Now, Time to Remember Another Election
Friends of Direct Aid Iraq,
One the day after the historic election in the United States, there is hope among many in the United States and elsewhere that the relationship between the US government and the people of Iraq will change for the better as a result of an improvement in US policy toward Iraq and the surrounding region.
We, the Iraqi and American team members of Direct Aid Iraq, very much hope this will be the case.
But we also hope that you’ll remember the other election coming up - the one in Iraq. And through this attention, we hope you and those in your community will remember the Iraqi people in these next weeks and months.
We know that throughout this election cycle, as the news from Iraq has gradually faded from view in the US and international media, Iraqis both inside and outside Iraq continue to face desperate circumstances. The need for support and solidarity remains urgent and vast, with more than 5 million of Iraq’s people displaced, continuing violence, and lack of access to basic life-sustaining services like clean water and emergency health care. In recent weeks, DAI’s Iraqi team members in the Middle East have worked to secure lifesaving assistance for dozens of people in need or urgent medical care. The American responsibility to the Iraqi people has not diminished, though we recognize the challenges facing the American people have increased.
And so the work of DAI and our partner organizations must also continue, in this challenging time of hope.
That’s why we’re asking you to join us in renewing our commitment to supporting Iraqis in building a future of peace and prosperity for their country - because they need hope just as much as Americans do.
Let’s do all we can, in this time of transition, to remind our elected officials - especially the new president-elect - that American responsibilities to Iraqis don’t end with a US troop withdrawal. They only begin there. And it’s only through ongoing, committed engagement with Iraqi families, activists, and civil society groups that we can fulfill those responsibilities and transform the relationship we have with Iraqis from one of occupation, violence, and exploitation to one of dignity, reconciliation, and justice. We’re working hard to do that work every day, and we hope you’ll join us — we need your help.
One clear example of an issue not much covered in the US media is the upcoming provincial election process in Iraq. This election, which by Iraqi law must take place before January 31, 2009, is essential to helping build greater inclusiveness and accountability in the Iraqi government, which is currently riven with sectarian bias, corruption, and impunity as a result of years of failed US policy. Members of the Iraqi Nonviolence Network, “La Onf”, recently made free, fair, and inclusive elections the focus of their Third Annual Week of Nonviolence throughout Iraq. Networks and actions like theirs are proof that Iraqis are the hope and the future of Iraq. But they need our support, and they need us to stay with them, even when the media or our political leaders don’t.
You can show your commitment to keep Iraq in the American consciousness by signing up for our email newsletter and action alerts, as well as by making a donation now. Your support now, in a time when Iraq has disappeared from the headlines and the consciousness of many in the United States, is more important than ever.
Click here to sign up for updates on our aid & advocacy work
Thank you for joining us in this important work.
For a future of peace, dignity, and justice for Iraq,
Najlaa, David, Arwa, Ben, Mazin, Yasir, Rana, and Noah
for Direct Aid Iraq
