121Contact

We’re looking for an American guy . . .

Hi.

121Contact is looking for an American guy, 17-19 years old to correspond with an 18 year old guy in Baghdad who hungers to improve his English. FB, email, Skype, chat…whatever is OK with him. Write [email protected] to get started.

Is the U.S. Responsible for Today's Problems in Iraq? Who Cares?

 

Is the U.S. Responsible for Today's Problems in Iraq? Who Cares?
November 29, 2012 by Bruce Wallace, 121Contact

We  don't care who is responsible as much as we once did. At some point we have to stop playing the blame game and come to our compassionate senses. The innocent people of Iraq are in trouble today  and "origin-day" is less important than the lives of the innocents who are being decimated and degraded by ongoing violence.

What's most important is that we do something about it. And it's not hard.

Contribute Money

When contributing from a distance away, the best way to ensure that your donation actually helps someone in need is to give cash to a reputable aid organization. After keeping a portion for overhead costs, they send the rest of the money directly to the community or region to purchase needed supplies on the local market.

• World Food Programme
• International Red Cross/Red Crescent
• UN Commission on Refugees
• Zakat/Sadaqah (Islamic Charity)
• International Rescure Committee

Contribute Money for Specific Groups of People

• WomenForWomen
• Christians of Iraq
• Kiva [This goes directly to individuals. It's one of our favorites. And you sometimes get paid back!]
• SaveTheChildren

 

Learn More About the Rich Culture of Iraq

It's easy to fear or hate the unknown. Iraq contains some of the world's greatest cultural treasures, dating back tens of thousands of years. The area (at times known as Sumer or Babylonia) is the "cradle of civilization" -- origins of such human developments as written language, agriculture, domesticated animals, etc.

• Geography of Iraq
• Iraq's Archaeological Treasures
• Effects of War on the Ancient Artifacts of Mesopotamia

Invite 121Contact to come and talk to your group about:

The Realities of the U.S. Occupation of Iraq

Putting a Human Face on Collateral Damage

Write  [email protected] for more information.

 

 

Obama, the Rule of Law, and PeacefulTomorrows.org

Obama, the Rule of Law, and PeacefulTomorrows.org
October 8, 2012 by Bruce Wallace, 121Contact

As we all celebrate, well most of my gang anyway, the victory of Obama over Lies-as-a-Strategy let's not forget that election day is not just the end of a lot of work for the civic-minded. It's also the beginning of a new term and new challenges--in which lies the danger of losing sight of the old challenges.

As American foreign policy slides deeper into unlawful acts on a daily basis and our President wakes to the Kill List each day we will hear a lot of Rule of Law voices being raised against the drone wars. But there are some groups who have been working diligently to steer us back to the Rule of Law for years.

September Eleventh Families for Peaceful Tomorrows (http://www.peacefultomorrows.org/) is one of the organizations deeply involved in the Rule of Law issues concerning Guantanamo Bay.

In an effort to steer the United States of America to a more just and moral policy they have, over the past years, repeatedly lobbied members of Congress, met often with the sitting Attorney Generals of the United States, and met several times with President Obama. And their work continues today.

Since members travelled to Guantanamo in 2007, at the invitation of the State Department, their efforts have never faltered. Here's an excerpt from one of their statements to the press: "The establishment of the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay neither helped America heal, nor enhanced our security. Instead, it stained the legacy of our family members and took a piece of our collective souls. In the names of our family members, the United States government established this facility and others, employing acts and policies counter to our constitution and traditions, and abandoning long-established principles of American and international law. It replaced them with indefinite detention, secret prisons, and torture. It took the image of America — the fair, the just, the ethical — and replaced it with America the vengeful."

In a culture that espouses "Never Forget" these people have devoted large parts of their lives to remembering the principles and values of our great nation and the blight that Guantanamo puts upon us all. AND IT ALL COSTS MONEY!

It's not hard to help. Just go to their site and give what you can to help steer America to more peaceful, and just, tomorrows.  

(This is a statement of 121Contact and not an official statement from Peaceful Tomorrows.)

 

Nov 8 2011 121Contact needs a classroom full of young artists

Hi.

We are looking for a classroom of grade school artists to exchange paintings and words with a group of Iraqi students.

The Iraqi NGO "Kids and Women Organization" has been providing art classes to grade school students for about one year. The students are between 5 and 14 years old. They live in the city of Numaniyah in Wasit province, in Southern Iraq.

We got to see their wonderfully expressive paintings during our recent trip to Iraq, and in talking with the organizers decided to build an exchange program that will be fun and educational for all involved.

The theme of the first exchange is "Everyday life" and the paintings will be accompanied by words describing one day in the life of the artist.

If you are interested please contact [email protected] and we'll arrange the details.

Please pass this on to anyone you think might want to take part in this program.

In loving kindness,
Bruce and Nisreen

June 2 2011 From Michael Jackson to Second Life to Nasir in Iraq

Who are these people? When approached by Michael Jackson (an avatar in Second Life, SL) to give a talk about the US Occupation of Iraq ("What is Occupation Really Like for Students in Baghdad?") I immediately said "Yes".

His voice was morphed to sound just like MJ and his avatar was a not-quite-cartoonish representation of the world famous performer. I had my doubts. What kind of folk would be coming to this talk? Who were the people who aligned themselves with MJ in SL? What would they be like? Would they get the message that violence is not the way to solve problems? Too many questions...all to be soon answered quite clearly...

We met at the SL office of 121Contact {Peace and Justice Center, Better World Island (94, 138, 23)) and after a short introduction to 121's work and September Eleventh Families for Peaceful Tomorrows  I led them to 121's "What is Occupation Really Like?" exhibit. It's a maze whose walls are photos of 'life' in Baghdad, 2006-2008. Walking through is a rather confining experience and the walls offer glimpses of horror and hope; some of the images and sounds are quite bloody and disturbing. Having some 2 dozen walk through at the same time increased the claustrophobic effect. We could see them touching the objects there, reading the notecards, and taking to each other about what they were experiencing.

I (my avatar in named PT Witte [PT for Peaceful Tomorrows]) sat outside the exhibit with an Italien reporter who was covering the event, and I wondered aloud about how this disparate, international group of MJ lovers would respond.

When they finally wandered out it was easy to 'see' that they were, indeed, greatly moved by the exhibit. The questions they asked showed me their intense belief in the Love that MJ preached, and they were eager to 'do something'.If one can be said to 'feel the vive' of an avatar then that is what happened to me. I felt that I knew these 'people', and that they were good of heart and intention. More than MJ's music, his legacy of Love is the Way is what seems to hold them together as a group.

What can one do? There are many ways to help right the wrongs of the occupation. Here's one:

First, log on to Kiva. There you will find a simple way to make a loan to an Iraqi entrepreneur. Loans as small as US$25 are bundled together and distributed through a world-wide network of micro-lenders. I've used Kiva before and have always had my loans repaid. They run at about 99% repayment fullfillment. Here is 121's latest loan recipient: Nasir. He's 31 years old, married and lives with six family members. Three of the family members work. Nasir has had a food market since 2005. He has five years of experience, a good reputation and is well known in his local area. He is requesting $3,000 to buy a split air conditioner and to make sliding doors for his shop. He is aiming to gain more profits so he can improve his family’s quality of life.

It's not earthshaking. It's easy. It's direct. It helps in a one-to-one personal way. You can make a difference and help heal the damage of the US occupation of Iraq.

 

Feb 3 2011 URGENT NEED: A Positive blood donors in Baghdad

Remember that woman who needs a heart bypass surgery? All is finally set up; she's in the hospital, and now is told they have run out of A positive blood. Please write [email protected] if you can help.

 

 

110130 River of kindness from U.S. to Baghdad

Today is the day.

B is being operated on in Baghdad as we write this note. Pray for success.

Your gifts have helped make this day possible. The once free medical system of Iraq has been replaced by a ‘free-market’ system that is far from free. Costs have soared and for B and her family this operation was not possible without your support. Bless you.

Bless you all; from the smallest to the largest of donors, the river of your generosity has flowed all the way to Baghdad.

In loving kindness,

B & N

Sept 18 2010 A Baghdad Family in NYC says 'Shukran' to YOU.

There's a new store in Inwood Heights, at 117 Nagle, at the corner of Sickles. There's an Iraqi family getting a new start. You made it possible!!! Your contributions gave this family the head start they needed.

This is the current expression of a tale with a long history; a tale of woe, a tale of hope, a tale of perseverance, and a tale of living in the present with an eye to the future. A family of 6 innocent civilians caught in the political violence around them.

When they were in Baghdad Mom was and engineer. Dad was an entrepreneur who built a small applicance business into a multi-store enterprise. The kids were in school and all was well with the world. Until, well, you know, until the invasion; until the occupation; until the militias took control of the streets; until the criminals became the rulers of neighhborhoods; until the madness of 'the war on terror' became the war on innocent civilians.

When M was first threatened he did not take it seriously, but as he became more and more aware of the executions of people who resisted demands for protection money he became more and more concious of his responsibility to his family. The decision to leave was not easy. To put everything behind...your family, your friends, your business, your schools and doctors, the things that fill your house...this is painful.

But it had to be done. Otherwise there would be death, like the deaths of so many around them who did not cooperate with the gangs that made demands. So, it was off to Amman. Luckily this move was made before Jordan closed its borders to Iraqis (another story in itself).

Things were hard in Jordan. Dad found work, but it was a comedown from being the boss. The Jordanians, long before 'invaded' by Palestinians, had little resources and less patience for these newcomers. The younger kids were tormented at school. Rents and food prices rose in response to the sudden demand of about a million Iraqis who fled the madness next door. But the family 'started over.' "What else could we do?" said mom. They sold what they could in Baghdad, planted roots in Amman and soon the older sons were in college, the younger children studiously following their parents' instructions to do well at school, and making a life for themselves.

It wasn't long afterward that the Baghdad stores were looted, and then burned. This cut their supplemental income and made their staying in Amman a time of hardship. They decided to emigrate to America where they had heard of others making a decent life for themselves. "To the land of the occupier?" Strange, but true.

Soon an application was made to the International Rescue Committee and a year later the family was granted permission to come to the U.S. as refugees. Where to settle? Texas was offered, but the family had heard bad things about the American South and West and they were afraid to settle there. They knew one family in New York City and asked them for sponsorship. Once that was granted they were on their way to the city that never sleeps. But not quite. The two oldest boys were in college and a decision was made to leave them in Jordan to finish school while the rest of the family came to New York.

What a hard place! The government offered 3 months of rent assistance for the familly of four. The cash allowance barely covered food, let alone buying clothing for the coming winter. At $1450/month the IRC found them a small apartment in a roach-infested, dirty building in the Bronx. But all was not lost. The kids made friends and dad found part-time work with an Iraqi-American who has been here for some 15 years. Mom found an unpaid teaching job in a Muslim school, but she thought the experience would be good as she looked for better work.

And then you came to help. Our summer appeal generated an amazing outpouring of generosity. It garnered thousands and thousands of dollars. More than  we expected. They opened a corner store. It is part deli (hot and cold dishes) with table service as well as take-out; part ice-cream shop with lots of flavors; part grocery with the basics one might pick up every day in lieu of a trip to the super market.The family got a head start, from your generous donations, and dad used the money wisely. He found a partner and used the money for licenses, fees, rent, stock, beginning salaries, etc.

(And then M went and found them a new apartment; larger, cheaper, cleaner...on his own initiative. This guy has what it takes. And the children have already made new friends.)

We went to break fast there one evening in Ramadan. Sitting in the back we got to see the store in action as locals came and went for a sandwich, a meal, or just some ice cream. It didn't seem like a new store. It seemed already part of the scene.

Mom had a moment of tears. "I am so tired of this...this starting over. Each time we move we start over. And I miss my boys (still in Jordan), and I worry about them."

We didn't say anything. After a while she continued, "But you know, A and R (the youngest children)are in good schools; we have this good business. All things will be good for us. Inshallah."

M said, "Without this help we could not do it. You people are very generous. And they did not even know us."

And the store is clean. And it's bright. And it's open 24 hours a day. And it's already doing a good business as the predominantly Dominican neighborhood gets to know these newcomers. They are a welcoming group, pleased to have such a bright light on their corner.

"Why food?" I asked. "You were an appliance dealer, a store owner. Why did you pick food?"

"What I know is all people of America like to eat."

And so, with a little help from friends like you, a new start is made a little easier.

 La Salle
117 Nagle Avenue
Manhattan NY 10040-1402
(212) 567-2390

P.S. 121Contact was able to find a full time teaching job for Mom. It's far from their home, but mom is so happy to have it.

 

Sept 1 2010 Pulling the plug on Iraq: Obama's promise to support Iraqis...

Dear Mr. President,

You have, in a way, fulfilled your promise to end the war in Iraq. That's good action.

Back in 2007 you were promising "humanitarian intervention and financial aid to help stem the effects of current and future sectarian violence." That's good talk.

You said on your own website, "We should up our share to at least $2 billion to support this effort; to expand access to social services for refugees in neighboring countries; and to ensure that Iraqis displaced inside their own country can find safe-haven." And that's good talk, too.

The highest we've ever funded for Iraqi civil society and community-based initiatives was $220 million in 2006.

Last year the Obama administration requested only $57 million for civil society. This year: only $32.5 million. Reverse this trend.

 Put some of the cash we save by withdrawing troops to some real peacemaking, purposeful action. We estimate that some 3-4 billion U.S. dollars are available each month. Put your political muscle into making a positive difference in the lives of the millions of Iraqis the American occupation has directly affected.

Thank you,
Bruce Wallace
www.121Contact.typepad.com

Dear Reader: Please consider signing the petition at EPIC. They've been constructively struggling with this issue for a long time.

June 16 2010 121Contact is asking

121Contact is asking for your generous donation.

An Iraqi family of four, friends of ours from Baghdad, is arriving here on Wednesday, June 16, 2010.  The girl is 10 and the boy is 15. Dad was an appliance store owner and mom an engineer.

They were forced to leave Baghdad (a long story) and are here on refugee status.  They were promised support from the U.S. government and we have just found out that the newly revised government support is barely enough for them to survive on:

·        A one bedroom apartment will be provided rent free for 3 months.

·        $300 per month in cash assistance will be provided for 3 months.

·        After 3 months the family will be forced onto welfare with $450/month rent assistance.

We are raising money to give this family a better chance at becoming self-sufficient. The goal is 12 months of rent for a 2 bedroom apartment, plus money for clothing (a winter is in their immediate future), job searching, and public transportation money.

 

We are seeking to raise $22,000. 100% of all gifts will be given to the family.

Make checks payable to Bruce Wallace and mail to:

 

Bruce Wallace

121Contact

523 72^nd Street

Brooklyn NY 11209

 

In loving kindness,

Bruce and Nisreen

[email protected]

 

P.S. We have started to investigate, through the U.S. Office of Refugee Resettlement, ways to increase the support levels for Iraq refugees.