under re-construction

This week Equity International will be conducting their second conference The Iraqi Reconstruction Conference on July 1 and 2 in Washington DC at the Capitol Hilton. Registration fees range from $495 to $795. Ouch. Walk-ins welcome just make sure you bring your check book.

The Iraqi Reconstruction Conference will provide the latest information on reconstruction and funding. Conference general sessions and break-out sessions will feature top government officials, corporate executives, and diplomats, speaking on:

Humanitarian aid and emergency assistance

Funding for Iraqi reconstruction

International perspectives on Iraq's reconstruction

Reconstruction priorities and programs; heavy infrastructure, communications, medicine, security, education, oil and gas, etc.

Contracting and subcontracting opportunities with government agencies and major contractors

Special session on contracting opportunities for small and minority-owned businesses

Equity International also maintains a website The Center for Reconstruction and Development. Mostly it consists of ads for their partners but you can monitor the site for future conferences.

Since 1996, over 2,000 major corporations, organizations, agencies, and governments have participated in Equity's reconstruction and development conferences. The high-profile events, usually in Washington, have provided corporations and organizations with the latest information on the reconstruction and development programs and contracts of U.S. and multilateral agencies and of foreign governments. Conference participants have also benefited from lucrative networking among a diverse array of leaders...

Greg Barrett of Gannett News reports in his recent article Iraq's bad water brings disease, alarms relief workers that the Pentagon has awarded a "private contract" for cleaning up Basra's water supply.

Last week, more than a month after WHO first warned of waterborne epidemics developing in Basra, the Pentagon approved a private contract to replace parts of the city's four water treatment plants.

Bpost has been unable to identify to whom the contract was awarded--assuming that "approved" means "awarded" that is.