Sunday, December 23, 2007

EPIC's Year-End Appeal

Dear Friends,

Iraqi refugee girl. Many fleeing Iraqis have no legal status beyond Iraq's borders and desperately need our help. Inside Iraq they need food, medicine, jobs, and a safe place to live.
This holiday season please consider making a year-end, tax-deductible contribution to the Education for Peace in Iraq Center. Give the gift of peace and humanitarian relief for the people of Iraq.

Armed conflict in Iraq has created one of the worst humanitarian catastrophes of our time. More Iraqis have fled their homes than any other population in the world.

One year ago this month, when the U.S. administration and Congress failed to act, EPIC was there to sound the alarm.

Today, we are urging President Bush to end his silence about the mass displacement of 4.5 million Iraqis. We are working to expand U.S. admissions of especially vulnerable refugees and generate emergency humanitarian assistance for Iraqis harmed by violence in Iraq. And we are getting results.

To strengthen our impact in the New Year, please make a year-end gift to the Education for Peace in Iraq Center today.

Consider what EPIC supporters like you helped make possible in 2007. Together we generated more than 3,000 constituent letters in support of critical legislation, including the Refugee Crisis in Iraq Act, introduced by Senators Ted Kennedy (D-MA) and Gordon Smith (R-OR). We contacted key offices, and pressed our case month after month.

In recognition of the cumulative impact of all of these efforts, I am very pleased to make a special announcement. Last week, we won final passage of the Refugee Crisis in Iraq Act! Within days, the President is expected to sign this important legislation into law.

This is a shared victory for all of us. The Refugee Crisis in Iraq Act requires the Bush administration to expand U.S. admissions of especially vulnerable Iraqi refugees and provide a comprehensive plan for assisting countries hosting large numbers of Iraqi refugees.

Without your continuing support, hard fought steps like the Refugee Crisis in Iraq Act would not be possible. Please make a year-end gift to the Education for Peace in Iraq Center today.

This month we also made further progress in generating desperately needed funding for Iraqi refugees and other noncombatants harmed by the war. Late Wednesday night, Congress passed an omnibus spending package for FY 2008 that includes:
  • $110 million in emergency assistance to “support the growing humanitarian needs of persons affected by violence in Iraq,”

  • $200 million in emergency assistance to “address the pressing needs of Iraqi refugees and of Palestinian refugees,” and

  • $5 million for the Marla Ruzicka Iraqi War Victims Fund.
As part of their conference report, House and Senate appropriators stated: “The Appropriations Committees remain deeply concerned with the plight of Iraqi refugees and IDPs.” Furthermore, they expect additional assistance to be made available in 2008.

With your help and the help of coalition partners in Washington, Congress has done something that President Bush has yet to do, acknowledge the plight of more than 4.5 million displaced Iraqis.

This and the Refugee Crisis in Iraq Act represent hard-earned steps in the right direction -- steps made possible by supporters like you.

To strengthen our impact in the New Year, please make a year-end gift to the Education for Peace in Iraq Center today.

If you prefer to donate by mail, please send your tax-deductible gift today to:

Education for Peace in Iraq Center (EPIC)
1101 Pennsylvania Avenue SE, Suite No. 203
Washington, DC 20003

Thank you for your generous support. Together, you and I can translate the peace of the season into action for the New Year.

With deep appreciation,
Erik
Erik Gustafson
Executive Director
Education for Peace in Iraq Center

P.S. This year, you can check off your last minute holiday shopping and support peace in Iraq at the same time. When you click through the EPIC FreePledge portal to do your online shopping, a percentage of every purchase you make goes directly to support EPIC.
 
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