Category Archives: Transformation

Women businesses in Iraq.

Posted on March 31, 2009 by Barbara Dillon Hillas

Iraqi women learning how to market and sustain their own business at a conference given by Joint Contracting Commander Iraq Afghanistan (JCCIA). Continue reading →

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Babil Provincial Reconstruction Team’s work…

Posted on March 31, 2009 by Barbara Dillon Hillas

…in Hillah:  increasing demand for honeybees. Notice that it is women who are involved in this endeavor.

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Empowering young women: Women2Women conference.

Posted on March 31, 2009 by Barbara Dillon Hillas

The US Embassy in Iraq has announced an upcoming cultural exchange program for young women (15-19) to be held August 1-8, 2009, at Lesley University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA. The Women2Women conference is sponsored by Empower Peace, and it is … Continue reading →

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ABC News: Where things stand in Iraq.

Posted on March 19, 2009 by Barbara Dillon Hillas

All this week, ABC News’ Terry McCarthy is having a series on the changes that have occurred in Iraq. Just click on the titles below to watch some of these videos. The changes are amazing. Road Trip: Iraq. A Rebirth … Continue reading →

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Babil Province, Iraq: the good and the bad.

Posted on March 5, 2009 by Barbara Dillon Hillas

Yesterday I posted the good news. Today, I find that the car bomb that hit the cattle market in Iraq actually detonated near Hillah. Although it is described as one of the largest attacks in recent history, the area in … Continue reading →

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Provincial Reconstruction Team work in Musayyib, Iraq.

Posted on March 5, 2009 by Barbara Dillon Hillas

Last October Kenneth reported on a ribbon-cutting ceremony in Musayyib. The Multi-National Corps press release had this quote: “For a local government to work well, a community must believe in its future and in the capacity and determination of its … Continue reading →

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Provincial Reconstruction Team – Babil Province, Hillah

Posted on March 4, 2009 by Barbara Dillon Hillas

(UPDATE:  Below is a video of the ceremony before distributing wheelchairs to Iraqi citizens.) (UPDATE:  Thanks, Gateway Pundit, for posting this!). As some of you know, Kenneth has been in Iraq for a year.  He has been unable to update … Continue reading →

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The Last Jew of Góra Kalwaria.

Posted on February 26, 2009 by Barbara Dillon Hillas

It was 68 years ago to the day that the shtetl Góra Kalwaria lost all of its Jews. According to the Yad Vashem website, the Jews from Góra Kalwaria, or Gur as it was known then, were deported to the Warsaw Ghetto between February 25-26, 1941. Continue reading →

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US Ambassador Ryan Crocker receives the highest honor.

Posted on January 19, 2009 by Barbara Dillon Hillas

Ambassador Crocker is a career Foreign Service Officer who has just been awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. He was nicknamed by President Bush “Sunshine” because of his bleak assessments on Iraq. As a biased observer, I was especially touched … Continue reading →

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The skunk at the barbeque: Impressions of a former PRT Leader who has returned home…

Posted on October 17, 2008 by Barbara Dillon Hillas

In light of the previous post, I was struck with the impressions of former PRT leader John Mattel: For a year I was surrounded by Marines and team members who knew me or at least knew about me. We were … Continue reading →

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President Bush Participates in Video Teleconference with Iraq Provincial Reconstruction Team Leaders and Brigade Combat Commanders

Posted on October 17, 2008 by Barbara Dillon Hillas

With everything that is going on at home, what with the Presidential elections, any reference to Iraq has been put in the back burner.  So, it was with surprise that, thanks to an alert friend, I read that President Bush … Continue reading →

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Iraq Women Contribute to Security as New Police Officers

Posted on September 30, 2008 by Barbara Dillon Hillas

This was news to me. It comes from the US Embassy’s website. Ashraf, Diyala Province – The Iraqi Regional Police Training Academy held its fourth graduation since its opening in May and this time a group participated that had been … Continue reading →

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Rebuilding Iraq.

Posted on September 25, 2008 by Barbara Dillon Hillas

Here’s an excerpt of Kenneth’s contribution to RealClearWorld‘s blog, Rebuilding Iraq: Just a few weeks after my arrival in Al-Hillah, the REO [Regiona Embassy Office] compound was shelled twice. The REO compound adjoins a U.S. Army Forward Operating Base, where … Continue reading →

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Blogging about rebuilding Iraq.

Posted on September 24, 2008 by Barbara Dillon Hillas

RealClearWorld has the second installment on rebuilding Iraq.  This time, the blog entry reflects on the province of Muthanna. So far, a common theme seems to be that all the work being done in these regions is not being conveyed … Continue reading →

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Blogging about Iraq’s reconstruction.

Posted on September 23, 2008 by Barbara Dillon Hillas

RealClearWorld is presenting a “special series of original, exclusive blog posts by the boots on the ground in Iraq – Baghdad, Anbar Province and beyond. ” Kenneth will be one of the bloggers presenting the latest information relating to the … Continue reading →

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