to their humble apartment and, together with our Iraqi translator whom they know and trust, we were warmly greeted.

We asked how they are doing, if they received any news from IOM as to when they might travel? They had no news of travel dates, but the mother of six advised us that her own mother in Baghdad is ill. More than anything, she would like to see her elderly mother one final time before she leaves for the U.S. Sadly, this simple wish will not be granted. If she were to travel to Baghdad to visit even briefly with family, she would not be allowed back into Jordan. Two of her brothers were killed in Iraq in the last couple of years. We want to keep in touch with this family. When they find out where they will be going, we might know groups or have friends in that state who could welcome and befriend them.

I am delighted to tell you that I have the feather pillow and some of the embroidered pieces. It gives me such pleasure to think that the grandchildren will have these treasured items.

VCNV Author

Cathy Breen

8 Arrested in Kansas Protesting Hawgsmoke 2008

Mon, 20 Oct 2008 13:06:03 -0500

Short Information Teaser

The heartland says no to biennial war making competition.

Excerpt

Body

October 17, 2008

Salina, Kansas

Peace activists from across the US gathered at The Heartland Speaks, a conference organized by Salina People for Peace members Janie M. Stein and Martin Bates of Salina, KS. The conference concluded with a nonviolent direct action in response to Hawgsmoke 2008. According to www.hawgsmoke.com, Hawgsmoke is “a biennial worldwide A-10 bombing, missile, and tactical gunnery competition. Hosted by the winners of the previous competition, Hawgsmoke is an intense competition and an opportunity to share in the camaraderie and fellowship of the world’s premier Close Air Support fighter, as well as legacy of its pilots and support crews.”

Arrested and jailed for criminal trespass were: Salina People for Peace members Janie Stein and Martin Bates; from The Des Moines Catholic Worker Frank Cordaro; Salina peace activist Ralph Kresin; Voices for Creative Nonviolence Co-Coordinator Gerald Paoli; journalist and activist Wes Rehberg; Sister Margaret Rourke CSJ and Sister Agnes Carolyn Teter CSJ. All but one refused to pay the $500 bail and spent the night in jail.

Video Channel 6 KSNC

Video from Salina.com Front Page Videos

Peace activists arrested for civil disobedience

By DUANE SCHRAG Salina Journal

Oct 16, 2008

Salina KS. Eight peace activists who were part of a group protesting a bombing and strafing competition for fighter jet pilots were arrested at Salina Municipal Airport on Wednesday for trespassing.

“The war in Iraq is unjust, immoral and illegal,” Frank Cordaro, a former Catholic priest, told a group of about 45 activists at the rally at the airport. “Those are the words of Pope John (Paul) II.”

The arrests were the anticipated response to civil disobedience that was months in the planning. The spot where protesters were arrested had been worked out in advance so as to minimize disruption at the airport and ensure there was no violence. Activists who decided to get arrested wore armbands Wednesday to help police positively identify them.

Salina People for Peace organized the protest in response to local enthusiasm for Hawg-smoke, a competition in which pilots of A-10 “Warthog” fighter jets try to best each other in strafing and bombing exercises.

“The A-10 Warthog is here today as the most concrete example (of America’s aggression),” said Jeff Leys, a coordinator for Voices for Creative Nonviolence, a Chicago-based organization active in opposing war. “Where war ends is in the heartland, when the people say, ‘Enough.’ The war ends here, today, in the heartland.”

During the two-hour rally, speakers frequently had to compete with the roar of A-10s taking off and landing. There were a couple of practice runs for the flyover that is to be part of the memorial service Wednesday night: four A-10s would approach in tight formation and, overhead, one would peel off sharply, condensing vapor trailing from the wingtips.

As A-10s taxied to the terminal, their canopies open, some protesters waved and flashed peace signs; there were no visible responses.

Arranging the arrests

Deputy Salina Police Chief Carson Mansfield said the group worked with police, municipal court and the Salina Airport Authority to plan the civil disobedience. Initially there was talk of protesters climbing the chain link fence that surrounds the airfield, but to avoid injuries and damage to airport property, a perimeter, marked with yellow police tape, was set a few feet from the fence.

Protesters planned to go past the yellow tape and put banners, ribbons and hand-written messages on the fence.

Mansfield said the understanding was that he would warn protesters who crossed the tape that they were trespassing, and if they didn’t return to the designated area, they would be arrested.

And that’s just how it played out. A group of protesters crossed the tape, Mansfield issued his warning — three times, to give the other protesters time to hug and thank the ones who planned to be arrested — and then a squad of seven officers appeared from a hangar and started calmly informing the activists they were under arrest.

There were shouts of encouragement and flashed peace signs from the others attending the rally.

Arrested were Martin A. Bates, 53, 1015 Scott; Agnes C. Teter, 79, 623 Johnstown; Cordaro, 57, of Des Moines, Iowa; Ralph C. Kresin, 71, 537 W. Beloit; Wesley S. Rehberg, 72, of Chattanooga, Tenn.; Gerald F. Paoli, 48, of Chicago.; Janie M. Stein, 50, 141 S. Clark; and Margaret L. Rourke, 80, 623 Johnstown.

The rally was the last event in a conference that started Monday. “The Heartland Speaks: A Peace Coalition Action Glimpsing the Beloved Community,” consisted of several workshops on the effect of militarization and war, as well as nonviolence training.

What God, Jesus allow

On Wednesday morning, rally participants walked from Quality Inn and Suites, 2110 W. Crawford, down to the airport parking lot, where the protest took place.

“The reason I take part in these kinds of things is I’m absolutely against military aggression,” said Weeden Nichols, 68, of Hays, who retired from the Army 30 years ago. He was walking with the help of a cane. “I still think neither God nor Jesus condemns pure defense.”

Military attacks in Afghanistan were an appropriate reaction to the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, Nichols said. It was clear that Osama bin Laden was responsible, and his ties to the government there were undisputed. Not so the war with Iraq, Nichols said. He said the Bush administration knowingly misrepresented the situation — implied a connection between Iraq and the Sept. 11 attacks, and claimed that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction.

“The (war) in Iraq is anything but defense,” Nichols said. “It’s too late now. There’s a real obligation, having broken it, to fix it.”

Why are we in Iraq?

The protesters, who were flanked by police cruisers with their emergency lights flashing, drew a small crowd as they went past Salina Area Technical College. The students were taking a break from their welding class.

“Dangedest thing I’ve ever seen,” exclaimed one student.

“I think they should get a job,” volunteered another.

“They probably have jobs,” said another.

But when asked about the war with Iraq, the students’ views seemed closer to those of the protesters.

“I don’t know why we are still over there,” said Bryce Swisher, a senior.

Reporter Duane Schrag can be reached at 822-1422 or by e-mail at .

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YhK85W5rRbY Janie Stein from Salina People for Peace Gets Carried Away After Crossing the Line