NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ - On the weekend of October 5-7, 2007, Rutgers Against the War (RAW) and the Central Jersey Coalition Against Endless War will host a conference on the issue of veterans returning from the Iraq War, "Marching Home." Rutgers Against the War is a student group with a tradition of hosting panels on issues related to war and military recruitment that include nationally renowned figures. The three day free conference will feature veterans and experts from around the country presenting their experiences to each other and the community at large.
http://www.MarchingHome.org
Featured speakers will include Award-winning journalist of "Democracy Now," Amy Goodman; Iraq War veteran and former military recruiter and Marine Staff Sgt., Jimmy Massey; National Coordinator for Vietnam Veterans for Peace, Bill Perry; Iraq war veteran and Co-founder of the Appeal for Redress, Liam Madden; Iraqi-American doctor Dahlia Wasfi, who testified before Congress on conditions inside Iraq; and Ret. Col. Ann Wright, who resigned her position in protest to the invasion of Iraq.
Topics for breakout sessions include: Transitioning from the War and the Challenges of PTSD, the Humanitarian Costs of War, Outreach to Vets, Military Recruitment and Youth, Women in the Military, and Depleted Uranium.
Specialist Patrick Resta, who served in Iraq as an Army medic and will speak at the conference, is hopeful that dialogue with students and community members will be a catalyst for the change necessary to bring an end to the Iraq War. "I think that it's obvious that this country, and especially the men and women in the military, want to see a change of direction in Iraq," he said. "The only thing missing is the leadership necessary to move the politicians of both parties to a position that ends our involvement in Iraq. The veterans of this war and students are ready to provide that leadership and they have a powerful voice that needs to be heard."
"As a student who leads a relatively sheltered life on campus, I look forward to hearing firsthand from soldiers, many of them the same age as me or younger, about the detrimental costs of this war and the issues they face on a daily basis within the military," said Suzan Sanal, a Rutgers University junior and active member in RAW. "We have already been working to combat unfair and dishonest military recruiting tactics on our campus and others nearby, but we hope this conference will reach more students and broaden our perspective as we begin to hear from what will be a flood of veterans returning from combat. This is going to be an issue that affects our generation for years to come."
For more information and to register for the conference, go to Marchinghome.org, RutgersAgainsttheWar.org and AgainstEndlessWar.org. The CJCAEW is a New Brunswick/Highland Park based peace group that has co-sponsored events with Rutgers Against the War for the last two years. The conference will be dedicated to the memory of Vietnam Veteran David Cline.
WHAT: Rutgers Against the War and Central Jersey Coalition against Endless War present, Marching Home: A conference on the Iraq War and its consequences for veterans
WHO: Speakers: Amy Goodman of "Democracy Now!"; Iraq War veteran and former military recruiter and Marine Staff Sgt., Jimmy Massey; National Coordinator for Vietnam Veterans for Peace, Bill Perry; Iraq war veteran and Co-founder of the Appeal for Redress, Liam Madden; Iraqi-American doctor Dahlia Wasfi; Ret. Col. Ann Wright; veterans; Rutgers students; faculty; staff and community members
WHERE: Friday: Voorhees Hall room 105, 71 Hamilton St, New Brunswick
Saturday: Multi-purpose Room of the Rutgers University College Avenue Campus Student Center, 126 College Ave, New Brunswick
Sunday: Graduate Student Lounge in the Rutgers University College Avenue Campus Student Center, 126 College Ave, New Brunswick
WHEN: Friday, October 5th 7:00 p.m.-Sunday, October 7th 1:00 p.m.