$12 from the sale of each copy of Battlefield without Borders goes directly to support the urgent medical needs of Iraqi people who have fled their country and who now live in increasingly desperate conditions in Amman, Jordan and in Damascus, Syria. Below is a brief description of Direct Aid Iraq (DAI), the program through which this assistance is provided. This website also has descriptions of some of the families we are supporting. Read their brief portraits. Please feel free to contact me for additional information (707-467-0468 or david@battlefieldwithoutborders.org).
In February, 2007, when Haley’s published the first edition of Battlefield without Borders, I began to sell the book to raise funds for Iraqi families I knew who lived in or who had recently fled the violence in their country and now lived in Jordan or Syria. It was an informal program of friendship and support, and helped put me in right relationship with Iraqi people who have given so much to me over the years. At the same time, a small group of American friends were making regular trips as citizen journalists to the Middle East to learn about and report on the growing humanitarian crisis resulting from the massive displacement of Iraqi people into Jordan and Syria (estimated at 2.25 million people). They were increasingly uncomfortable asking people to welcome them into their homes and to share their stories and opinions, without offering something in return, especially in light of the desperate poverty and urgent medical needs Iraqi people in the region face. They also recognized that the voice of Iraqi people and the stories of Iraqi people were conspicuously absent from reporting on the occupation and even from discourse within the growing anti-war movement. In April, 2007, using donations from a variety of sources including the sale of Battlefield without Borders, Noah and Natalie Baker Merrill began a program called Direct Aid Iraq.
Direct Aid Iraq is designed to be a collaboration with Iraqi people. It recognizes that Iraqis are already resisting the traumatic effects of war and occupation, doing everything they can to care for themselves, their families, and their neighbors, and to provide a future for their children. DAI seeks to support these efforts. It is an act of friendship and justice, rather than of charity. Recognizing that it is Iraqis who will one day rebuild their country, DAI seeks to model and enact the kind of relationships that could strengthen and amplify their capacity to do so. DAI makes ongoing commitments of support to Iraqi individuals and families to assist with their urgent medical needs, and to help build their capacity to support themselves. The "ongoing" nature of the commitment is a crucial feature. Among the stories coming out of this war, it is not uncommon to hear about an Iraqi family who found a way to raise funds for emergency surgery, but who couldn’t afford the ongoing aftercare. As a result, the benefits of the surgery were lost.
Direct Aid Iraq is a program of the Middle East Cultural and Charitable Society, a U.S.-based, tax-exempt organization. DAI is designed to be a partnership with Iraqis who have fled their country. Two Iraqis, one of whom has fifteen years' experience in medical research, act as co-coordinators. They do outreach to the community, helping to identify the neediest, assess what DAI can contribute, and coordinate services, acting as liaisons with hospitals, clinics, and pharmacies. Crucially, they also provide ongoing follow-up and advocacy.
Because Iraqis in Jordan and Syria live without the protection of citizenship and without any of the rights provided by legal refugee status, they are vulnerable to abuse, not only from police authority, but in all of their formal business relationships, including those with doctors and clinics. When Iraqis receive poor medical treatment, they have little or no recourse to advocacy. To address this issue and to assure good medical services, DAI sought the help of a group of Iraqi doctors, who have compiled a list of preferred providers, in a wide-range of medical specialties. Over time, DAI is building solid relationships with health care providers in Jordan, relationships based on reciprocity and respect.
About "Battlefields"
Direct Aid Iraq
Two Iraqi Portraits
