Press Releases

March 11, 2004

Real Life Going on in Iraq: Peter Lems to Lecture at Southampton College
Activist Peter Lems Describes His Experiences Living in War Zone

Contact:
Amanda Olsen
631-287-8313

Southampton, NY - Peter Lems, American Friends Service Committee's (AFSC) Associate for Iraq, will speak at Southampton College on Sunday, March 21 at 2 p.m. in Duke Lecture Hall.

Lems, whose role at the AFSC is to help educate the public about issues related to Iraq and U.S. foreign policy, has led a number of delegations to the Middle East, escorting groups to Iraq to investigate the effects of U.S. sanctions there. He has also participated in AFSC delegations to Israel, Palestine and Jordan. Lems just returned from Iraq and is currently on a speaking tour of the United States.

The tradition of the American Friends Service Committee is to help people on all sides of a conflict. The AFSC's work in Iraq is taking place in phases. The initial focus for staff in Baghdad and Amman, Jordan, was to deliver relief materials and provide on-the-ground accounts of the war's impact. Much of that work continues. The current phase involves support for emerging non-governmental organizations and Iraqi civil society. The organization works primarily with women's groups, the union of unemployed, and children's art projects that help them express the hopes and fears about their unpredictable lives.

For further information on this talk call professor Radh Achuthan at (631) 287-8414.

For more information about the AFSC's work in Iraq, go to www.afsc.org or contact the Iraq Peacebuilding Program at (215) 241-7170.