Organization of Women's Freedom In Iraq, INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY 8MAR13

THE war on women in the US has intensified over the past decade mostly due to the perversion of Christianity by right wing social engineers. The assaults on women's rights, freedoms, and equality  must be fought and defeated. Compared to the majority of  First World nations American women have a long way to go, but there are too many countries where women have to fight every day for their lives. Here is a report on the Organization of Women's Freedom in Iraq almost 10 years after 
the US invasion of Iraq, 

Support OWFI Like OWFI on Facebook. Make a donation to OWFI. Learn more about OWFI's work. Send IVAW your feedback. Iraqi Women are fighting for their country's future On this International Women's Day, we highlight the work of the Organization of Women's Freedom in Iraq (OWFI). We are presently collaborating with OWFI to raise awareness about the effects of more than a decade of war on and in Iraq by the United States. Together with OWFI on March 19th, the tenth anniversary of the US invasion, we will be taking joint action in Washington, DC to hold the US government accountable for our collective Right to Heal and rebuild. (Stay tuned for more on this action. . .) Through its grassroots organizing, its radio show, and its newsletter, OWFI has been working: against the corruption and sectarianism of the U.S.-installed government; to care for those whose health has been negatively affected by the war's environmental damage; against Islamic fundamentalism and tribal patriarchal practices; to protect women and girls from violence and sex trafficking; for the tens of thousands of children orphaned by war; and to free thousands of political prisoners being held by the Iraqi government without charges. We are honored to work with OWFI and learn from their movement. You can support OWFI with a donation and by liking OWFI's Facebook page. In Solidarity, Maggie, Amadee, Matt, Selena, and Elly Staff, Iraq Veterans Against the War and the Afghanistan Veterans Against the War Committee

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Remembering the mothers who have lost their children to war. 13MAI12

IN honor of the Mothers who bore the children sacrificed on the alter of war...

Support our work with a generous donation. Send us your feedback. This Mother's Day, we honor all mothers affected by war, in particular those who have suffered the ultimate loss of a child from war. These days, we must count the losses of our soldiers killed in action, but also those who die by their own hands both on and off the battlefield, as military suicides now exceed the number of combat deaths. IVAW is focused on ending the Afghanistan War, and our Operation Recovery Campaign is working to end the deployment of traumatized troops and fighting for service members' right to heal from war so no more mothers have to experience the losing a child to war. Today, we honor the origins of Mother's Day as an international call to end all wars. ********************************************************************************************** Mother's Day Proclamation by Julia Ward Howe, 1870 Arise, then, women of this day! Arise, all women who have hearts, Whether our baptism be of water or of tears! Say firmly: "We will not have great questions decided by irrelevant agencies, Our husbands will not come to us, reeking with carnage, for caresses and applause. Our sons shall not be taken from us to unlearn All that we have been able to teach them of charity, mercy and patience. We, the women of one country, will be too tender of those of another country To allow our sons to be trained to injure theirs." From the bosom of the devastated Earth a voice goes up with our own. It says: "Disarm! Disarm! The sword of murder is not the balance of justice." Blood does not wipe out dishonor, nor violence indicate possession. As men have often forsaken the plough and the anvil at the summons of war, Let women now leave all that may be left of home for a great and earnest day of counsel. Let them meet first, as women, to bewail and commemorate the dead. Let them solemnly take counsel with each other as to the means Whereby the great human family can live in peace, Each bearing after his own time the sacred impress, not of Caesar, But of God. In the name of womanhood and humanity, I earnestly ask That a general congress of women without limit of nationality May be appointed and held at someplace deemed most convenient And at the earliest period consistent with its objects, To promote the alliance of the different nationalities, The amicable settlement of international questions, The great and general interests of peace. *********************************************** In Solidarity, Iraq Veterans Against the War Afghanistan Veterans Against the War Committee

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IRAQ VERERANS AGAINST THE WAR UPDATE; Things we thought you should know...3FEB12

UPDATE from the IVAW on the Ft Hood virtual town hall last week, over 100,000 participated!!!! This is a major victory for all of us concerned about the redeployment of troops suffering from PTSD, TBI and MST as well as making the US Military aware of the problems the troops face getting care once they are home. There is also info on the film 'Invisible War' documenting the risk women face while serving our nation in the military. We must keep up the pressure because these men and women deserve our support.....

Take Action Read about Scott Olsen in this month's Rolling Stone magazine. Watch the trailer for the film Invisible War. Donate to support our work. Send us your feedback. Report back from Fort Hood virtual town hall - You helped make it happen! Thanks to your support, we got General Campbell, Commander of Fort Hood, to hold a town hall meeting last week via Facebook and Fort Hood's tv station. Approximately 100,000 people participated in the town hall by viewing the proceedings or by actively asking questions. (Because of the volume of questions that were asked, Fort Hood officials are still posting responses to the questions they didn't get to during the live event.) More than 200 Operation Recovery supporters like you posted messages of solidarity to Facebook, letting the Fort Hood community know that they have support and watchful eyes from the outside community. We thank you! While we had concerns that a virtual town hall had its limitations, we made the most of it by asking a series of questions highlighting the issues of military trauma, including the fact that soldiers are intimated by their command when they seek treatment in combat and the inadequate response to and prosecution of cases of military rape. Half of the questions that the General answered on the air were submitted by members of our Operation Recovery campaign. In answering these questions, the General laid out the existing regulations and procedures that his officials are bound to follow in such situations. The problem is, many do not. However, General Campbell is now on the record for positively supporting the principles of the Operation Recovery campaign - that soldiers have the right to heal. Fort Hood's town hall was a small step in the right direction, and now we will go beyond the General's lip service to ensure that the rights of Fort Hood soldiers are no longer violated. Invisible War film wins Audience Award at Sundance Film Festival It is more likely that a woman service member will be raped than killed in combat. The film, Invisible War, takes an in-depth look at epidemic of military rape and how this crime is systematically covered up. Watch the trailer here: Scott Olsen featured in this month's Rolling Stone Check out this in-depth interview with Scott by Mark Binelli.  In it, Scott talks about his prior military service in Iraq, his involvement in the Wisconsin protests against Governor Walker in 2011 and his subsequent involvement in the Occupy movement. These are just some things we thought you should know. In Solidarity, Iraq Veterans Against the War and the Afghanistan Veterans Against the War Committee

Iraq Veterans Against the War is a 501(c)(3) charity, and welcomes your tax deductible contributions

Veterans Day 2011 Focus: Women vets and service members 7NOV11

TODAY IS VETERAN'S DAY. This from IVAW, Iraq Veteran's Against The War, highlighting the service and challenges facing women veteran's, including MST (Military Sexual Trauma), PTSD, homelessness and unemployment. You can show your appreciation by doing more than forwarding sappy e mails about supporting our troops. Click the link to get postcards from the IVAW (I did) calling on the commander of Ft Hood to address the lack of services and treatment for vets suffering from PTSD, TBI and MST and to do more to prevent vets from committing suicide.

Take Action for Veterans Day! Sign up here to help with our postcard campaign targeting Fort Hood Commander Campbell. Donate to off-set costs of postcard mailings. Send us your feedback. Veterans Day 2011: A focus on Women veterans' and service members' right to heal This Friday is Veterans Day, and IVAW's Operation Recovery campaign will be highlighting the experiences of women veterans and service members.  Of the approximately 2 million who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan, about 200,000 are women.  Women service members and veterans face many of the same challenges that others in the military community face, but their experience is compounded by the institutionalized sexism and gender discrimination of the military and the VA system. What women veterans and service members are experiencing: Approximately 40% of active duty women have children, but military childcare is not meeting the current need and there are limited mental health services to help military mothers and their children. Many VA medical centers are not women-friendly, and half of the nation's VA medical centers do not have a gynecologist on staff. 1 in 3 women veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan who were diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress also reported Military Sexual Trauma. Those women reporting MST were 4 times more likely to develop Post Traumatic Stress than those not reporting MST.  (MST also affects men. In FY 2010, the 45.7% of veterans who screened positive for MST were men.) While the Veterans Benefits Administration approves 53% of all claims related to Post Traumatic Stress, it accepts far fewer claims — only 32% — when the PTS is related to sexual trauma. Prosecution rates for sexual predators in the military is low; in 2010 less than 21% of cases went to trial. Of these, only 53% were convicted. Women veterans are are twice as likely to become homeless as women who never served in the military. In the last ten years, the number of women veterans who have become homeless has doubled.  Most of them are under age 35. It is harder for women veterans to find a job after the service. 14.7% of women veterans are unemployed. At Fort Hood, Texas, where our Operation Recovery campaign has been conducting outreach to hundreds of service members, women who are struggling for their right to heal face special challenges as well.  On a base that is home to approximately 50,000 troops and their families, there are only two staff people tasked with sexual assault care coordination for the entire military community.  Many women soldiers we've met struggle with getting childcare when they need it. Take action with IVAW this Veterans Day This Veterans Day weekend, IVAW chapters will be distributing postcards targeting General Campbell, Commander of Fort Hood, with 2 demands: 1) That he host a Town Hall meeting at Fort Hood addressing issues of military trauma, suicide, over-medication, and access to care for the Fort Hood community. 2) That he take serious steps to increase access to care for those soldiers suffering from Post Traumatic Stress, Military Sexual Trauma, and Traumatic Brain Injury. Members of the Fort Hood IVAW chapter will be holding an action targeting the General with these demands. To get a stack of postcards to distribute to your friends or have us send a postcard to General Campbell in your name, sign up here. Join in a local IVAW chapter event near your community: Central Illinois - Contact: Scott Kimball NOV 10th - Action targeting Tim Johnson IL 15th District Representative on his voting against bills for justice for victims of MST. Chicago, IL - Contact: Aaron Hughes NOV 9th 5-9PM - Fatigues Clothesline Workshop at the National Veterans Art Museum, 1801 S. Indiana Ave. Chicago, IL NOV 10th 8-11PM - Occupied: Performance of War at the Hideout Inn, 1354 W Wabansia Ave. Chicago, IL NOV 11th 11AM - Memorial and speak out on the struggles and triumphs of women’s experience in the military at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial (Corner of E. Wacker Dr. and N. Wabash Ave.) Chicago, IL NOV 11th 5PM - Radical Vulnerability opening at the National Veterans Art Museum, 1801 S. Indiana Ave. Chicago, IL NOV 12th 3PM - Lonely Soldier Monologues at the National Veterans Art Museum, 1801 S. Indiana Ave. Chicago, IL Denver, CO - Contact: Kelly Dougherty NOV. 13th 7-8:30PM - Author Antonia Juhasz and IVAW members speak out at Unitarian Universalists Church of Boulder, 5001 Pennsylvania Avenue  Boulder, CO 80303. NOV. 17th - Poster Girl screening and discussion with star, Robynn Murray, and Sarah Nesson (director) Detroit, MI - Contact: Maggie Martin NOV 11th 3-4PM - Operation Recovery: Women in the Military speak out at Marygrove College, 8425 W. McNichols Rd. Detroit, MI Ft. Hood, TX - Contact: Kyle Wesolowski NOV. 11th - Killeen Poetry Slam highlighting veteran experience at Under the Hood Cafe and GI Outreach Center, 17 College St. Killeen, TX Joint Base Lewis McChord, WA - Contact: Andrew Wright NOV. 11th - A panel discussion followed by showing of Poster Girl at Coffee Strong 15109 Union Ave SW, Lakewood, WA Madison, WI - Contact: Todd Dennis NOV. 11th 8PM - Bandallamas and Friends at the Barrymore Theatre 2090 Atwood Ave., Madison, WI New Hampshire - Contact: Will Hopkins NOV. 11th - March with local Veterans For Peace in Manchester  San Francisco/Bay Area, CA - Contact: Matt Howard NOV. 9th 3:15-4:30PM - Screening of Poster Girl and talk by Dottie Guy and Emily Yates at City College of San Francisco, Rosenburg Library, RM 304, 50 Phelan Ave., San Francisco, CA NOV. 11th 11AM - Veterans Day March, Market St. San Francisco, CA  NOV. 13th 6-9PM - Public Screening of Poster Girl and panel discussion at San Francisco Quaker Meeting House, 65 9th St. San Francisco, CA New York, NY - Contact: Jose Vasquez NOV. 11th 6PM - Vetallica Benefit Show at Arlene’s Grocery 95 Stanton St. New York, NY Philadelphia, PA Contact: Amy Herrera NOV 10th 8PM - Women Are Veterans Day wheat pasting NOV 11th 12PM - Warrior Writer reading featuring Women Veterans at the  Penn University Book Store, 3601 Walnut St., Philadelphia, PA Pittsburgh, PA - Contact: Joyce Wagner NOV. 11th 6-8PM Lay Down Your Arms at the Justseeds Global Distribution Center 3410 Penn Ave. 2nd Floor, Pittsburgh, PA Rochester, NY - Contact: Ken Braley NOV 11th 5:30PM - Veterans of the 99% March and Rally at Washington Square Park, Rochester, NY In Solidarity, Iraq Veterans Against the War

Iraq Veterans Against the War is a 501(c)(3) charity, and welcomes your tax deductible contributions

Decade of War Awareness Month Kick Off! from IVAW 8SEP11

IVAW'S kickoff of the 10th anniversary of our war in Afghanistan, a war that we need to end and bring our troops home now! Check out warvoices.com...

This weekend, our nation will somberly mark 10 years since the September 11th attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.  As we grieve for the victims and their families, another milestone looms: the October 7 anniversary of the invasion of Afghanistan and the beginning of the Global War on Terror. A decade in, the American public still knows very little about the Afghan people or the situation on the ground in Afghanistan.  Meanwhile, Congress continues to increase military spending as we are faced with rising unemployment, a foreclosure crisis, and funding cuts for education, social security, and healthcare. In response, IVAW is working with a coalition of anti-war and social justice organizations to launch a Decade of War Awareness Month from September 7 to October 7. Throughout the month, we will be working with our partner organizations (including Military Families Speak Out, War Resisters League, Veterans for Peace, and Afghans for Peace) to promote relationship-building among people and communities affected by U.S. militarism and the war economy in both the U.S. and Afghanistan. At WarVoices.org, you'll find resources on the U.S. war economy and current on-the-ground realities in Afghanistan, including a full public education curriculum deisgned for your community. We encourage you to use this curriculum to orchestrate workshops and explore how U.S. militarism and military spending relate to your local campaigns for social and economic justice, both directly and indirectly, across a wide-range of issues. The month will culminate on October 7 in Washington D.C. with a unique forum, War Voices: Building Community After a Decade of Struggle at Home and Abroad. Through story-telling, workshops, discussions, and cultural performances, we will build our power as a movement by meeting one another, building relationships that will inspire us for the long haul, envisioning new directions for the future, and planting the seeds for structures of mutual support and solidarity that will allow us to create a demilitarized world.  To register local events in your community to commemorate the 10th anniversary or for more information, please visit WarVoices.com.

Iraq Veterans Against the War is a 501(c)(3) charity, and welcomes your tax deductible contributions