Iraqi and American Reconciliation Project

Below are images from schools and a mosque in Najaf, Iraq, where water filtration units were recently installed by the Iraqi and American Reconciliation Project and our partner, the Muslim Peacemaker Teams. Thanks to donors St. Augustine Church, Cohasset, MN; Albuquerque Mennonite Faith Community, Albuquerque, NM; and Community Presbyterian Church, Cohasset, MN.

Water for Peace is a partnership between Iraqis and Americans to restore access to clean water in Iraqi schools and hospitals. It is a way for Americans and Iraqis to work together to build trust and partnership in place of conflict and fear. To learn more, visit http://waterforpeaceproject.org.

Updating...

GiveMN tool kit: Birthday fundraisers

Got a birthday coming up? Well then, HAPPY BIRTHDAY! We hope you get everything you want. However, if you feel like you’ve got enough stuff already, consider asking your friends and family to make a donation to IARP in lieu of gifts. Other folks are doing it, check out these fabulous fundraisers:

http://givemn.razoo.com/story/Mollysbirthday

http://givemn.razoo.com/story/Jason-And-Nicola-s-Birthday-Wish

To start your own fundraiser, visit http://givemn.razoo.com/p/how-to-setup-a-fundraiser

Minneapolis-based artist Sean Smuda sent artworks from his Blown Derivatives project with Muslim Peacemaker Teams Director Sami Rasouli when Sami returned to Najaf, Iraq this past February. Today, the artworks are traveling to farms, art exhibits, local streets by holy shrines and various communities in Karbala, Iraq. This display of Blown Derivatives is made possible by Iraqi artist Ibraheem Hussein, his family and artist friends. It is Smuda’s hope to have Iraqi artists create work in response to them.

What does community mean to you?

This was gathered from a brainstorming “creative thinking” session during a breakfast for members of the Hope Echo Valley” in the state of Wisconsin, America:

More »

By Sami Rasouli on Thursday, February 10, 2011 at 11:52pm

Echo Valley Breakfast Brainstorm: How do you resolve conflict in your daily life?
كيف تتصرف عندما تواجه نزاعاً في حياتك اليومية؟

“I train myself to pause and skip my initial, violent reaction.”
ألتزم الهدوء بالبدء و أتفادى رد فعلي الأول

“I try not to judge”
ألا أصدر حكماً سريعاً

“I look within myself”
أتأمل ما في دواخلي

“I accept that people do things differently; I give ‘elbow room’”
علي أن أقبل بأن الآخرين مختلفين , يفكروا ويفعلوا بطريقة مختلفة عني

More »