Penn Faculty & Staff Against War on Iraq

Penn Teach-In on the Occupation of Iraq, September 19-21, 2006

In the fall of 2002, hundreds of us in the Penn Community joined millions worldwide in protesting the impending war in Iraq. Everything we said then was true: Iraq did not pose a threat to its neighbors or to the U.S.; Iraq had been decimated by sanctions; U.N. inspectors found no evidence of Weapons of Mass Destruction; Iraq had no role whatsoever in the attacks on 9/11; a U.S. invasion and occupation would violate international law, ignite factional conflict in Iraq and create a humanitarian crisis.

We continue to oppose the war on Iraq. This war was unprovoked, unnecessary, unjustified, and unwise. It violated international law. The primary justifications for the war were without foundation. Prosecuting this war has resulted in massive losses of Iraqi and American lives and has undermined the moral credibility of the United States.

As educators, we are deeply troubled by the distorted coverage of American military actions and policies in Iraq. This most secretive of U.S. administrations — aided and abetted by a largely compliant media — has ignored, trivialized, and demonized dissent. We organized our first Iraq War Teach-In in 2002. Now, as we head towards the vital mid-term elections of 2006, we have presented another. We heard what our distinguished panelists have to say, and we engaged in precisely the kinds of dialogue and critical thinking that our current political leaders discourage.

The Teach-In addressed three critical questions.

1. "How Did We Get Into a Prolonged War in Iraq?"
2. "How is Occupation Impacting the US and Iraq?"
3. "How Can Concerned Citizens Respond?"

Teach-In Schedule

Each evening the Teach-In offered two sessions: a panel discussion at 6:00 p.m. and a related film at 8:00 p.m. All events were free and open to all. No pre-registration was required.

1. "How did we get into a prolonged war in Iraq?"

Panel Discussion, 6:00 p.m.

• Dr. Walter Licht (History), moderator
• Dr. Ian Lustick (Political Science)
• Dr. Eve Troutt Powell (History)
• Dr. Bob Vitalis (Political Science)

Film, 8:00 p.m.

• Film: Why We Fight (2005)
• It is nowhere written that the American empire goes on forever
• Dr. Tim Corrigan (Cinema Studies), moderator

2. "How is Occupation Impacting the US and Iraq?"

Panel Discussion, 6:00 p.m.

• Dr. Andy Lamas (Urban Studies) and Dr. Philip Nichols (Wharton School), moderators
• "US Civil Rights Erosion," Dr. Brian J. Foley (Florida Coastal School of Law)
• "The Economic Impact of the Iraq War," Dr. Ed Herman (Wharton School)
• "Iraqis working to build peace," Thomas Hill (Solomon Asch Center for Study of Ethnopolitical Conflict)
• "Occupation's Impact on Women," Dr. Shannon Lundeen (Alice Paul Center for Research on Women and Gender)
• "The War on Terror vs. International Human Rights," Dr. Sarah Paoletti (Penn Law)
• Bill Perry (Viet Nam Veterans Against the War, Delaware Valley Veterans For America)
• "War's Impact on the US Poor and People of Color," Dr. Barbara Savage (History)

Film, 8:00 p.m.

• Film: The Dreams of Sparrows (2005)
• In their words, through their eyes, by their hands
• Kathy Spillman (Middle East Center), moderator

3. "How Can Concerned Citizens Respond?"

Panel Discussion, 6:00 p.m.

• Dr. David Grossman (Civic House) and Dr. Felicity Paxton (Critical Writing), moderators
• "Women's Responses," Victoria Bowman (Code Pink)
• "Labor, The Economy, and War," John Braxton (US Labor Against the War)
• "Youth of Color and High School Recruitment by the Military," Oskar Castro (AFSC Youth & Militarism)
• "Forewarned is Forearmed: Understanding the Psychology of War and Peace," Roy Eidelson (Solomon Asch Center for Study of Ethnopolitical Conflict): see his related video, "How Conservatives Exploit Our Five Core Concerns"
• "Faith-Based Organizing," Peter Lems (AFSC)
• Spiral Q Puppet Theater
• "How Students Can Vote Where It Counts," Dr. Jay Treat (SAS Computing) and Bren Darrow (Penn Leads the Vote)
• Kate Zaidan (Women's International League for Peace and Freedom)
• Patrick Resta (Iraq Veterans Against the War)

Film, 8:00 p.m.

• Uncovered: The Whole Truth About the Iraq War (2003)
• The story of how truth became the first American casualty in Iraq
• Dr. Michael Delli Carpini (Annenberg School for Communication), moderator

Sponsorship

The following groups are co-sponsoring this Teach-In.

• The African American Resource Center
• AFSCME Local 590 (representing Library Support Staff at Penn)
• The Christian Association
• The Cultural Pluralism Program of the W.E.B. Du Bois College House
• The Franklin Community at Stouffer College House
• The Greenfield Intercultural Center
• The Middle East Center
• The Newman Catholic Student Center
• Penn Faculty & Staff Against War on Iraq
• The Penn Women's Center
• Tabernacle United Church

Blog

Visit the blog for the Teach-In.

Registering to Vote at Penn

In many parts of the country, the mid-term elections in November will be a referendum on the war. Here's a link to information about students' registering to vote at Penn. It has links to websites where you can register online, do political fact checking, and find out more about making your vote count.

For More Info

For more information about Penn Faculty and Staff Against War on Iraq (PFSAWI), including information about subscribing to our mailing list, please visit PFSAWI homepage.

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