World Week for Peace in Palestine and Israel 2014

This message from the John Calhoun and Ranjan Solomon of the Palestine Israel Ecumenical Forum (PIEF) of the World Council of Churches.

Greetings and peace to you all.  During 21-27 September 2014, congregations, community groups, and individuals committed to justice and human rights are invited to participate in World Week for Peace in Palestine Israel (WWPPI).

This year, the theme of the World Week is “Let my people go” (Exodus 9:1).  In response to the request of church leaders and laity in Palestine, the World Week international working group has chosen to focus attention in 2014 on the critical issue of political prisoners incarcerated in Israeli jails:  Palestinians imprisoned in Israel, the occupied Palestinian territories, and annexed East Jerusalem; administrative detainees; child prisoners; prisoners suffering harsh conditions; and Israeli conscientious objectors.

Over the last months, the World Week working group, along with partners worldwide, have been preparing resources for use in worship services, educational forums, and other events during the Week.  These resources include:

•The Jerusalem Prayer from Palestinian Christian church leaders in Jerusalem
•The worship liturgy "Let My People Go," written by Palestinian Christian laity and clergy for Sunday 21 September
•A booklet guide for observing WWPPI 2014, created by our international working group and Palestinian partners, with information, theological reflections, and advocacy suggestions for each day of the Week
•A dossier entitled, "Palestinian Prisoners: A Question of Conscience," focusing on the issue of prisoners held by the Israeli occupation forces, authored by human rights' and prisoners' organizations in Palestine and Israel; the dossier is a remarkable collection of statistics, analysis, and personal stories that should serve as a valuable resource for advocacy
•An online petition that will be circulated for signature in the days leading up to the World Week.

These and other resources can be found on the Resources page of the World Week for Peace in Palestine Israel website, at http://pief.oikoumene.org/en/world-week-for-peace/resources. 

Please continue to refer to this site for additional updates through the end of the Week.

Lastly, I invite you to email us a description of the WWPPI events that you may be planning, or in which you will participate.  We are compiling a database of information regarding activities taking place during the Week, and would like to add your activities to our list.

Many thanks for your participation in World Week for Peace in Palestine Israel 2014.

http://pief.oikoumene.org
www.facebook.com/groups/335983429786866/


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