Monthly Archive for March, 2006

Real Security Hearing at U Maine

Published on March 25, 2006 in Iraq and Podcasts. Closed

This extraordinary podcast is the introduction and Keynote from the Real Security Hearing at the University of Maine, Orono, ME on March 25, 2006.

The keynote presentation is given by Rita and Richard Clement, Maine parents whose son served in the US Army in Iraq and has since returned. Their story is heartfelt and moving. The Clements show deep respect for the service of their son and the hundreds of thousands of others sent to Iraq, even though they say, “Our real security has been much lessened by the actions of our government.”

About their son, Rita Clement says, “He appears to be doing all right. I guess we didn’t expect him to come back the way he left.”

Their presentation at our event yesterday is at once heartfelt, riveting, full of relief that their son made it home more or less in one piece, and hopeful. They have vision, and they want us to share it with them. Truly an extraordinary day.

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57 min; 13 MB; 32 kbps mp3; download link here ->

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U Maine Iraq war three-year panel

Published on March 23, 2006 in Iraq and Podcasts. Closed

The regular Thursday series at the University of Maine on March 23, 2006 featured a panel discussion, “The Iraq War: Lessons Three Years after the U.S. Invasion and Occupation”. Presentations by Ilze Petersons, Coordinator, Peace & Justice Center of Eastern Maine; Michael Howard, philosophy, University of Maine; Alex Grab, history, University of Maine; and Doug Allen, philosophy, University of Maine are included in this archive podcast.

My favorite part of this panel is where Ilze recounts the amazing array of peace and justice work that is done by thousands of people day-in, day-out, every day all over the state of Maine:

ILZE PETERSONS: …those of us who remember the many years it took to build the movement to end the war in Vietnam, to gain women’s suffrage, to enact civil rights legislation, are heartened by the strength of the growing peace & justice movement. More than ten weekly peace vigils have been held in communities around the state for the past four years–in Presque Isle, in Houlton, in Harrington, …, Deer Isle, Brunwick, Waterville, Farmington, Portland, and every Tuesday in front of the Federal Building in Bangor [at 5 pm]….

New organizations have sprung up in local communities across the nation… And following the lead of Cindy Sheehan, is the organization Military Families Speak Out, which will be sponsoring the event at [the talk by US Senator Susan Collins in Orono] today….

And as we all know, there’s been a steady stream of articulate letters to the editor, opeds, many have signed petitions, called and visited Congressional offices, held readings of Iraq war dead, planted flags on lawns, travelled to Augusta, New York, and Washington DC, held Chains of Concern, formed Bridges of Peace, attended town meetings, held hearings.

One of the most effective, successful collaborations was the statewide response was when the University of Maine had planned a conference on doing business in Iraq, and people from around the state got together, and stopped it. And it just shows the power that we have when we unite.

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43 min; 10 MB; 32 kbps mp3; download link here ->