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Greetings, I met Eric Edgin last month. He participated in the "U.S. Policy on Iraq" Public Forum featuring Scott Ritter in Indianpolis, the delegation visit to Senator Lugar's office, and the South Bend demonstration. He is involvement in Voices In The Wilderness and will be leaving for Iraq on October 1 as a member of the latest Iraq Peace Team. Eric is seeking opportunities to speak about his experiences in Iraq upon his return to the States in November. He is in need of financial support and will accept contributions of any size. Please help make this first-hand account of witness to life in Iraq, a reality. Thank you very much! Please read the following letter from Eric and distribute it broadly. Peace and blessings, Timothy Baer ----------------------------------------------------- URGENT Concerned Citizen, I am from Indianapolis, IN and am an activist involved in ending the sanctions on Iraq and the escalation of the war. I first learned of the sanctions about four years ago, through a political Christian band called Crashdog. They had a link on their website to Voices in the Wilderness. I became very interested in the subject and read as much as I could on it. This also got me into other areas of peace politics. I decided that I wanted to go on a "Voices" delegation. I told all my friends and family about the sanctions. At first, some didn't hold my point of view, usually because of things they had heard through the media, which fail to truly show the lives of the Iraqi people. Although, over time, my influence changed their view point. Now, one of the people who I used to debate the subject with, is in full support of me and is going to be a member of my support team while I am in Iraq. I will be traveling to Iraq with the Iraq Peace Team on October 1st. In Iraq, Peace Team members will be living with Iraqi people under the conditions of the sanctions either living in Baghdad or Basra. We will use our experiences to speak truthfully, from Iraq and through supporters in the US, to all who will listen about the effects of the sanctions and war on the people of Iraq. For documentation, we will be using digital cameras and mini-disc recorders to send information home over the internet to support persons. Upon return, we will also use this information to speak about what we have seen in Iraq. We, as a team, do not take the side of any government, none of whom we consider blameless, and all of whom we ask to initiate dialogue and negotiation, especially under the auspices of the Secretary General of the United Nations. As peace-minded people, we deplore any human rights violation, including those inherent in the Security Council sanctions that have been imposed on the Iraqi people for 12 years. Many of the people involved with the peace team have spent years working to end the economic sanctions against Iraq and have visited those in Iraq most affected by the sanctions. They have seen the grievous and enduring results of the 1991 war and the bombings by the US and the UK that have continued since then. They have visited the hospitals and schools in many areas of Iraq. At home, they have done all that they can to end the embargo and to advocate the beginnings of a disarmament of the entire region. I am fortunate enough to be able to be a part of the Iraq Peace Team. Each member of the IPT is to raise their own funds. The money will pay for airfare, travel into and inside Iraq, food and water, as well as any other expenses. I have not yet reached my goal of $2000 and need your help. I am asking for donations of $20 to $50. I would love to speak anywhere I could get a chance especially after returning from Iraq. I would prefer that all donations be sent directly to Voices in the Wilderness, just specify that the all donations are for Eric Edgin. Thank you, Eric Edgin Eric Edgin c/o Solidarity Books 860 Virginia Ave Indianapolis, IN 46203 e-mail: xedginx@yahoo.com 317.822.8003 Voices in the Wilderness 1460 W. Carmen Ave Chicago, IL 60640 info@vitw.org 773.784.8065 www.vitw.org www.iraqpeaceteam.org _________________________________________________________________ Join the world’s largest e-mail service with MSN Hotmail. http://www.hotmail.com _______________________________________________ Sent via the discussion list of the Campaign Against Sanctions on Iraq. To unsubscribe, visit http://lists.casi.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/casi-discuss To contact the list manager, email casi-discuss-admin@lists.casi.org.uk All postings are archived on CASI's website: http://www.casi.org.uk