The Iraqi Student Solidarity Committee seeks funds to sponsor Iraqi student at Evergreen

author : Andrew Robbins, Hudson Munoz, and Ashley Harrison topic : The Evergreen State College | Iraqi Student Project | displaced people

By Andrew Robbins, Hudson Munoz, and Ashley Harrison

Over 4.4 million Iraqis have been displaced by the occupation of Iraq by the United States military. Those who leave Iraq are forced to rearrange their lives with little support and resources; the lives of those who stay are broken by violence, diminished access to natural resources, and a debilitated community. While the United States government works to extend its reach in Iraq, a group of students and community members in Olympia, Washington have responded to the largest humanitarian crisis since World War II.

In October, an Iraqi woman came to The Evergreen State College to speak about her experiences in Jordan supporting other displaced Iraqis.. She pointed out that Evergreen students and event attendees could sit, listen to her speak, feel sorrow about the situation, and then go home at the end of the day, all while her country burned and her community remained imperiled. In response to her testimony of the dire situation both inside and outside of Iraq, The Iraqi Student Solidarity Committee (ISSC) formed with the intent of offering Iraqi students a free Evergreen education. The ISSC connected with the Iraqi Student Project, a group based in Damascus trying to place Iraqi students in colleges in the United States.

The ISP had success at several schools within the United States. Spaces were opened for students from Iraq to attend college free of charge. Most the schools were private, and in each case school administrators were approached directly by the ISP. At that time The Iraqi Student Solidarity Committee was the first group to work with the Iraqi Student Project (ISP) that was organized by students, faculty and community members, rather than administrators.

The ISSC began a petition to demonstrate grassroots support for the project. The group conducted extensive research on administrative processes, legal avenues, and the allocation of tuition waivers while building a coalition of community support on and off-campus. The ISSC met with college administrators at every level to present their case for the creation of tuition waivers for displaced Iraqi students and build administrative support for the project.

When the Iraqi Student Solidarity Committee made a formal presentation to the Vice Presidents of the college, one-quarter of the student population had signed the petition in support, the faculty had voted in support of the project, and student and community groups had pledged their open-ended support. However, the administration cited many barriers to the project and refused to fund a single tuition waiver.

The ISSC did not lie down. The students believed it was the responsibility of state schools to step up and offer free education to students living in a country that cannot provide for its citizens because of the actions of the United States military. Eventually the group persuaded the President of The Evergreen State College to create a workgroup of deans and vice presidents, to find a way to implement the goals of the ISSC at the college. This collaboration of administrators and students created a tuition-waiver program that will be available students whose lives have been disrupted by military conflict and will cover a full, four-year college education. The first award will go to an Iraqi student beginning in Fall, 2008.

The ISSC is not just a response to the war. It is a response to the catastrophic failure of the United States to take responsibility for the refugee crisis. The group has partnered with The Rachel Corrie Foundation for Peace and Justice, an Olympia based non-profit. The Rachel Corrie Foundation is an organization with a similar dedication to providing access to education for students whose home countries have been severely disrupted.

The ISSC is currently working on funding the living expenses of the student arriving in the fall, obtaining financial support for future students, and expanding the project to other schools in the Pacific Northwest. The committee seeks systemic change, and offers a concrete path to justice.

The ISSC needs your help to support the student coming in the fall. Financial resources are needed, as well as in-kind donations such as a cell phone plan, airline miles/airfare, etc. To make a tax-deductible donation to the ISSC you can visit their website at www.olympia-issc.org or e-mail them at issc.evergreen@gmail.com. The ISSC is always on the lookout for other student, faculty, or administrative groups at other state and private schools who want support in starting similar programs at their schools.