(PHOTOS) Families Stand for Peace: The Truth About Iraq.

[unhappycamper]

Thursday evening, July 28, 2005, the Cape Codders for Peace and Justice sponsored a public forum at the Cape Cod Community College in Hyannis. The forum was titled: “Families Stand for Peace: The Truth About Iraq.” Here’s a link to the CCPJ web site: http://www.capecodpeaceandjustice.org/


Program

• "Eyes Wide Open", a 4-minute video presentation from the American Friends Service Committee, link: http://afsc.org/
  
• Welcome: Stephanie G. Wall, MD, CCPJ, Moderator ..
  
• James Kinney; CCPJ: The Local Costs of War
  
• Bob Silverberg, Veterans for Peace
  
• Mimi Evans, Military Families Speak Out
  
• Cindy Sheehan, Gold Star Families for Peace
  
• Kathy Kelly, Voices in the Wilderness
  
• Question and Answer period
  
• Closing: Stephanie G. Wall
  

The Panel:


(James Kinney & Bob Silverberg)


(Mimi Evans, Cindy Sheehan, Kathy Kelly)

The Moderator:


(Stephanie Wall)


The Speakers


Kathy Kelly helped initiate Voices in the Wilderness (VITW) to end the UN/US sanctions against Iraq. For bringing 'medicine and toys' to Iraq in open violation of the sanctions, she and other VITW members were notified of a proposed $163,000 penalty, threatened with 12 years in prison, and eventually fined $20,000, which they have refused to pay. VITW organized 70 delegations to visit Iraq between 1996 and the beginning of "Operation Shock and Awe" warfare. Kathy has been to Iraq 22 times since January 1996. In October 2002, Kathy joined Iraq Peace Team members in Baghdad where they maintained a presence throughout the bombardment and invasion.

She most recently returned from Iraq on 8 January 2004. Kathy has been arrested 60 times for peace actions, the first for planting corn on a missile silo. Kathy has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize three times for her work. She recently published Other Lands Have Dreams: From Baghdad to Pekin Prison. http://vitw.org/



Cindy Sheehan was an "average American mom" until her son, Casey, was killed in action in Iraq on 4 April 2004. She cofounded Gold Star Families for Peace, works tirelessly to expose the deceptions the Bush Administration used to invade Iraq, and brings a face to a faceless war. Cindy recently testified at Rep. John Conyers' hearing on the Downing Street Memos. She lives in Berkeley, CA with three other children: Carly, 24, Andy, 21, and Janey, 19. http://www.gsfp.org/



Mimi Evans, a member of Military Families Speak Out, has worked and lived on Cape Cod for the last two years, since moving here from New York City. She is a professional fundraiser who has worked for Williams College and Trinity College in New England, and the US Fund for UNICEF in New York. A single mother since 1982, Mimi has raised three children. Her older. son is a humanitarian aid worker who returned in May from two years in Iraq and Afghanistan. Her younger son, a Captain and JAG lawyer in the US Marine Corps, will be deployed to Fallujah in August. In addition to her full-time job, Mimi is one of the producers of a concert planned for this winter in New York City that will benefit injured civilians in Iraq. http://www.mfso.org/



Bob Silverberg is a Barnstable resident, poet, WWII combat veteran of WWII, and member of Veterans for Peace. Bob read two of his poems, “Don’t look, Don’t See” and “Okinawa 1945.” “Don’t look, Don’t see” completely blew me away. Here’s a link to that poem:
http://www.capecodpeaceandjustice.org/index.php?q=silverberg
And a link to VFP: http://www.veteransforpeace.org/



James Kinney was the first speaker. He pointed out the dollar costs of the war, the actual costs for selected towns on the Cape and the burden it has placed on future generations. You can watch the $$ clock tick at http://costofwar.com/



The bottom line -- if these folks come to a place near you, it would be well worth your time and gas to go see them.

[paineinthearse]

1. Thanks for the news

All news is local, thanks for posting the photos.

I'll watch for events in my area.

[barc]

2. Thank you for this report

You've done a beautiful job here. If you're not already a member of Cape Codders for Peace and Justice, and if you live on or near the Cape, we sure could use your help!
www.capecodpeaceandjustice.org (but you knew that!)

[unhappycamper]

3. Hi barc!

Welcome to DU :hi:

I'll think you'll find a very interesting, diverse group of folks here. Hope to see you posting regularly.