Herring of 'Charlie Wilson's War' to unveil Afghan peace initiative Thursday, May 10

Julia Roberts played her in the movie "Charlie Wilson's War," and Joanne Herring herself will appear at the National Press Club at 3:30 p.m. Thursday,May 10, to announce her plans to wage a peace offensive in Afghanistan by fighting poverty.

Herring worked with the late Rep. Charlie Wilson, D-Texas, 30 years ago to urge the U.S. government to militarily support the Mujahideen to fight the Soviets in Afghanistan 30 years. She now plans to return to the war-torn country in August to start a new campaign -- to fight poverty in northern Herat province.

She plans to outline her initiative in a speech at an event organized by the International Correspondents Committee in the First Amendment Lounge.

Herring is developing a coalition of non-profit organizations to provide food, water, healthcare, jobs and education to villages in Herat.

"A village of 20,000 can be provided for less than it cost to keep one soldier in the field for a year," she says.

She is confident that even the Taliban will support her initiative. "After 30 years, everyone is tired of war," she adds. "When confronted with the efforts of peace, the Taliban are ready to become partners, nota dversaries. This is the hope of the world and in every country that has suffered, not only Afghanistan, for lack of elemental necessities."

Ms. Herring says she plans to visit Afghanistan in August along with a congressional committee and a NATO commander.

Her initiative is part of Marshall Plan Charities, a Texas-based non-profit corporation Herring founded in 2009, dedicated to "winning the peace" in Afghanistan. It seeks to edevelop "normal,healthy civilian life village by village."

A question and answer session will follow her speech. The event will be open to the ublic.

For additional information, contact Myron Belkind, chair of the International Correspondents Committee, at [email protected].