The war in Iraq seems so remote from the comfortable lives we lead in the East Valley.

It’s not like World War II where citizens felt a real engagement with the war. This is a questionable, dubious war whose conflict is beyond understanding. We mourn the tragic loss of lives in this struggle.

For most of us, our only connection to this war is through the news media. There are daily stories of tragic car bombings and other violent atrocities. Beside the brutal killings, there’s another aspect of this war not always portrayed by the media: The suffering of the downtrodden and weaker members of a war-torn society. The already physically disabled and ill endure even more.

Thousands of Iraqi people have been maimed and are physically disabled from this conflict. While most of us feel powerless to make a difference in the lives of these people, Tempe Sister Cities recently announced that they will send wheelchairs to victims of wartime violence in the city of Hilla. They are participating in the Partners for Peace project with Iraq through Sister Cities International.

Hilla is next to the Euphrates River some 60 miles south of Baghdad. About a million people live there. In 1991, after Saddam Hussein’s forces temporarily lost control of Hilla during an uprising, many residents were terrorized and thousands were executed in retaliation. Today, many people remain disabled with reduced mobility.

Tempe is the fifth and smallest U.S. community chosen to participate in the Partners for Peace program, joining Dallas, Tucson, Denver and Philadelphia. The program in Iraq was announced last year by First Lady Laura Bush during the G-8 Summit. The federal government contributed initial funding for the project, which is administered through Sister Cities International. Each partnership receives a $20,000 seed grant.

Part of the grant money will be used to fund wheelchairs for Hilla in partnership with the Wheelchair Foundation. Their goal over the next five years is to deliver 1 million wheelchairs to people around the world who cannot afford to buy them.

Tempe Sister Cities joins Rotary Clubs in the U.S. and Canada that have sent 1,120 wheelchairs to Iraq.

Tempe has led the way in groundbreaking Sister Cities relationships for more than 30 years. Tempe became the first U.S. city to twin with a community in Eastern Europe, linking with Skopje, Macedonia, (then Yugoslavia) in 1971. That relationship continues today as well as relationships with six other cities on four continents: Regensburg, Germany; Lower Hutt, New Zealand; Zhenjiang, China; Timbuktu, Mali; Beaulieu sur Mer, France; and Carlow, Ireland.

Tempe’s relationship with Hilla is an alternative to the traditional long-term Sister Cities partnership. This shorter term project is designed to focus on humanitarian aid programs.

The Tempe Sister Cities program has received 17 national awards including Best Overall Program from Sister Cities International in 2004. Its major fund-raising event, the “Way Out West Oktoberfest” was named Arizona Event of the Year 2003 and takes place again this year, Sept. 30-Oct. 2. Tempe Sister Cities also received the Tempe Human Relations Commission 2002 Diversity Award.

Tempe Sister Cities’ relationship with Hilla has just begun. At a future meeting, delegates from both sides will exchange ideas on how to improve humanitarian conditions in Hilla. Fostering communication, cooperation and understanding will be the first goals.

As you see, there is a way for East Valley residents who want to make a positive difference in this war, after all. Information: www.sister- cities.org; www.wheelchair foundation.org; or www .tempesc.org.