Tuesday 10/29/02 press release: --------------- Editorial Contacts: Robert Park, conference organizer (608) 273-8775 Frank Paynter, conference organizer (608) 235-9546 Ken Hannaford-Ricardi, speaker (773) 784-8065 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE WHAT ARE THE ALTERNATIVES TO WAR? Tammy Baldwin and Ken Hannaford-Ricardi will discuss Iraq at Nov. 2 interfaith peace conference in Madison MADISON -- October 29, 2002 -- U.S. Representative Tammy Baldwin and Ken Hannaford-Ricardi of Voices in the Wilderness, a national organization seeking an end to economic sanctions on Iraq, will discuss alternatives to going to war with Iraq from 7-8:30 p.m. at "Building a Peaceful Tomorrow: An Interfaith Conference" on Saturday, Nov. 2. The conference will run from 8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. at Blessed Sacrament Church, 2116 Hollister Ave, Madison. Registration costs $10 to $25 based on ability to pay and includes lunch and dinner. Some scholarships may be available. Baldwin has taken a leading role in opposing the current administration's plans for war against Iraq, arguing that military action cannot be justified unless diplomatic measures are first exhausted. She voted against recent legislation authorizing President George W. Bush to attack Iraq. "A rat, backed into a corner, will fight, not surrender," Baldwin said in a speech before the House of Representatives. "If Saddam Hussein has no other option, he is more likely to use these weapons than under our current containment policy." Hannaford-Ricardi has been to Iraq three times since joining Voices in the Wilderness in 1998, including a month-long stay with a family in Basra, a city in southern Iraq that was hit especially hard during the Gulf War. Of his first visit there, he says, "It was like nothing I'd seen before in my life... To say it opened my eyes is a bit of an understatement." Poverty and malnutrition have skyrocketed under more than a decade of United Nations-imposed sanctions, but have failed in loosening Saddam Hussein's control over Iraq's government. As both a Buddhist and a member of the Saints Frances and Therese Catholic Worker Community in Worcester, Massachusetts, Hannaford-Ricardi brings a unique perspective on the ability of people of different faiths to work together toward a common goal. Other conference highlights include a presentation by Joe Elder, a UW-Madison sociology professor and member of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), on his experiences as an unofficial mediator in international conflicts and a talk by Muslim peace activists Najat Fraigoon and Salwa Rashad on peace and pacifism in Islam. Additional workshops will address forgiveness, nonviolent approaches to conflict resolution, a proposal for a federal Department of Peace, and peaceful options for resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The goals of the conference are to nourish the growth of a strong interfaith voice that can provide a moral compass for our country in times of international conflict, and to offer insight into practical alternatives to military action and other forms of violence. A complete schedule is available on the conference's Website: http://peacefultomorrow.homestead.com. The individuals serving on the conference's advisory committee are Rev. David Couper of St. John the Baptist Episcopal Church in Portage, Joseph Elder of the Madison Monthly Meeting of the Society of Friends, Mertier Hospital chaplain Rabbi Brian Field, Rev. Cecil Findley of The Crossing, Sister Maureen McDonnell of Edgewood College Campus Ministry and George Hinger, chair of the Greater Madison Inter-religious Association. Cosponsors of the conference include Prairie Unitarian Universalist Society, Madison Monthly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends, St. Benedict's Center, St. Paul's University Catholic Center, Madison Mennonite Church Peace and Justice Committee, the Board of James Reeb Unitarian Universalist Congregation, the Social Justice Council of First Unitarian Society, Upasana Yoga Society, Inroads Interfaith Ministry, Madison Interfaith Dialogue, Greater Madison Inter-religious Association, and Madison-area Urban Ministry. |