[Peace-discuss] Invite Muslim Peacemaker Sami Rasouli to speak in C-U?

[Brussel Morton K.]

It might be interesting and informative to have him speak here, but…

Who would his audience be?
We already have informed Iraqi-related people in town.
We are remote from Minneapolis. (Higher costs?)
Who would be responsible for his visit? (Publicity, activities, etc.)

   --mkb

On Nov 4, 2009, at 8:29 AM, Stuart Levy wrote:

> Heard this from Katy Vizdal of the IMC.  Shall we try to invite
> Sami Rasouli, Iraqi founder of the Muslim Peacemaker Teams, to speak  
> here
> while he's traveling in Minnesota/Wisconsin over the next few weeks?
> His schedule (see attachment) is fairly full, but there are openings
> just before Thanksgiving (not ideal), just after (maybe better),
> and in early December.  We'd have to pay an honorarium,
> and for his travel and lodging here, but that should be within reach.
>
> He'd probably be happy to speak both off-campus and on if we like.
> I don't have time to put together a proper writeup on him,
> but wanted to pass the word along so we can get started...
>
> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
> From: Marie Braun <braun044 at umn.edu>
> Date: Sat, Oct 17, 2009 at 9:42 AM
> Subject: Sami Rasouli
> To: katyvizdal at gmail.com, Mike Miles and Barb Kass <anathoth at lakeland.ws 
> >,
> Sami Rasouli <sami.rasouli at gmail.com>
>
>
> Dear Katy,
>
>  My name is Marie Braun and I, together with Mike Miles organize  
> Sami's
> speaking schedule in Minnesota and Wisconsin.  Mike send me your  
> email so I
> am responding.  Generally, when Sami goes to other states, we ask  
> for travel
> expenses, lodging, and a $300 stipend.  Our experience is that  
> colleges and
> universities can come up with money if one or more departments  
> sponsor a
> talk and a student group may have funds.  When a community group has  
> Sami
> speak, we ask for $100 and that a collection be taken at the event;  
> however,
> we do not refuse invitations because a group cannot meet our request  
> for a
> stipend.  The bottom line for going out of state is travel expenses,  
> food
> and lodging and whatever you can raise in donations.
>
>  I am attaching Sami's schedule and an informal and formal bio.  As  
> you
> know, Sami is an Iraqi-American with dual citizenship, who left Iraq  
> in the
> late 1970s, and lived in the Twin Cities area for more than 17  
> years.   In
> November 2004, nearly 30 years after leaving Iraq and following the  
> 2003
> invasion and occupation of his country of origin, Sami returned to  
> Iraq to
> help rebuild his country.   During this time, he founded and  
> supported the
> development of the Muslim Peacemaker Teams, Iraqi groups dedicated  
> to the
> principles of nonviolence, and he recently brought a delegation of  
> thirteen
> Iraqis from the city of Najaf to the city of Minneapolis as part of  
> a Sister
> City Project.
>
>  Sami can speak about the exciting new developments that are taking  
> place
> through the Sister City Project and other person-to-person ventures  
> such as
> Letters for Peace, Water for Peace and the Iraqi Art Project.  He  
> can also
> give a firsthand account of conditions in Iraq today . . . or talk  
> about any
> other aspect of his work that might be of interest to faculty,  
> students and
> the community.  You can find information at www.reconciliationproject.org 
>  <
> http://www.reconciliationproject.org> or  www.mpt-iraq.org/
> Thanks for your interest, .  Please call me if you find an open date  
> that
> works for you.
>
> Best wishes,
>
> Marie Braun
> for Twin Cities Peace Campaign-Focus on Iraq
> 612-522-1861
> cell:  612-275-2720
>
>
>
>
>
> Subject:
> Sami Rasouli
> From:
> Katy Vizdal <katyvizdal at gmail.com>
> Date:
> Fri, 16 Oct 2009 15:00:42 -0500
>
> To:
> anathoth at lakeland.ws
>
>
> Hello, I had the opportunity to meet Sami Rasouli when a group of  
> students
> went up to farm from the University of Illinois in 2008 for  
> Alternative
> Spring Break. I'm now working at the Independent Media Center in  
> Urbana, IL
> at the performance venue coordinator. I think that I would be able to
> generate a lot of local interest in hearing Sami Rasouli speak in this
> venue/town, however I don't know what sort of accommodations would  
> need to
> be met in order to have him down here? We are a non-for profit  
> organization
> so we have very limited funding but perhaps I could organize  
> something to
> get the funds to bring him down here? Is this something that would be
> possible/what kind of money would be involved? Please let me know it  
> would
> be great to see you guys again, Katy Vizdal
>
>
>
> -- 
> Katy Vizdal
> Performance Venue Coordinator
> Independent Media Center
> 202 S. Broadway
> Urbana, IL 61801
>
> Web: http://www.ucimc.org/
>
>
> ----- End forwarded message -----
> <Sami's Schedule - 10-15-09.doc><Sami's bio - informal.doc><Sami  
> Rasouli - Formal  
> bio.doc>_______________________________________________
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