TEXAN JOINS PEACE DELEGATION TO IRAQ From Middle Class to the Middle East

(Austin, Texas)---One of Texas' own leaders will be traveling to Iraq at the end of October as part of an international peace delegation. Charlie Jackson, a business leader with a middle-class lifestyle and father of two young sons, will join with delegates from Voices in the Wilderness as part of the Iraq Peace Team http://www.iraqpeaceteam.org/. He will be representing Texas as a delegate of Texans for Peace http://www.texansforpeace.org.This is the third international peace action that Mr. Jackson has been involved in. During the wars in Bosnia, Charlie traveled that country twice (1993 and 1995) to interpose and provide humanitarian aid to the victims. He has also been involved in a variety of International projects in addition to his work as an entrepreneur and member of the Austin high-tech community. His commitment to nonviolence and peacemaking comes from strong religious faith traditions and belief in democratic principles of fairness and justice. For thousands of years people of have fought wars because they either thought their neighbors would attack them or they wanted their neighbors milk and honey'. But in all of that time, victories' have only been shortlived. If we are to make the world for our children better, we're going to need to find new ways to do it, says Charlie. He adds, the U.S. cannot reach the ideals that we hold dear while at the same time killing innocent people around the world and that's reason enough to go to Iraq! Mr. Jackson plans to leave for Iraq on October 28 and stay until the end of November. While there he will visit with local families, teachers, and businesspeople. He hopes to educate them to the fact that not all Americans are pro-war and gain insight to their viewpoints to bring --More"those stories back to Texas. In the event of U.S. bombing Charlie says, I will stay with the people there and give comfort where possible. To me the children that I meet are no less precious than my own sons.Voices in the Wilderness was started in 1994 in response to the sanctions that, over time, have been directly responsible for the deaths of hundreds of thousands of children and adults. Voices has challenged these sanctions by delivering embargoed goods such as medicine and infant vitamins and demonstrate solidarity with those who suffer in that country in the tradition of Mohandas Gandhi. The organization is composed of teachers, social workers, business people, and religious leaders and has sent over 40 delegations to Iraq since 1996. Now, with war on the horizon, Voices and the Iraq Peace Team have pledged to send seasoned nonviolence workers to take up positions in Iraq and be with ordinary people during any aggression directed to them. Between his work and family responsibilities, Mr. Jackson is currently traveling throughout Texas giving presentations that put a human face to the suffering in Iraq with photos and stories brought back from prior delegations. He is available for speaking with groups who are interested in learning more about Iraq from first-hand perspective and also for those who have interests in peace and nonviolence activities. For additional information you can visit the Texans for Peace website http://www.texansforpeace.org. --Attachments"Brief Statement on IraqStatement on Iraq " Texans for PeacePhoto (Charlie Jackson)--End--