Congressional Conflict Prevention Forum

"Peacebuilding in Iraq and Afghanistan: Building Security from the Ground Up"

Four experts from these regions will describe and discuss the relationship between civil society peacebuilding programs and their relationship to security, stabilization, reconstruction, and conflict prevention in Iraq and Afghanistan. Each will share specific stories of concrete projects and how they build security from the ground up.

Samual Rizk, Coordinator of the Arab Partnership for Conflict Prevention and Human Security and Executive Director of the Forum for Development, Culture, and Dialogue will describe his organization's peacebuilding programs currently in operation throughout Iraq and their relationship to regional security.

Hero Anwar, Program Manager of REACH, an Iraqi community development organization doing peacebuilding and development work around Iraq will discuss how their programs prevent violence, deter insurgency, and build security.

Jana El Horr, Program Director, American Islamic Congress led conflict resolution training workshops in South and South Central of Iraq in April 2007. She'll report on the relationship of conflict resolution activities to security and national reconciliation in Iraq.

Hamid Arsalan, Scholar from Afghanistan will report on successful civil society conflict prevention efforts and the important role of education, particularly for girls, in peacebuilding.

A light Middle Eastern lunch will be served.

Please RSVP to schirchl@emu.edu.

Jointly sponsored by the 3D Security Initiative, Education for Peace in Iraq (EPIC), and the Friends Committee on National Legislation.