Iraq: Negotiating a Lasting Peace

Catholic Social Teaching calls for participation as a basic human right. It demands people be allowed to participate in the decisions that affect their lives, and decisions should be made by those who will be affected by the outcome. Bringing all involved factions of Iraq society to the table together is the only way to guarantee this right to the Iraqi people.
Over the past months, numerous proposal have been presented to Congress suggesting ideas on how to handle the deteriorating situation in Iraq. These proposals range from troop deployment, withdrawal, and otherc hanges in strategy. Rend Al-Rahim, a senior fellow at the U.S. Institute of Peace, suggests forming an Iraqi compact would bring internal parties involved in the conflict to the negotiating table, providing leaders with the opportunity to mutually improve the laws of the developing nation. Al-Rahim argues that "Laws and constitutional revision must be outcomes of a national agreement,not conditions for one."
NETWORK, a Catholic Social Jutice lobby, along with Al-Rahim, advocates a peace conference strategy. An Iraqi Peace Conference would bring together all factions of Iraqi society in the hopes of creating a lasting peace. For such a genuine peace to become reality, internal reconciliation is critical. NETWORK believes a forum allowing Iraqis to formulate the necessary peace agreement is the only avenue that will result in an end to the Civil War. Without an internal Iraqi approach, troop and civilian death tolls will continue to escalate and Iraqis will continue being driven from their homes by violence.
Congressman Blumenauer has outlined a comprehensive plan for Iraq (H.R. 663) that includes a provision regarding an Iraqi Peace Conference. There are other bills pending that can also be used as the vehicles for accomplishing this goal, but H.R. 663 is among the most comprehensive. See www.networklobby.org