Richmond Teach-In: Rethinking Afghanistan & Iran October 13, 2009

What: Teach-In: Rethinking Afghanistan & Iran
When: Saturday, Oct. 17, 7 pm
Where: Asbury United Methodist Church, 324 N 29th St, Richmond, Virginia 23223

Free and open to the public

On Saturday, Oct. 17, the Defenders for Freedom, Justice & Equality and the Richmond Peace Education Center will co-sponsor a teach-in titled "Rethinking Afghanistan and Iran," to take place at 7 p.m. at Asbury United Methodist Church, 324 N 29th St, Richmond, VA 23223.

Rethink Afghanistan

It's been eight years since the U.S. invaded Afghanistan, making this the longest U.S. military engagement since Vietnam. Many thousands of lives have been lost, including nearly 900 GIs. According to the Center for Defense Information, the estimated cost of this war will reach $439.8 billion by the end of this fiscal year. And the Obama administration is now weighing whether to commit tens of thousands more troops.

The evening will feature Larry Syverson, member of Military Families Speak Out whose son Branden is serving in Afghanistan and stationed at an outpost in Taliban territory. Last week, Syverson organized a protest in downtown Richmond to mark the eighth anniversary of the Afghanistan war, saying: "We need to end these wars and bring ALL our troops home NOW." Syverson will discuss his experience as the parent of a soldier serving in Afghanistan and discuss his opposition to the war.

We will also screen excerpts of the film "Rethink Afghanistan." Has the US war in Afghanistan brought stability to Afghanistan or security to the U.S.? Are the Afghan people better off today than they were eight years ago? Or are we merely laying the groundwork for a longer and wider war, a war without end? These are some of the questions raised by the new documentary film "Rethink Afghanistan," directed by Robert Greenwald, the man behind "Outfoxed," "Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price" and "Iraq For Sale." (For more information, see http://rethinkafghanistan.com.)

Rethink Iran

Nearly every day we are told by government officials and the media that Iran presents a dangerous threat to the U.S., to Israel, to world peace in general. Iran, which hasn't attacked another country in more than 200 years, is presented as a dangerous aggressor that must be contained, sanctioned or even attacked. The similarities to the build-up to the 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq are striking.

What's the real story behind the headlines? Is Iran trying to develop a nuclear bomb? Does it want to destroy Israel or any other state? And what can U.S. peace activists do to prevent yet another war?

These are some of the questions that will be addressed by Phil Wilayto, one of the few U.S. anti-war activists to have actually traveled in Iran. Phil is editor of The Virginia Defender newspaper and author of "In Defense of Iran: Notes from a U.S. Peace Delegation's Journey through the Islamic Republic." Along with peace activists Cindy Sheehan and Kathy Kelly, he was a speaker at the Conference to End Sanctions sponsored by the National Association of Muslim American Women and held Sept. 29 at Trinity University in Washington, D.C.

With the world in the midst of the greatest economic crisis since the Great Depression, we cannot afford to sit by and let our country drift into a wider and deeper state of permanent war.

Please join us on Saturday, Oct. 17, for a wide ranging discussion as we "Rethink Afghanistan and Iran."

For more information, contact:

Richmond Peace Education Center: (804) 232-1002; email: rpec@rpec.org

Defenders for Freedom, Justice & Equality: (804) 644-5834; e-mail: DefendersFJE@hotmail.com

Official Website: http://www.defendersfje.org/id26.html