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Or print off the handbills.

Thursday, March 18
Memorial Preparation

• teach-in, learn-about; final marker making, POTA Camp on the Mall, north of Washington Monument
• Dahr Jamail and Sam Husseini present at Busboys & Poets (V St)

Friday, March 19

• 8:00 am - 5:00 pm Build the memorial
• 7:00 – 9:30 pm Complete memorial, prepare & place luminaries for candlelight

• 9:30 pm Silent vigil, candle light procession, lighting luminaries
• 10:34 pm "The still silent voice" moments in remembrance of Baghdad / Iraq.

• Opening remarks, Douglas Mackey, FOR-IMtL Coordinator
• Josh Stieber, Iraq War Veteran
• Salam Hassan, Iraqi whose brother was killed in Iraq
• Dahr Jamail, Journalist, Author
• Mark Johnson, Fellowship of Reconciliation - Executive Director
• Cindy Sheehan, Founder of Peace of the Action

7:00 PM Memorial Closing (Memorial may extend into more days if permit allows)

Sunday, March 14

10:00 am (approximate) Opening of the Memorial - Walk to Strawberry Fields with Rowand Suleiman's Memorial Marker.

12:00 pm Memorial Dedication

• Speakers
• Opening remarks, Douglas Mackey, FOR-IMtL Coordinator
• Bruce Wallace, 1-2-1 Contact,
• Nisreen, Iraqi living in US
• Salam Hassan Talib, Iraqi whose brother was killed in Iraq
• David Enders, journalist and author
• Elaine Brower, Military Families Speak Out (MFSO)
• Mark Johnson, Executive Director, Fellowship of Reconciliation

The Iraq Memorial to Life installation began Saturday morning adjacent to the Arlington Northwest Memorial recognizing the cost of war to US military personnel. Saturday evening the Arlington Northwest Memorial was taken down and the remaining markers were placed in the memorial; remaining there until the closing ceremony Sunday evening.

The opening ceremony included words from Arthur Vaeni, Olympia Unitarian Universalist Congregation, Koro Kaisan Miles, Zen Buddhist - Open Gate Zendo spoke about the meanings of silence during observances as the Iraq Memorial to Life. The closing ceremony began with a First Peoples cleansing and blessing of the space, per the old ways. Project organizers spoke about the experience of making the memorial and their hope for serious work on reparations in Iraq. Iraq War Veteran Jim Brightmoon spoke about his experience as a medic. During Jim's walk the memorial he found

The Iraq Memorial to Life - Friday, March 20 & Saturday, March 21, 2009
Heritage Park, 5th Ave. SW & Water Street, Olympia
Representing the desire for peace and reconciliation, the Memorial presents markers for the civilians whose deaths have been documented to be a result of the US-led invasion that began March 19, 2003.

Friday, March 20

• 1:00pm Opening Ceremony
  • Invocation, Arthur Vaeni, Olympia Unitarian Universalist Congregation
  • Walking Meditation, Koro Kaisan Miles, Zen Buddhist - Open Gate Zendo
  • Words connecting people, Bill Ransom, Poet, The Evergreen State College
• 2:00pm Dedication
  • Imam Twahiru Mohammed, Islamic Center of Olympia
  • Salam Talib Hassan, Iraqi living in US, Computer Specialist, Journalist, translator for Dahr Jamail
• 8:00pm Vigil-Candle Lighting
  • Bernie Meyer, American Gandhi, Olympia area peace activist

• 4:00pm Closing Ceremony
  • A veteran for peace, Robert Poteat, Rachel Corrie Chapter Veterans For Peace
  • Words inward/onward, Larry Kerschner, Poet, Rachel Corrie Chapter Veterans For Peace
  • Islamic Community Message, Muhammed Ayub, Islamic Center of Olympia
  • Memorial Moves On, Arthur Vaeni, Olympia Unitarian Universalist Congregation
• 5:00pm Begin take-down

Media Contact:
Dennis Mills (360) 888-3704

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