What CANDIL has been up to

The lead up to the second anniversary of the invasion of Iraq kept the members of CANDIL very busy. Not only did we help organise a rally on March 19, we also held black flag making sessions. With lots of help, we produced 100 black flags that were used in the rally.

On March 19, CANDIL participated in a march to commemorate the second anniversary of the invasion of Iraq. About 400 people participated in the event. We walked silently through downtown Calgary, listening to the names of Iraqi civilians who have died due to the war and occupation. We raised over $300 for the Calgary Adopt-a-Town project.

For the Black Flag Campaign and to remember the Iraqi civilians who have died, CANDIL has produced two t-shirts with the help of the local company Moksha. To purchase the t-shirts, contact Julie at .

On March 31, Moksha (Liberate Your Soul) and CANDIL hosted a retro peace party at Brew Brother's Taproom. We had an enthusiastic crowd who played our trivia game and won some great prizes. Moksha provided the music and sold their socially conscious T-shirts. We held the draw for our fantastic Coalition of the Unwilling Wine Raffle which was won by Jen McLean of Edmonton. Thanks to those who came out to support us in an evening of fun and all who participated in the wine raffle. Also a big thanks to our
entertaining MC, Julie Hrdlicka.

Julie, our office coordinator, has also been very busy. Due to renovations at Parkdale United Church that will last until October, she had to move out of her office. Julie is also helping with the organisation of a conference for Friends of Medicare.

Julie is also planning her second trip to Iraq in May. She will be going with a delegation from the Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT). CPT offers an organized, non-violent alternative to war and other forms of lethal inter-group conflict. CPT has been based in Baghdad since October 2002. Their work includes working with the Iraqi people as they endured the US-led 2003 war, continuing to bear witness to post-war Iraq and calling
the US government to acts of responsibility rather than killing and destruction. Currently there are no other western human rights groups other than CPT and the Red Cross in Iraq.

Julie will also be visiting Jurf-al-Sakr, Iraq, the town that Calgary is helping raise funds to rebuild. She will be gone for a few weeks and she will be presenting her findings upon her return. Watch the CANDIL website for details.

If you would like to support this trip financially or learn more about this endeavor please contact Julie at or (403)270-9669. To find out more about CPT go to the website at www.cpt.org.

CANDIL will be participating in the Fair Trade Fair on Saturday, May 7th at Carpenter's Hall.