“Voices of Dissent”

An evening of music and testimony from soldiers and others who have recently returned from Iraq

Contact: Center for Social Concern at Johns Hopkins (Bill or Dag) 410-516-4777

AFSC (Laura Bennett) 410-323-7200 x 16; lbennett-AT-afsc.org

Johns Hopkins University will be the site of the first major anti-war event this fall in Baltimore. "Voices of Dissent," featuring music and speakers, will take place in Hodson Hall on the Homewood campus of the university on October 14 at 8:00 PM. Five speakers will provide up-to-date testimony about the devastating results of the war in Iraq: Lt. Paul Riechoff, who founded Operation Truth after returning from duty in Iraq in February, Mary Trotochaud and Rick McDowell, who served as peace delegation representatives of the American Friends Service Committee in Baghdad, Peggy Gish, who coordinates the work of the Christian Peacemaker Teams in Iraq, and Celeste Zappala, who lost her son in combat in Iraq. Charlie King and Karen Brandow, renowned musical storytellers and political satirists from Massachusetts, will perform two sets. The event will be hosted by Eric Gustafson, a veteran of the first Gulf War and Director of the Education for Peace in Iraq Center. Admission is gratis, but people are encouraged to bring school supplies which will be forwarded by the Johns Hopkins Interfaith Center to children in Iraq.

Background of the performers and speakers

Lt. Paul Rieckhoff is the Executive Director and Founder of Operation Truth (www.optruth.org). Paul is currently a 1st Lieutenant in the New York Army National Guard, and returned from a tour of duty in Iraq lasting from April 2003 to February 2004. Paul served as an Infantry Platoon Leader in the 3rd Infantry Division conducting combat operations in the Adamiyah section of Baghdad. Prior to going to Iraq, Paul worked as an investment banking analyst on Wall Street. He received a Bachelor’s degree in political science from Amherst College.

Celeste Zappala is a member of Military Families Speak Out (www.mfso.org). Her son, Sherwood Baker, died in an explosion in Baghdad on April 26, 2004. He was a member of the Pennsylvania National Guard, a social worker, a husband, and the father of a 9-year-old child.

Mary Trotochaud and Rick McDowell are long time activists on Middle East policy and have worked over the last several years as representatives of the American Friends Service Committee in Iraq (www.afsc.org/iraq). They bring deep experience, much passion and a wide range of working relationships with people and groups in the Middle East. Mary and Rick know U.S. government officials and most NGO staff in Baghdad (they are friends of the two Italian women who were recently kidnapped) and have developed an in-depth picture of the current situation in Iraq and American foreign policy in the Middle East.

Eric Gustafson is director of the Education for Peace in Iraq Center (www.epic-usa.org). A veteran of the Gulf War (1990-91), Eric spent eight months in Saudi Arabia with the 864th Engineer Battalion, building hospitals, roads and POW camps. After traveling to Iraq in 1997, he became a determined opponent of sanctions and founded EPIC to promote policies that improve the lives of ordinary Iraqis. He has testified at congressional hearings about Iraq and has been interviewed numerous times for national television and radio news programs.

Peggy Gish coordinates the work of the Christian Peacemaker Teams in Iraq (www.cpt.org). She and the CPT have been helping Iraqi communities cope with the trauma of sanctions and war since October 2002. Peggy has been investigating prison conditions in Iraq since May 2003.

Charlie King and Karen Brandow are musical storytellers and political satirists based in Shelburne Falls, MA. Charlie has been at the heart of the American folk music scene for over 40 years and Karen and Charlie have been performing together since 1998. Their songs tell stories of the extraordinary lives of ordinary people. Pete Seeger, who sings Charlie’s songs, calls him, “one of the finest singers and songwriters of our time.” Charlie and Karen have released three CDs, including their latest, Sparks and Tears (www.charlieking.org).

Principal Sponsors

The Center for Social Concern at Johns Hopkins University and the American Friends Service Committee

Iraq School Supply Drive

During the months of September and October, students at Johns Hopkins University are collecting school supplies to send to children in Iraq. The drive was started in response to a request by a recent Hopkins graduate who is currently serving in the military as an Arabic interpreter in Iraq and has witnessed the dire need for school supplies.

The Interfaith Center at the university, in conjunction with many religious groups on campus, will forward school supplies that are in new or good condition to Iraq.