Iraq Now: Reparations, the Right to Heal and the Question of International Solidarity

Join us for an evening with Yanar Mohammed of the Organization of Women's Freedom in Iraq, as well as Iraq Veterans Against the War's Director of Organizing, Maggie Martin, who will have jointly launched an initiative calling for reparations for the Iraqi people as well as veterans' right to heal on March 19th, 10 years to the day from the start of the U.S. invasion. The evening will also explore conditions and organizing happening in Iraq now, veteran-led organizing looking forward, as well as how that all relates to local struggles for resources and against racism. To that end, Nisrin Elamin of the Girfina youth movement and past co-coordinator of the Support Darfur network will be offering her perspective on international solidarity. Finally, Senor Staff Attorney at the Center for Constitutional Rights, Pam Spees, will be speaking about CCR's important role in this initiative. Ali Issa, national field organizer with War Resisters League will be moderating.  Yanar Mohammed is president and co-founder of the Organization of Women's Freedom in Iraq (OWFI). She graduated from Baghdad University in 1984 and received a Master’s degree in Architecture in 1993. The Baghdad-based OWFI formed in 2003 and has since its founding put out the newspaper Al Mousawat, of which Yanar Mohammed is the chief editor. A radio station, also called Al Mousawat, the prevention of the trafficking of Iraqi women, as well as building a call for reparations from the U.S. government to the Iraqi people have been among OWFI's many recent projects.  Maggie Martin is an Iraq veteran and the Director of Organizing at Iraq Veterans Against the War (IVAW). She has an MA in Social justice from Marygrove College. Maggie deployed to Iraq in 2003 and in 2005 before leaving the military in 2006 and joining IVAW. Maggie works on campaigns and chapter development in IVAW and with our partner organizations, she participated in the Marches on the 2008 DNC and RNC as well as the 2012 NATO medal return. She provides training and leadership development to our members and creates opportunities for new leaders in this work. Nisrin Elamin is currently a graduate student in Anthropology focusing on foreign land acquisitions in Sudan and the ways in which people are promoting and resisting the privatization of land. She is also the member of Sisterhood for Peace (a diaspora network of Sudanese women activists), and the Girifna youth movement. In the past she co-coordinated the Support Darfur network which supported Sudanese led organizing efforts through resources and connections.  Pam Spees is a senior staff attorney in the international human rights program with the Center for Constitutional Rights.  Ali Issa is the national field organizer with War Resisters League and is a contributor to the Ezine Jadaliyya on Iraqi social movements. He lives in Brooklyn, New York.  Organization of Women's Freedom in Iraq (OWFI): http://www.equalityiniraq.com/ Iraq Veterans Against the War (IVAW): http://www.ivaw.org/ Center for Constitutional Rights: http://ccrjustice.org/ War Resisters League: http://www.warresisters.org/