Yarger visited Iraq as part of a delegation sponsored by an organization called Voices in the Wilderness. The group also included members of the Sept. 11 families for Peaceful Tomorrows, formed in 2001 by member of victims of the Sept. 11 tragedies with the intention of averting future horrors through non-violent means. The team arrived in Iraq on Jan. 7 and visited schools, hospitals, and families in both Baghdad and Basra. They returned on Jan. 14.
“I believe it is important for all of us to have a truthful picture of what it is like in Iraq right now for the people,” said Yarger. “We met with dozens, perhaps hundreds, of Iraqis who were almost desperate for us to communicate their hopes and fears to ordinary American citizens and the U.S. government. Their stories were sometimes surprising, but always profoundly moving.”
Yarger believes that most Americans are interested in what in going on in Iraq right now, not just the actions of the United Nations Inspectors, but in workplaces, schools, and homes. “This talk is an important opportunity for people in North Carolina to meet some of the people in Iraq whose lives have been deeply affected by U.S. foreign policy for 12 years, and who now face the prospect of a U.S. invasion.”
The Douglass Community Center is located at 1185 West Pennsylvania Avenue in Southern Pines. The event will include a simple meal with voluntary donations going to the Silk Hope Catholic Worker house in Siler City, which offers help and shelter to homeless woman and families. The lecture is being sponsored by the Sandhills Peace Initiative, a group formed last fall to stimulate dialog and understanding on the issues of peace and war.
For information, call 695-1073.
