Free Republic

Iraqi University Students Learn Democracy By Kathleen T. RhemAmerican Forces Press Service WASHINGTON, Sept. 23, 2004 -- Scott Erwin went to Iraq a year ago to do paperwork in preparation for a major donor's conference, but soon realized Iraq was full of opportunities to help change people's lives. The 22-year-old Erwin soon volunteered for a job that would take him outside the heavily fortified Green Zone, which houses Iraqi government buildings and the U.S. Embassy. His new job with the Ministry of Interior "allowed me to go into the city every day and interact with my Iraqi colleagues," he...

<p>Scott Erwin came from his job in Iraq to walk across the stage with his University of Richmond graduating class on May 9.</p> <p>Last year Scott Erwin put his college education on hold to go to Iraq and teach democracy.</p> <p>He risked his life because he wanted to help.</p>

Talk about a senior trip. Scott Erwin, a senior at the University of Richmond, is spending this academic year in one of the most dangerous places in the world - Baghdad - where bullets fly, trucks explode and heavily armed helicopter gunships skim the rooftops. It's a long way from the tall pines on the UR campus. In e-mail exchanges recently, the 21-year-old Erwin discussed what he's doing in Iraq and how he got there. Erwin, now a civilian employee of the U.S. Department of Defense, is a budget adviser for the Coalition Provisional Authority's Ministry of Interior. The authority...