FARMINGTON – The consequences of war for children, nurses, artists, mothers and others will be the focus of a teach-in on war and peace from 9 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Thursday at the University of Maine at Farmington.

The day culminates with a presentation by Cindy Sheehan, founding member of Gold Star Mothers for Peace, at 7 p.m. in Lincoln Auditorium, Roberts Learning Center. Prior to Sheehan’s appearance, local folk singer Ruth Hill will provide a time of music called Songs of War and Peace from 6 to 6:45 p.m.

Seventeen separate presentations and workshops will be held to teach how war affects people, led by Iraq and Vietnam veterans, peace activists, artists and UMF faculty members and students. Three separate presentations will be held simultaneously from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in North Dining Hall rooms A, B and C of Olsen Student Center. The public is welcome to attend any or all of the presentations. There is no charge.

“This is an educational day on the consequences of war,” said Doug Rawlings, UMF director of institutional research and grants administration, “not an anti-war rally.

We are a public university providing a forum for different perspectives in a spirit of courteous public discussion. There will be speakers with strong views about war and Iraq who are invited to express their views so that students and the public can have a fuller understanding and decide what they like.”

The UMF College Republicans are planning a rally during Sheehan’s talk in the common area outside Roberts Learning Center to demonstrate their support for U.S. soldiers, the war on terror and President Bush.

A group of students and Rawlings have been working for a year on this event, presented this week that marks the start of the fifth year of the war.

Last year in one of Rawlings’ courses, Introduction to Peace Studies, students requested a teach-in about war in general, he said. Half a dozen students became actively involved in the planning and the student group, SEA-Change (social and environmental activities for change) were invited to participate and raised the funds necessary to bring Sheehan here, he said.

Other speakers are on the schedule including Major Michael Backus of Wilton, an Iraq war veteran who will speak on the “Perspectives of the Maine National Guard Serving in Iraq” from 9 to 10 a.m. Along with concurrent presentations by Vietnam War veteran Dud Hendrick, “Service Academy Graduates Against the War,” and by Lee Sharkey, UMF assistant professor, on “Women In Black Resisting the War.”

Other workshops are:

10:15-11:15 a.m. – Maine History and Women’s History classes offer Perspectives on Peace and War; Lynn Ellis, Beyond Outrage: Building a Culture of Peace; Roy Van Til, Economic Costs to America of the Iraq War.

1-2 p.m. – Stephan Desrochers, showing and discussion of film “Why We Fight;” Pat Wheeler, Artists in Time of War; Peggy Akers, Kristina Wolfe and Rita Clement, Women and War.

2:15-3:15 p.m. – Film “Ground Truth” shown with discussion led by Eileen Kreutz; Tyler Backus, The medical treatment of soldiers in Iraq; Scott Erb and Melissa Clawson, Children and War.

3:30-4:30 p.m. – Film and discussion, “Ground Truth;” Shenna Bellows with Dr. Linda Beck, Civil Liberties in Wartime; Rob Shetterly, A Proposed Iraq War Memorial.”