Iraqi and American Reconciliation Project

The following is a post by Dick Bernard on his blog, “Thoughts Towards a Better World“:

Sami Rasouli, Director of the Muslim Peacemaker Teams (MPT), and Kaia Svien, Education Director of the Iraqi and American Reconciliation Project, recently spoke at St. Anthony Park School. Rasouli and Svien spoke about life in Iraq and peacebuilding. Susan Fredrickson from St. Anthony reports, “I believe your message and passion touched their hearts.  Hopefully, this small seed will grow to build healthy relationships between our two countries.”

Sunday, November 1, 2:00 to 4:30 p.m. Macalester-Plymouth United Church, 1658 Lincoln Avenue, St. Paul.

Join others at the Minnesota Fellowship of Reconciliation (FOR) annual meeting and celebration. “Peacemaking in an Age of Terrorism” with Gene Stoltzfus, former director of Christian Peacemaker Teams and nonviolent activist for over 40 years. This year’s Peacemaker of the Year Award goes to Steve Clemens who is active in many ways both as an individual and with a number of Twin Cities peace organizations, including IARP. Special Guest: Kathy Kelly, co-coordinator of Voices for Creative Nonviolence. Music, Desserts, Speakers, Fun, Fellowship. Join in building the interfaith nonviolence community in Minnesota! Sponsored by: FOR.

Speakers: Sami Rasouli and Tarik Rasouli

Tuesday, October 27, 7:00 p.m.

St. Joan of Arc Church, 4537 Third Avenue South, Minneapolis.

Sami Rasouli and his son, Tarik Rasouli, are Minnesotans with a unique knowledge of the situation for Iraqi citizens who have endured over eight years of U.S. war and occupation. They will present their views, free of charge, on Tuesday, October 27 at 7:00 p.m. at St. Joan of Arc Church in Minneapolis. More »

The delegation from Najaf to Minneapolis headed home to Iraq on October 2nd after a productive 2 weeks. The delegates met with hundreds of Americans and set a strong foundation for further connections and peace-building activities between the two cities and countries. You can read about their visit here and here. Below are photos from the delegates’ visit.

One of the delegates, Dr. Najim Askouri, writes,”Thank you very much for your hospitality towards us during our visit to Minneapolis. We spent beautiful days to be remembered for a long time. We hope that the sister city relationship will be promoted and fulfilled for the benefits of people and the cause of peace. God bless you all.

The delegates from Najaf attended the dedication of a new peace bridge at the Lake Harriet Peace Gardens:

Check out IARP Board Member Steve Clemen’s article about the Najaf delegation’s visit to Minneapolis: “The face of “The Enemy.”

“I was their designated driver; thirteen Iraqis from Najaf, a holy city to the Shi’a Muslims, had come to the Twin Cities. They were accompanied by my friend, the founder of the Iraqi-led Muslim Peacemaker Team (MPT), Sami Rasouli….”

After two weeks in their new Sister City of Minneapolis, 13 Iraqi delegates from Najaf departed on October 2 to head home. The delegates had a busy, productive time in the Twin Cities, meeting with hundreds of educators, business and nonprofit professionals, government officials, and Twin Cities residents. The delegates look forward to future visits and exchanges with Minneapolitans and Americans.

Sami Rasouli, Director of Muslim Peacemaker Teams, and Al Nettles, IARP Board Member, at the Cornucopia Art Center for the Iraqi Art Exhibition

One delegate, Dr. Asaad Al-Janabi, told us, “We are not here on vacation. We are here on a mission to tell Americans about life in Iraq and to work for closer relationships in the future.” Another delegate, Sameera Al-Halawi, said, “I am taking you all home in my heart.”

For more information about the delegation visit, please see “Small steps — and a serendipitous encounter — in journey toward peace in Iraq” by Michael Kiesow Moore in the MinnPost, or “Minnesotans help address Iraq’s water crisis, one filtration unit at a time,” by Kathlyn Stone in the TC Daily Planet.

Sami Rasouli, Muslim Peacemaker Teams Director and leader of the Iraqi delegation from Najaf, will remain in the U.S. for the next couple of months and will be available for speaking engagements. To schedule Sami for an engagement, please contact Marie Braun.

Kathlyn Stone recently wrote an article about the Iraqi delegation visit and IARP’s Water for Peace project. You can find the article on the TC Daily Planet: “Minnesotans help address Iraq’s water crisis, one filtration unit at a time” or here: “Community groups work to mitigate Iraq’s water disaster.”

A delegation of 14 men and women from Najaf, lraq – Minneapolis’ newest Sister City – will visit the Twin Cities this September 18 through October 2, 2009. The visit will be the first official exchange between the two cities.

The delegates will be hosted by the Minneapolis-based non-profit Iraqi and American Reconciliation Project, along with the Minneapolis Convention and Visitors Association, the University of Minnesota, Friends for a Nonviolent World, and other local organizations. The following is a list of events with the delegation open to the public. For other inquiries or opportunities to participate, please contact IARP at info@reconciliationproject.org.

9/26, 7:00 PM: “Art in Iraq”  at the St. Mane Theatre, 206 Parkway Ave N, Lanesboro. Presentation by Sami Rasouli, Founder and Director of Muslim Peacemaker Teams. At 8:00 PM a reception at Cornucopia Art Center in Lanesboro will be held in honor of the fourteen delegates from Najaf.

9/30, 2:00-4:30 PM: “Water for Peace: An Iraqi-US Partnership.”
Event page: http://www.cehd.umn.edu/Events/Water-Peace/
Location: Room 64, Biological Sciences on the St. Paul campus of the University of Minnesota. (1445 Gortner Avenue in St. Paul, see this link for map: http://www1.umn.edu/twincities/maps/BioSci/index.html)

According to a recent report by the United Nations, lack of access to clean water poses a significant threat to the health of Iraqi children. In the province of Najaf, 100 miles south of Baghdad, a unique partnership has developed to help meet the challenge of providing clean water at schools, hospitals, and clinics. An Iraqi NGO, the Muslim Peacemaker Teams, has partnered with a Minnesota non-profit, the Iraqi and American Reconciliation Project, to install water filtration systems in important public sites in Najaf. This program will bring together a multi-disciplinary panel of speakers to discuss the impact of clean water on education, health, and other aspects of public life, and how a bilateral community organizing effort can mobilize citizens to impact community health issues. The program is sponsored by the Iraqi and American Reconciliation Project, the Muslim Peacemaker Teams, and College of Education and Human Development and Office of International Programs at the University of Minnesota.