Dear Friends,

Below is a letter from Iraq and it expresses the sentiments of the students there and the struggles they have and the aspirations they have to overcome the circumstances they are in and the problems that confront them.

We could all pause to pray for them and to ask God to assist them.

At the same time, we might all ask God to deal with the plight of the Zimbabweans and the tyrant Robert Mugabe and his corrupt system and administration.

Please ask that God intervenes and gives them all peace. Pray that these criminals are brought to justice.

Wade Cox

Coordinator General

In the Name of God the Merciful

Dear brothers and sisters,

Good day

We thank you for your sincere cooperation to develop the Iraqi reality for the better.

Please find hereunder a news report about students of the University of Babylon and their support for a culture of non-violence. We ask you to do what is necessary for its publishing so every one can be aware of the benefits.

With appreciation
Bent Alrafedain Org. (BROB)
Raghdan Al Emara
Director of Information Committee
e-mail: jareda@brob.org
www.brob.org
www.nakhlanews.com

Babel University students supporting the culture of non-violence

Nakaa Al-Holay / Bent Alrafedain:

Within the campaign aimed to support the culture of nonviolence, Bent Al-Rafedain Org (BROB) has held another meeting to show (ATBOR) film for a group of students of the University of Babylon (second year colleges, computer department) on Monday 12/5/2008, on the classroom and in the subject of (Freedom and Human Rights).

After the students watched the documentary film about the (Atbor), it means (resistance) in Serbian, which is a student organization formed in Serbia of 20 young students whose age did not exceed twenty and it had a basic and active role in the collection of opposition parties and the masses and the formation of the forcing power for democratic elections in Serbia In 2000 and the overthrow of its tyrants in peaceful democratic ways away from violence.

Discussion has been started by question raised by Ms Alia Ansari for the students: (What are the ideas raised by the movie?), all students from both sexes agreed that what Serbia had reached, or the circumstances that helped this group of young people to achieve What they dreamt of; is the nature of society there and that their culture made them a united, active, viable people able to activate his will and to gather its votes on time, and this is what our people are lacking here, which is adapted for fear and terror to express their opinion and distrust of others and the disintegration of ties between His sons by the ruling Baath party's policy in the past and that people are still suffering from its consequences, because the reality now still suffers a lot of negatives and fraught with many fears and dangers, people are still not safe and unable to express themselves and their will.

Among the views and comments raised by the students:

1. The absence of a union for students at the university, when students wanted to establish a Union for them, the authority of the university did not allow, and they were prevented from their legitimate right.

2. The Iraqi people still need several steps and more time to emerge from the crisis, which put by the former system, of fear and hesitation and uncertainty in everything.

3. The absence of real objectives in students’ lives, so all aspirations of the student is to graduate then hired then receive the salary at the end of the month.

4. What the youth reached today is because of the authorities, both authoritarian powers in the past and present authority which did not provide better opportunities for young people for life, nor does it think about them.

5. Intellectual and cultural alienation experienced by young people, especially university students, and the large gap between them and parents on one hand and between them and the instructors and professors on the other hand.

6. Young people in Serbia were victorious because they (Love life), in the words of someone in the movie, young generation of the eighties in Iraq have not felt anything in life, since they opened their eyes to life and they suffer death, hunger, war and embargo, they did not see anything beautiful in their lives so How can they love life?!

7. How can young people influence their society in the university, and in the neighborhoods?

8. The need for non-traditional ideas, innovative ideas for change and for influencing others.

The symposium concluded by Mr. Qassim Hussein professor of freedom and human rights and media committee member of the Organization of Bint Rafidain organization by his intervention on the reasons for the fall of dictators: (The reason for the fall of the tyrant of Serbia is the lack of people support to him, as well as the fall of the tyrant of Baghdad, because the people did not support him and leaving him, so all rulers should be aware of this lesson well, that their survival is depending on support of their people).

It is worth mentioning that Bent Al-Rafidain organization had launched its campaign to retaining the culture of non-violence, by introducing this movie during the meeting of the General Authority for a select group of youth of both sexes at the Rafidain Hall Center for Training and Development in addition to its campaign (Children without weapons), which effectively began burning weapons toys in Hilla Primary School of boys, which concluded its activities in the school day on Wednesday 30/4/2008 by exhibition of children's drawings about violence as well as the contest for the best creation, and also by providing gifts for the three winners of the three most beautiful paintings and poems, in addition to the gifts of appreciation to all participants, whose number were sixty student each one draw a portrait and fifty students wrote a poem.