Derechos: Human Rights Listings

Iraq is by any measure a humanitarian catastrophe. 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. It is the fastest growing refugee
crisis in the world and the largest in the Middle East since the
displacement of Palestinians in 1948. The chaos and violence in Iraq
threaten to destabilize the whole region. Joining us to discuss the
event will be:

Raed Jarrar is an Iraqi political analyst and consultant to AFSC's
Iraq Program. After the U.S.-led invasion, Jarrar became the
country director for CIVIC Worldwide, the only door-to-door casualty
survey group in post-war Iraq. He then established Emaar, (meaning
"reconstruction" in Arabic), a grassroots organization that provided
humanitarian and political aid to Iraqi internally displaced persons
(IDPs). Emaar delivered medicine and food, helped initiate
micro-enterprise projects for IDPs, and engaged in political
advocacy on behalf of populations displaced due to ethnic
discrimination.

Noah Baker Merrill spent four months living and working among Iraqi
refugees in Jordan and Syria - conducting interviews, working to
secure release for detainees, advocating for improvements of aid to
Iraqi families, and consulting for UNHCR missions. He now
coordinates the Direct Aid Initiative, a project of the Electronic
Iraq news and analysis website, where he is a regular contributor,
providing medical care to displaced Iraqis. He has worked on
conflicts and peacebuilding efforts in Africa, Europe, Latin
America, and the Middle East. Noah is a lifelong member of the
Religious Society of Friends (Quakers).

For more information on the tour, visit our website at
www.afsc.org/iraq/tour or email sschwartz@afsc.org or call 415-565-0201 x24
Co-sponsored by UFPJ, Iraq Moratorium, Mt. Diablo Peace Center, UCSF
Iraq Action Group, UCSF Student Health Professionals for Social
Responsibility, University of San Francisco and Grace Cathedral