"The U.S. Role in Iraq: Can an Occupier Become a Peacemaker," will be the topic of a forum set for 7 p.m. May 23 at the University of Hawaii Art Auditorium.

The event will feature a talk by Iraqi political analyst and blogger Raed Jarrar, with a response from Jon Osorio, director of Center for Hawaiian Studies.

Jarrar is an Iraqi political analyst and consultant to the American Friend's Service Committee's Iraq Program currently based in Washington, D.C. He also hosts a blog (www.raedinthemiddle.blogspot.com <http://www.raedinthemiddle.blogspot.com> ). Jarrar, who was asked by House Foreign Relations Subcommittee to coordinate a visit of Iraqi Parliamentarians to testify before Congress in June, will be visiting O'ahu, Big Island and Kaua'i as part of a multi-city tour to discuss the initiative. He will also discuss current war funding bills before Congress, the ongoing insurgent conflict, and a vision of what a constructive U.S. involvement would look like.

After the U.S.-led invasion, Jarrar became the country director for CIVIC Worldwide, the only door-to-door casualty survey group in post-war Iraq. He then established Emaar (meaning reconstruction in Arabic), a grass-roots organization that provided humanitarian and political aid to Iraqi internally displaced persons (IDPs). Emaar delivered medicine and food as well as helped initiate micro-enterprise projects for IDPs. Additionally, Emaar engaged in political advocacy on behalf of displaced populations.

On O'ahu, Jon Osorio, Director of the UH Center for Hawaiian Studies, will respond to Jarrar drawing parallels between the present war and occupation in Iraq and the U.S. invasion and occupation of Hawai'i.