Released on = July 21, 2006, 1:41 pm

Press Release Author = Shanita Michelle

Industry = Government

Press Release Summary = Development authority Dr. Leon Hesser, Palestinian peace
activist Sir Rateb Rabie seek Mideast peace in Dubuque Iowa

Press Release Body = Coralville, Iowa July 21 --- Dr. Leon Hesser, former director
of US government's global efforts to increase food production in developing
countries, whose authorized biography of Cresco Iowa-born Nobel Peace laureate
Norman Borlaug has foreword by President Jimmy Carter and endorsements by President
George H.W. Bush and former presidential hopeful Dr. George McGovern, is among
discussants at the 5.30pm August 4 peace through books symposium in Dubuque Iowa.

Happening at John Kennedy Mall as part of the August 4-6 Christian Book Fair
International to be declared open at 11am August 4 by Dubuque Mayor Roy Buol, the
forum which is open to the public examines how book writing, co-authoring,
publishing, distribution, sales, preservation, reading and sharing can help push the
frontiers of peace.

Themed \"Building Bridges of Peace Through Books\", it comes amid the raging
Israeli-Hezbolah war, the perennial Palestinian-Israeli conflict, the high casualty
Iraq War, the Darfur genocide that has claimed UN estimated 200,000 lives and
displaced 3 million people, and the fighting in Democratic Republic of Congo that
has taken 3.3 million lives and displaced 2.25 million people since 1998, among
others.

Coralville Iowa-based organizers, Family Reading Ministries, Inc., posit there has
never been a better time for books, book industry professionals and book lovers to
champion the cause of peace than now when statistics by US-based book tracking firm,
R.R. Bowker, show there have been significant increases in published books,
publishers and the revenue derived from book sales.

\"It therefore behooves the book trade to turn their fortunes into assets for peace
especially in the Middle East,\" opines Family Reading Ministries, Inc. founder Rev.
Paschal Eze.

Other discussants include Palestinian-born Sir Rateb Rabie, head of Holy Land
Christian Ecumenical Foundation Maryland that pleads cause of persecuted Palestinian
Christians, and Bankole Thompson, Detroit-based author of "Ignoring The
Underprivileged: A Journalist's Indictment of Mainstream Media."

There would also be the August 1-3 free Dial-An-Author-Reading events featuring US,
Canadian and British authors like Joseph Simons, Victoria Ryan and Akeem Shomade who
would read their books and chat with callers.

For more information on these events or our various speakers, visit
www.readingspree.com or call Shanita at 3193519695.

Web Site = http://www.readingspree.com

Contact Details = Shanita Michelle, www.readingspree.com.
P.O.Box 5145 Coralville Iowa 52241
T: 1-319-351-9695