An invitation from Cindy Corrie. Peace Works Conference – Oct. 17-19

Dear Former Peace Works Conference Attendees:

The Rachel Corrie Foundation for Peace and Justice is sponsoring its third annual Peace Works event, Dual Occupations: Sovereignty and Freedom from Iraq to Palestine, October 17-19, in Olympia, Washington. This multi-generational conference will bring together journalists, scholars, peace organizers, Iraq veterans, and community leaders to deepen understanding of foreign military occupation in the Middle East and to connect those who work for justice and an end to occupation and war.

The three-day conference centered at The Evergreen State College Longhouse, will include panel discussions, workshops and cultural events, that provide a forum for bridging communities, acknowledging differences, and building broader and more effective coalitions for peace and justice. The conference will feature talks on U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East, women and war, personal witness of occupation, peace curriculum for middle and secondary teachers, art and media activism, organizing with veterans and military families, and other topics.

Conference speakers include:

• Phyllis Bennis – Fellow of the Institute of Policy Studies and the Transnational Institute
• Haj Sami Sadiq Subaih – Palestinian Mayor of West Bank village targeted for demolition
• Adam Shapiro – Filmmaker and co-founder of the International Solidarity Movement
• Dahlia Wasfi – Iraqi-American activist whose childhood was spent in Saddam Hussein’s Iraq
• Dr. Simona Sharoni – Israeli scholar, researcher and activist and Professor of Women’s Studies
• Representatives of Iraq Veterans Against the War and G.I. Voice
• Zoriah Miller – award-winning photojournalist in Iraq, Afghanistan, Lebanon, and the Gaza Strip
• Dr. Steve Niva – author and Professor of Middle East Studies and International Politics
• Dr. Bill Dienst – Emergency room physician and recent passenger on a Free Gaza boat
• Dr. Rula Awwad-Rafferty – Palestinian Professor of Architecture and Sustainable Communities
• Dr. Susan Greene – artist/activist, clinical psychologist and co-founder of Break the Silence Mural Project

Friday, October 17th, 7:30 pm at the Washington Center for the Performing Arts, Phyllis Bennis of the Institute for Policy Studies will give the conference keynote address, “The Presidential Elections and the Future of the Middle East.” This will be followed by a roundtable discussion with Palestinian Mayor Haj Sami Sadiq Subaih and Iraqi-American activist Dahlia Wasfi. Tickets for this event are available to the general public through the Washington Center for the Performing Arts at http://www.washingtoncenter.org or at (360) 753-8585.

Saturday, October 18th, a conference party with spoken word performance, Palestinian hip-hop film, and a DJ dance party will begin at 8:00 pm in the Old K Records Loft at the corner of 5th and Cherry, above Fishtail Ales in downtown Olympia. Tickets for the general public are available at the door for $5.

The Peace Works Conference is sponsored by the Rachel Corrie Foundation for Peace & Justice and the (Re) Imagining the Middle East Program at The Evergreen State College.

For registration, an expanding list of speakers, and a full conference schedule, go to http://www.rachelcorriefoundation.org, email info@rachelcorriefoundation.org, or call (360) 754-3998. Special rates are available for students, low-income participants, veterans and military families, and K-12 teachers. Our hosts, The Evergreen State College faculty, staff, and students are invited to attend all Friday sessions free of charge.

We have so appreciated your interest and support for our previous events, and we apologize for this late notice. We hope that many of you may still be able to join us in the important discussion about how we can best work together to address these vital issues. Please forward widely.

Cindy Corrie