Biography of Erik Gustafson

As the Executive Director for EPIC and a veteran of the Gulf War, Erik Gustafson has been in the forefront of the Iraq solidarity and anti-sanctions movement since 1997 when he traveled to Iraq for the first time.

The Education for Peace in Iraq Center is a 501(c)3 organization dedicated to improving humanitarian conditions in Iraq and defending the human rights of the Iraqi people. EPIC works toward these objectives through the education and involvement of Americans in a national dialogue about Iraq.

The foreign policy of the United States has played a tremendously influential role in the lives of ordinary Iraqis, particularly since the 1991 Gulf War. EPIC believes that with widespread citizen participation in the democratic political process, this policy and influence can be affected in positive ways. Some examples of these preferred policies have included: lifting blanket economic sanctions against Iraq, resuming United Nations weapons inspections and promoting Iraqi and international cooperation with U.S. forces in Iraq's reconstruction. Only an informed and engaged citizenry can ensure that the interests of ordinary Iraqis prevail over the partisan politics and special interests.

With a small and highly experienced staff team, EPIC is the only Iraq-focused organization of its kind in Washington, DC. EPIC works in coalition with other organizations to bring pressure on media and politicians to consider the humanitarian and human rights consequences of U.S. policy abroad. Together - and with your help - we can make a difference for people like these Baghdad children (right) and for next generations in Iraq. In the process, we may also make a difference in our own country.

As an Army Specialist, Gustafson spent eight months in Saudi Arabia in 1991, building buildings, roads and POW camps. After traveling to Iraq on a humanitarian mission of Global Exchange, he returned to the US determined to give voice to the intolerable suffering of Iraqis under sanctions. He founded EPIC in 1998 to lead Washington, DC-based advocacy for the Iraqi people.

Gustafson has written numerous opinion pieces in prominent newspapers and delivered countless presentations across the country, utilizing a creative range of media to explain the effects of those affected by the US policies in Iraq. He has appeared frequently on such networks as FOX News, CNN, Voice of America, Pacifica and NPR.