Greetings friends and supporters of the List Project!
We hope you are enjoying your spring! It seems that summer has already arrived here in D.C.!
In this issue, we will let you know what TLP was up to in the month of May, as well as share with you some news from Iraq and a few other interesting things that we think you will enjoy. As always, we love feedback, so don’t forget to e-mail us with your questions and keep us up to date on the ways that you are working with Iraqi refugees in your community
Iraq in the News
While the Arab spring is still dominating headlines in the Middle East and around the world, events in Iraq are, as always, very interesting. There is increasing talk in Baghdad and in Washington, D.C. that points to the U.S. extending its military stay in the country past the end of the year. Although nothing is set in stone as of yet, it is obvious from comments within the Iraqi government that Iraqi prime minister Nouri Al Malaki is weighing the idea of an extended U.S. troop presence.
However, cleric Moqtada al-Sadr and his Sadrist front are aggressively against any extension of U.S. forces within the country. Once bitter foes, Sadr and Maliki’s political parties joined forces in a move that guaranteed Maliki a larger coalition and enabled him to be re-elected as Prime Minister. Sadr carries a tremendous following, as witnessed last weekend in demonstrations that saw more than 30,000 (a conservative estimate) of his followers march against the U.S. presence in the country. There is even talk that the feared Mahdi army, responsible for much of the bloodshed during Iraq’s sectarian crisis, may return to Iraq’s streets if U.S. troops remain in the country.
Third Annual TLP New York Fundraiser
On May 14th, the List Project’s New York chapter held its third annual fundraising party. Our gracious volunteer Madeleine Marx contributed her amazing apartment for the event, which featured some great dancing by a number of guests. Best of all, with the generous support of our guests, we were able to raise over 3,000 dollars – our immense thanks goes out to all those who donated their time and support. We simply could not do our work without you.
Introducing our summer intern
The List Project is proud to welcome Vijnata Trivedi as a summer intern at our partner law firm Mayer Brown in Washington, D.C. Vijnata is a third-year law student at Vanderbilt University Law School with an interest in international law. She was drawn to helping Iraqis after assisting newly resettled Iraqi families as they transitioned to their new lives in Atlanta, GA. Vijnata is already hard at work here in D.C. and we are very excited to have her on board for the summer.
Berlin Journal features TLP founder Kirk Johnson
If you are interested in a quick and interesting read, Germany’s Berlin Journal has featured a story from TLP founder Kirk Johnson for its spring issue. In it, Johnson discusses his experience in Iraq and his long road to recovery after a bout with PTSD changed his life.