Two weeks ago I went to an event here in Los Angeles, "Nightmare Beyond Borders" at which Raed Jarrar and Noah Baker Merrill spoke. It was EXCELLENT. Raed explains to you what the problems in Iraq REALLY are, as opposed to what we hear in the media. Noah spoke about his time in Jordan and Syria as a member of American Friends Service Committee aiding Iraqi refugees in those countries. A great deal of information was given that day, actually one day before Amnesty International released their report on the Iraqi refugee crisis.
Noah speaks in this video about the Direct Aid Initiative-a program which he directs which is raising funds to give medical care to Iraqi refugees in dire need of medical attention. He stressed that since it has been the US which is responsible for this crisis, that there must be a massive change in the way our moneys are spent there, that we OWE compensation to the Iraqi people for destroying their country-that so MUCH is needed. If you go to the Direct Aid Initiative website, you can make a donation towards giving something very important back to the people who need it beyond imagination. (there are pictures and the stories of some of those this initiative has helped there)
I urge all linking here to take the time to watch this video to learn what we all need to know-just what the devastation is, and some things that SHOULD be done to improve things. Note: both men make it very clear that it is imperative that Iraq be allowed to act on it's own behalf rather than being "helped" any more and that the occupation MUST end. I couldn't agree more.
Nightmare Beyond Borders: Iraq: Nationalists and Separatists in Iraq The Iraqi Displacement Crisis and What Can Be Done To Stop It Thursdays (9/2707) night's talk ... all » in Portland Ore with Iraqi analyst Raed Jarrar and Noah Merrill, touched on some incredibly important points that the current and continuing violence in Iraq is a result of fanatical ancient hatred between Shia and Sunni rivalries. Iraqi Raed Jarrar states that the underlying motivations of the continuing violence in Iraq is between those who are Iraqi nationalists and separatists, but that ethnic rivalries have been inflamed by those who would like to see Iraq separated into smaller states. Currently the U.S.-appointed government been supporting those who are instituting a weak government, and writing oil laws that favor privatization (sound familiar?) and the power of local governments versus a strong national government - inflaming the ethnic divisions further, and creating the current humanitarian refugee crisis - which was the topic of Noah Merrill's talk - he just returned from Jordan and Syria where he spent 6 months among Iraqi refugees. It was asserted that the strife in Iraq is not a religious war - but a political one over the fate of how Iraq will be run - and specifically how the Oil wealth is to be distributed - administered centrally, or provincially. The complex crises facing Iraq and the Middle East are no longer limited by Iraq’s borders, and continuing violence and instability daily seem to destroy the hopes for peace and security for the people of the region. Inside Iraq, ongoing deterioration of basic services, including the collapse of the health care system, lack of electricity and potable water, and personal and economic insecurity make daily life for Iraqis nearly impossible. Eight million Iraqis are in need of emergency assistance, and more than one in seven Iraqis have been forced from their homes. Over two million Iraqis have fled to neighboring countries, with the majority in Syria and Jordan, and thousands more flee daily. Infrastructure in host countries is sorely inadequate, and the economic and political strain is increasing. The chaos and violence in Iraq threatens to destabilize the whole region.
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