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Speak for Peace Tour

U.S. Veterans & Iraqis Creating the Way Forward:
February 25th to March 1st

Why this tour?

The speaking tour will people about the side of the Iraq War that is seldom shown or heard about in the mainstream media, namely the displacement of Iraqi citizens, the experiences of Iraqis and US soldiers exposed to continual violence, and the prospects for a peaceful future in Iraq. These first hand accounts about the realities of the war and occupation are critical to understanding the urgency for peace in Iraq and a withdrawal of US troops. With US presidential elections right around the corner, it is a key moment for people to become more informed about the issues that are affecting Americans as well as Iraqis due to the ongoing war and occupation. Continued Congressional funding of the war has only made the situation worse for bringing an end to the conflict.

The tour will help lay the foundation for building reconciliation between the American and Iraqi people. While the U.S. government looks for military solutions to conflicts around the world, citizens must demand that the only way to achieve peace is through dialogue and genuine reconciliation. Only through a better understanding of the experiences of both U.S. soldiers and Iraqis will Americans see the value and possibilities for peace.

As part of this important tour, AFSC will also be offering ways that Americans can assist the Iraqi refugees and offer support to US Iraqi veterans.

The speaking tour will take place during the week of February 25-March 1, 2008, in Lansing, Grand Rapids, Detroit, Kalamazoo, and Flint.

Raed Jarrar is an Iraqi political analyst currently based in Washington, DC. A professional architect, Jarrar obtained his first degree from the University of Baghdad in 2000. Jarrar continued postgraduate studies at the University of Jordan in Amman, Jordan where he researched community-based post-war reconstruction in Iraq. After a few days of the fall of Baghdad in April 2003, he became the country director for the only door-to-door casualty survey group in post-war Iraq. He then established a grassroots organization that coordinated with political leadership and civil society throughout Iraq in order to rebuild Iraqi civil society and physical infrastructure, implementing hundreds of community-based projects with minimal funding.

Raed Jarrar

In 2005, Jarrar moved to California and has continued to contribute to a series of Iraq-related projects. On the environment, he worked as consultant and translator for UNEP-Japan to preserve Iraqi marshlands. Then he worked as political analyst and interpreter for an UNDP-Iraq-sponsored conference in South Africa on the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, where he cultivated strong relationships with numerous leaders across the Iraqi political and religious spectrums.

In early 2007, Jarrar became the Iraq consultant for the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) in Washington, DC. He endeavors to advance discourse between Iraqi leaders and members of the U.S. Congress. To that end, he has organized a series of meetings between U.S. and Iraqi officials and helped facilitate the publication of a number of op-eds by Iraqi leaders in prominent U.S. newspapers.

Patricia McCann

Patricia McCann, Specialist E-4, served in the 133rd Signal Battalion of the Illinois National Guard from 2000-2006 as a MSE Systems Switching Operator. In March of 2003, her unit was attached to the 234th Signal Battalion from the Iowa National Guard and was deployed to Iraq for one 15-month tour of duty. In Iraq, Patricia was stationed at Log Base Seitz, a logistics base in west Baghdad near the town of Abu Ghraib.

During her tour of duty, Patricia witnessed many injustices perpetuated and enforced by the U.S. military directed toward both Iraqi civilians and lower enlisted U.S. military soldiers including the illegal use of force, sexual harassment, inadequate medical treatment and the abuse of rank by commissioned and non-commissioned officers. After completing her tour, Patricia and other members of her unit were denied education and medical benefits they had been promised.

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