Workshop Description
The workshop covers three topics: Agent Orange, Depleted Uranium and solutions for veterans seeking housing and employment. We will begin by showing a clip from the film “The Friendship Village,” an award-winning documentary by Canadian filmmaker Michelle Mason about an international group of veterans who are building a village in Viet Nam for children with Agent Orange-related disabilities. The second part of the workshop covers the question, “Is depleted uranium a major threat to health, as anti-DU activists claim or have its dangers been exaggerated, as the Pentagon insists?” And finally, a representative from The Veterans Project will present information about how our veterans can be part of the solution during this current crisis of homelessness and unemployment.
Presenter Background
Paul Wicker
Paul Wicker is a supporter of Amnesty International, the ACLU, the School of the America’s Watch (SOAW) , the National Lawyers Guild, Nevada Desert Experience, the Coalition for Alternatives to Militarism in our Schools(CAMS), Palasadians for Peace, the Immigrant Solidarity Network, , San Pedro Neighbors for Peace and Justice, Torture Abolition & Survivor Support Coalition(TASSC),The Free Gaza Movement, the Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR), the Vietnam Agent Orange Relief & Responsibility Campaign, the War Resisters League, Witness for Peace and is an associate member of Veterans For Peace.
He is a member of the board of directors of the Vietnam Friendship Village Project USA. He visited Vietnam Friendship Village in 2007 and became connected to VFV activities. The village is a facility in Viet Nam for children with Agent Orange-related disabilities which stands not only as a symbol of peace and reconciliation, but as a testament to the potential for all people to come to terms with the past, heal the wounds of war, and create a better world. He has worked with the American Red Cross Disaster Services since 1998 and has responded to earthquakes, fires, tornados, airliner crashes and to the World Trade Center attack.
Ed Garza,
Ed served in the Central Highlands of Viet Nam and will share his life struggles in dealing with the effects of Agent Orange.
Jeff Merrick
Jeff is on the national board of Military Families Speak Out and has served over 20 years in the Air Force. He currently works with the military as a consultant at Los Angeles Air Force Base.
Jeff Norman
Jeff, an actor and comedian, is the executive director of The Veterans Project, an agency that helps veterans from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan adjust to civilian life by helping them tell their stories and mentor them so that they can veterans can provide their own solutions to the problems of homelessness and unemployment for other veterans.
