PEOPLE'S OPINION PROJECT LAUNCHES "BRIEF THE PRESIDENT" ESSAY CONTEST SERIES—FIRST PRIZE: $1500 AND A TRIP TO WASHINGTON, D.C. FOR A "ROSE GARDEN CEREMONY."

Saint Paul, MN — The People's Opinion Project (POP) announces the launch of an essay contest designed to bring fresh thoughts to American Foreign Policy. The first in its "Brief the President" series is a call for proposals on American Iraq Policy. The top award will be $1500 and a trip to Washington, D.C. to read the winning essay at a "rose garden ceremony," to which all members of the press will be invited. Two runner-up prizes of $500 will be awarded. Deadline for submissions is February 15th, 2004.

"While we opposed the preemption of the efforts of the world's diplomats by American forces in Iraq," says co-founder Kent Cavender-Bares, "the current state of affairs in Iraq demands that we all pull together to put forth the most thoughtful, creative, and hopeful ideas for moving the Iraq crisis in a positive direction." To this end, the POP invites people the world over to submit essays to the President, briefing Mr. Bush on several key steps that he should implement on-the-ground in Iraq over the next several months.

"It is worth repeating that the time to be against Mr. Bush on his Iraq war is over," says the POP's Executive Director, Ed Bice. "It is time to supply the President with as much fresh thinking as possible. The world that future generations will inherit depends on it!"

See http://www.thepop.org for contest rules and details, or contact the POP at 800-708-5596 (phone) or 800-868-0069 (fax).

The POP is a non-profit media-based education project founded in May, 2003 that seeks to expand and encourage dialogue and debate on American foreign policy. According to Bice, "At the same time the American government is increasingly isolated from international support, the American people find themselves increasingly isolated from a diversity of views in the mainstream media. We hope that the POP addresses both of these challenges by providing the viewpoints that might encourage a broader understanding of the difficulties in the Middle East." There is no simple truth in the Middle East, there are no simple solutions in this new world, but there are stories. The POP is here to tell the difficult stories. We publish the voices of those whose lives have been changed by world events, those who find no use for hatred and vengeance in spite of their suffering.

"Ultimately," says co-founder Kent Cavender-Bares, "the POP is an effort to persuade the American people of the social and strategic benefit of policy decisions and actions that are rooted in a concern for human dignity." The POP was founded by a carpenter and an environmental scientist--two grade school friends with a shared concern for the world their children will inherit. Cavender-Bares works days as an environmental scientist. Erstwhile poet and philosopher Bice, who works days as a builder, studied social justice in Paul Wellstone's classroom.

Concurrent with the launching of its "Brief the President" series, the POP also announces the re-launch of its website (http://www.thepop.org) for FAQs, Mission Statement, Polling Links, Ed-Ops (opinion pieces by Bice), and ‘Opinions' the online journal of the POP.




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