wfn.org | EIGHT FROM U.S. AMONG PALESTINIAN ELECTIONS ECUMENICAL OBSERVERS

[George Gundrey <ggundrey@igc.apc.org>]

National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A.
Contact: 1-212-870-2252 (New York) or
carol_fouke.parti@ecunet.org

EIGHT FROM U.S. GOING AS PALESTINIAN ELECTIONS OBSERVERS

 NEW YORK, Jan. 9 ---- Eight persons from the United States
ecumenical community will serve as monitors for the Jan. 20 
Palestinian elections.  The National Council of the Churches
of Christ in the U.S.A. and the Washington, D.C., Lutheran Office for
Governmental Affairs are facilitating their accreditation through the 
Middle East Council of Churches liaison office in Jerusalem.

 Most plan to arrive in Jerusalem Jan. 12 or 13.

 The eight all have either Middle East experience or 
international elections monitoring experience; some have 
both.  

 The World Council of Churches and several European 
church agencies also are contributing monitors from the 
ecumenical community.  The ecumenical monitors will be 
accredited through the office for international NGO (non-
governmental organization) observers established by the 
Palestinian Authority, which is overseeing the elections.

 In a related effort, the European Union and several 
European countries have been providing assistance in 
preparation for the elections, and 300 EU monitors already 
have arrived to prepare themselves for the event.

 International ecumenical elections monitors have gone 
to a number of other countries in recent years, including 
South Africa, Namibia, Malawi, El Salvador and Haiti.  The 
U.S. ecumenical community monitors going to Palestine are:

 * David Berceli, a U.S. Roman Catholic working in 
Bethlehem.

 * Mark Brown, Lutheran Office for Governmental 
Affairs, Washington, D.C., a member of the Evangelical 
Lutheran Church in America.

 * Deborah Gerner and Philip Schrodt, Department of 
Political Science, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas, 
wife and husband, Quakers.

 * Terence Miller, Maryknoll Justice and Peace Office, 
Washington, D.C., a Roman Catholic.

 * Mary Teresa (Terry) Rogers, New York City, an 
Episcopalian.  She served as an El Salvador elections 
monitor and has broad experience in Latin America and the 
Middle East.

 * Maelinda Turner, New York City, a member of the 
United Church of Christ.  She served as a South Africa 
elections monitor.

 * David Weaver, Acting Director, Middle East Office, 
National Council of Churches/Church World Service and 
Witness, New York, and a member of the Orthodox Church in 
America.

-end-

Carol Fouke, National Council of Churches
Room 850, 475 Riverside Drive, New York, NY 10115 USA
Internet Address: carol_fouke.parti@ecunet.org
13:23 Tue, Jan  9, 1996