Letters for Peace: For Youth and Classrooms

Welcome to Letters For Peace. This is an attempt to do what the grown-ups have failed to do–to create an atmosphere of trust, respect and understanding between the young people of America and the young people of Iraq.

View our educational resources on Letters for Peace

View letters written by Iraqi students

View letters written by U.S. students

The purpose of Letters for Peace is to open channels of communication so that students might open their hearts to one another and find that what we have in common is greater than what separates us.

If you, or your students, would like to participate in this exchange, please follow the directions below:

  1. Optional: use the educational materials provided by IARP here to introduce your students to Iraqi students and life in Iraq.
  2. View the example letters written by students and have your group write letters to their peers in Iraq. Please be honest and sincere. We are trying to nurture friendship. If possible, please attach a photograph to letters. Please send all letters to the address below.
  3. Your group’s letters to young people and/or your contributions to schools are forwarded to your peers in Iraq. Your group will receive letters and photos in return.
  4. Your letters, along with an Arabic translation, will be posted on our website.

Letters For Peace
18520 32nd Ave. N.
Plymouth, MN 55447

The Iraqi letters have been brought to America by Mr. Sami Rasouli, with the Muslim Peacemaker Teams. MPT will translate letters written by U.S. students into Arabic and deliver them to Iraq.

If you would like to receive a letter back from Iraq, please use the name and address of your school, not your home. This is both for economy and security. For example:

Julia Marguerite C., 4th Grade
Friends School of Minnesota
1365 Englewood Ave.
St. Paul, MN 55104

Notice that Julia did not use her last name, just the initial. Your letters may be passed around to several students in different schools, and they might even appear in the next edition of our Letters for Peace booklet.

If you have any questions feel free to contact us or email Tim Carlson at timcarls2@msn.com.

Thank you and good luck.

Tim Carlson and Sami Rasouli