wfn.org | WCC - First group of ecumenical accompaniers begin work in Palestine and Israel

["Sheila Mesa" <smm@wcc-coe.org>]

World Council of Churches
Update, Up-02-25
For Immediate Use
26 August 2002

First group of ecumenical accompaniers begin work in Palestine and Israel

cf. WCC Press Release, PR-02-06, 11 February 2002
cf. WCC Press Update, UP-02-02, 11 February 2002

Ten Europeans are today joining local churches, church-related humanitarian organizations and  Palestinian and Israeli health, peace and human rights organizations to provide international solidarity to organizations struggling to ensure daily services and a peace witness in the midst of the conflict.  They are the first official participants in the Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine and Israel (EAPPI), coordinated by the World Council of Churches (WCC). The participants are sponsored by the Church of Sweden and Mission Covenant Church of Sweden, EED (Evangelische Entwicklungsdienst), and DanChurchAid.

Ranging in age from 23 to 67, the accompaniers completed a three-week training and local orientation before moving into the field. The first group anticipates staying in Palestine and Israel for periods ranging from three to six months.

The concept of an accompaniment programme was approved in September 2001 by the WCC Executive Committee within the framework of an Ecumenical Campaign to End the Illegal Occupation of Palestine: Support a Just Peace in the Middle East. The Programme's mission is the "accompaniment of Palestinians and Israelis in non-violent actions and concerted advocacy efforts to end the occupation". The accompaniers will work with local churches and Palestinian and Israeli peace and human rights organizations on a number of tasks, including human rights monitoring, advocacy, and supporting non-violent resistance. 

A pilot Christian Accompaniment project carried by Danish and Icelandic church aid agencies ran from March to July this year. The Christian Peacemaker Team, based in Hebron since 1995, was another model for the programme.

Accompaniers and their field placements:

Eva Balslev (Denmark), Alternative Information Centre, Jerusalem

Brigitte Boeckmann (Germany) Gaza Community Mental Health Center

Sarah Gjerding (Denmark), Palestinian Centre for Human Rights, Gaza

Heidi Hansen (Denmark), Union of Palestinian Medical Relief Committees (UPMRC), Ramallah

Lone Hvejsel (Denmark), Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan (ELCJ), Jerusalem

Anne-Lene Kjaeldgaard (Denmark), Lutheran World Federation/Augusta Victoria Hospital, Jerusalem

Bernt Jonsson (Sweden), B'Tselem: The Israeli Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories
 
Nicolai Mueller (Germany), Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA), Beit Sahour

Sune Segal (Denmark), Health, Development, Information and Policy Institute (HDIP)/Palestine Monitor, Ramallah

Barbara Thiel (Germany), Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA), Jerusalem

Regular reports from the accompaniers will be on the web site: 
http://www.wcc-coe.org/wcc/what/international/palestine/eap.html 

For further information please contact: 

WCC Media Relations, tel. +41-22-791-6398

EAPPI interim local coordination:  
Craig Kippels, tel. +972-67-255 843
Rudolf Hinz, tel. +972-55-924 358

National EAPPI coordinators for the current group of accompaniers:

Denmark: Mr Uffe Gjerding, Coordinator, Middle East Desk, Danchurchaid, 
tel. + 45-33-152 800

Sweden: Mr Emanuel Furbacken, Middle East Secretary , Mission Covenant Church of Sweden, tel. +46 73 94 62 93 918 

Germany: Ms Sieglinde Weinbrenner, Middle East Desk / EED, 
tel. + 49-(0)228-8101 2557

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The World Council of Churches (WCC) is a fellowship of churches, now 342, in more than 100 countries in all continents from virtually all Christian traditions. The Roman Catholic Church is not a member church but works cooperatively with the WCC. The highest governing body is the assembly, which meets approximately every seven years. The WCC was formally inaugurated in 1948 in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Its staff is headed by general secretary Konrad Raiser from the Evangelical Church in Germany.

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