RESISTANCE CINEMA & ACTION FOR JUSTICE in partnership with 9/11 FAMILIES FOR PEACEFUL TOMORROWS presents “MESALLA: ACTIVISTS IN IRAQ” . a film by Alberto Arce, Producciones Doble Banda, Televisio De Catalunya Canal Sur, 2008, 50 minutes
WHEN: Sunday October 5th, 2008 1:15pm
WHERE: Community Church of NYC, Gallery Room 28 East 35th st. @ Park ave.
ADMISSION: Free, donations appreciated
SPECIAL GUEST SPEAKER: Terry Kay Rockefeller of Peaceful Tomorrows
Far below the radar of the corporate media there has been a story unfolding in Iraq that all Americans should
know about. It is an inspiring story of courage, hope, and vision in the face of the unimaginable levels of violence, brutality, corruption and chaos that the Iraqi people suffer every day.
THERE IS A PEACE MOVEMENT IN IRAQ. It is called LaOnf. In Arabic it means nonviolence. (La = no + Onf = violence)
Formed in 2006 by Iraqi activists, LaOnf is a network that joins together Iraqi civil society organizations to create and support nonviolent strategies to oppose occupation, terrorism and corruption in Iraq. In a little over two years LaOnf has grown into a national network of over 100 Iraqi organizations, including student groups, unions, women's groups, and humanitarian organizations that form LaOnf chapters in every governorate (state) of Iraq, with a democratically elected decision making structure on the governorate and national level.
In the spring of 2007 Spanish filmmaker and activist Alberto Arce spent several months in Irbil, a city in the Kurdish part of northern Iraq, working with and filming the LaOnf activists there. From their office at the Al Mesalla Center the activists planned the second annual Week Of Nonviolence to be celebrated in 10 of Iraq’s 18 Governorates with 42 different organizations participating. They distributed posters calling for a
peaceful and unified Iraq. They talked to people in the street, in police stations and army bases. They met in shops, schools, and mosques. Today, LaOnf is preparing for its Third Annual Week of Nonviolence in early October 2008. For the first time, Iraqis in every part of the country will participate.
This is an amazing story of empowerment at a truly grassroots level. If they are successful they could transform their country in a way the mightiest military power the world has ever known failed. What is at stake is best expressed by one of the founders of LaOnf, Ismaeel Dawood.
Please, spread the message: there is not only violence in Iraq, there is
something more; people are building peace and seeking real change. . .
Today LaOnf exists within the polarized and dangerous political
environment of Iraq where if you speak about resistance you are accused 
of supporting terrorists and advocating violence; but if you speak about
nonviolence you are accused of supporting the occupation. LaOnf seeks
to create a third way with its message that nonviolence is a tool to resist
occupation, terrorism and corruption.
– Ismaeel Dawood, Founding Member of LaOnf
Please join us as we are also very honored to be partnering with 9/11 FAMILIES FOR PEACEFUL TOMORROWS, one of the principle promoters of LaOnf in the U.S..
Terry Kay Rockefeller - a member of Peaceful Tomorrows who has recently travel
ed to Erbil, Iraq where she met with LaOnf organizers as they prepared for their 2008 Week of Nonviolence-- will be present to answer questions and to talk about upcoming events during the Iraqi Week of Nonviolence, which will take place October 10-20, 2008 in cities and towns all over Iraq.
We invite you to RSVP for this special event using the link below.
http://org2.democracyinaction.org/o/5384/event/index.jsp?event_KEY=4857