Helping Displaced Families and Others Most in Need
An interview with Khaldoon Ali

Khaldoon Ali, a doctor by training, established the Iraqi NGO Mercy Hands following the 2003 invasion. Created at a time when many international organizations were pulling out of Iraq, Khaldoun joined a group of committed humanitarian workers to reach out to Iraq’s most vulnerable people, including Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), children, the homeless and the urban poor. Khaldoun currently works with Mercy Hands’ staff of 100 dedicated employees and splits time between its Baghdad and Amman, Jordan offices.

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Iraq's Hidden Refugee Crisis
An Interview with Sean Garcia

Sean Garcia came to Refugees International (RI) in August 2006 to work in the advocacy department and has spent most of his time traveling to locations that house refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs).  On these missions, Sean meets with United Nations officials, NGOs,  local governments and with the refugees themselves. Using what he learns, he then lobbies the U.S. government, the UN, and the European Union to address the crises and improve conditions for refugees and IDPs. This past December, Sean visited Lebanon, Syria and Jordan to survey the Iraqi refugee crisis. In February RI staff will go to northern Iraq to gather information on the IDPs there.

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The Impact of War on Iraq's Youth
An interview with Ctp. Jonathan Powers

In mid-October, Iraq war veteran Cpt. Jonathan Powers visited EPIC’s office near Capitol Hill. During his time in Iraq, Jon led reconstruction efforts in his sector, and through this work he became well-acquainted with Iraqi youth. While working at an Iraqi orphanage, Jon developed a passion for Iraq's devistated youth, and rather than putting the war behind him, he has continued to fight for the people of Iraq as a civilian.

When Jon returned to the U.S. after 14 months patrolling the streets of Baghdad, he founded War Kids Relief, a program that assists Iraqi's youth by funding orphanages and youth centers to help keep kids off the streets and out of militias, criminal syndicates and insurgent groups. 

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Exploring the Iraqi Perspective
An interview with Ms. Laura Poitras

Acclaimed cinematographer Laura Poitras studied filmmaking at the San Francisco Art Institute and the New School. Her latest documentary, My Country, My Country, has won several prestigious awards, including the “Inspiration Award” at the Full Frame Documentary Film Festival. Most recently, My Country received an Academy Award nomination for “Best Documentary,” and an Independent Spirit Award nomination in the same category. Her previous work includes, Flag Wars (2003), which received a Peabody Award and nominations in 2004 for an Independent Spirit Award and an Emmy Award.

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A Voice for Women and Children in Iraq
 An interview with Dr. Rashad Zaydan

Dr. Zaydan is pharmacist and mother of four. A native of Baghdad, she worked for Iraq’s national pharmacy from 1981 until the fall of Saddam's regime in 2003. In the chaotic aftermath of the invasion, she founded the Knowledge for the Iraqi Women Society. This non-governmental organization aids women and children in and around Baghdad and Fallujah, including families displaced by violence and military operations. In this interview she discusses her efforts to help widows and orphans in Iraq, and expresses the hopes and fears she has for the future of her country.

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The Impact of Tyranny, War and Sanctions on the Women of Iraq
An interview with Nadje Al-Ali, PhD

Dr. Nadje Al-Ali is a Senior Lecturer at University of Exeter (UK), where she specializes in women and gender issues in the Middle East, women's movements and feminism, transnational migration and war, and conflict and post-conflict reconstruction. She is currently working on a new book about Iraqi women in the Diaspora, which will be completed this fall and published by Zed Press in 2007.

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DISCLAIMER: The EPIC Ground Truth Project and series of interviews are owned and published by the Education for Peace in Iraq Center (EPIC). The EPIC Ground Truth Project is not a movie, and it is in no way affiliated with the Focus Features’ film "The Ground Truth," its components, their agencies or production team.