[antiwar-van] Call for Iraq Peace Team

[Carole Karkhairan]

Thanks to Cathy Woods for forwarding this - www.creativeresistance.ca.

Call for Iraq Peace Team
http://iraqpeaceteam.org/pages/announcement.html

We are an international team working to prevent an escalation of the 
current war against Iraq. We oppose any form of armed aggression by 
any party. We know that a new war against Iraq will take its greatest 
toll, both immediately and for years to come, on Iraqi civilians: the 
children, the elderly and the poor. There is no outcome which would 
justify this further tragedy for the people.

We invite any who wish to act for peace and for the victims of this 
possible war to consider joining us. Our intention is to form 
affinity groups, eight to ten persons in each. These groups will 
prepare themselves at home for working together, both in Iraq and 
upon return. Each traveler will represent a much broader network of 
supporters from their own locales.

When and if it appears that war against Iraq is at hand, we will go 
to Iraq with these intentions:

We will live among the Iraqi people.
We will be with the Iraqi people during any aggression directed at 
them, including continued economic sanctions.
We will use our presence and non-violent actions to protect, if we 
can, both the civilian population of Iraq and those facilities (e.g., 
water purification plants) which make daily life possible for the 
Iraqi people.
We will use our experiences to speak truthfully, from Iraq and 
through supporters in the U.S., to all who will listen about the 
effects of sanctions and war on the people of Iraq.
We as a team do not take the side of any government, none of whom we 
consider blameless, and all of whom we ask to initiate dialogue and 
negotiation, especially under the auspices of the Secretary General 
of the United Nations. As peace-minded people, we deplore all human 
rights violations, including those inherent in the Security Council 
sanctions that have been imposed on the Iraqi people for more than 
eleven years.

We call for the present crisis to be resolved without further 
violence. To this end, we urge all parties to listen to the advice of 
Denis Halliday, Hans von Sponeck and others who have immediate 
experience of Iraq and years of labor for the United Nations. We 
pledge our continued efforts to rebuild open and mutually beneficial 
relations between the Iraqi people and the rest of the world.

Many of us have spent years working to end the economic sanctions 
against Iraq and have visited those in Iraq most affected by the 
sanctions. We have seen the grievous and enduring results of the 1991 
war and the bombing by the U.S. and the U.K. that has continued since 
then. We have visited the hospitals and schools in many areas of 
Iraq. At home, we have done what we can to end the embargo and to 
advocate the beginnings of disarmament throughout the entire region.

The Iraq Peace Team will be independent from any government or 
organization.. We look for support from other persons who share our 
convictions and who attach no political considerations to such 
support.

Individuals are invited to submit applications to Voices in the 
Wilderness. Total commitment to nonviolent principles and practice is 
essential for participation in the Iraq Peace Team. Prior experience 
living in tense and potentially violent situations will be an 
important consideration. All must be prepared to go to Iraq for an 
extended stay and to arrange for all their own expenses.

Those accepted for the IPT will receive help in forming affinity 
groups (based, for example, on past experiences working together, or 
on a shared faith or shared project).

Prospective participants may choose an extended stay or a short-term 
stay in Iraq. See our join section.

Iraq Peace Team / Voices in the Wilderness 1460 West Carmen Avenue 
Chicago, IL 60640
Tel: (773) 784-8065 Fax: (773) 784-8837 | e-mail: info at vitw.org
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