Longtime aid worker in Iraq to lecture on campus
Oct. 14, 2002
KALAMAZOO -- An aid worker who has traveled to Iraq five times since1998 will be the featured speaker for the 2002 Winnie Veenstra Peace Lecture sponsored by the Western Michigan University Center for the Study of Ethics in Society.
Christopher Allen-Doucot, will present "Never Ending War: Slides and Stories from Inside Iraq," at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 23, in Room 2302 of Sangren Hall.
"As the Bush administration continues to push for an unprovoked attack on Iraq, it is important to hear the voices of people like Allen-Doucot who can testify to the continuing suffering of the Iraqi people and the catastrophic consequences war would inflict on them," says Dr. Ronald Kramer, professor of sociology, and coordinator of Allen-Doucet's visit.
A member of the St. Martin De Porres Catholic Worker aid organization, Allen-Doucot has dealt with the Iraqi Ambassador to the United Nations and U.S. Sen. Joseph Lieberman as well as the current heads of U.N. humanitarian programs in Iraq. His writings on Iraq have been published in numerous publications, including the Hartford Courant and the National Catholic Reporter, and he has lectured at various colleges and universities, including Yale, Columbia and New York universities.
The Winnie Veenstra Peace Lecture is held annually to promote education and awareness about the nonviolent opposition to war and the creation of positive peace.
Media contact: Matt Gerard, 269 387-8400, matthew.gerard@wmich.edu