wfn.org | WCC NEWS: Israel-Palestine: Church "World Week" strives to bring about peace

["WCC Media" <Media@wcc-coe.org>]

World Council of Churches - News Release

Contact: +41 22 791 6153 +41 79 507 6363 media@wcc-coe.org
For immediate release - 27/05/2009 15:23:27

A "WORLD WEEK" HAS CHURCHES WORKING FOR PEACE WHERE THERE IS NO

>PEACE

Australia is focusing on Gaza, Austria has town pilgrimages.
Brazil has seminary students debating conflict over "holy" land.
Canadians, Scots, Norwegians, British and French are making
contact with lawmakers. Directors of church-related aid agencies
are visiting Israeli and Palestinian partner organizations. And
on the high Wall that hems in Bethlehem, Palestinians are
"showing" prayers at night.

The events are part of World Week for Peace in Palestine Israel
( http://www.oikoumene.org/en/events-sections/wwppi.html ), 4-10
June 2009. Churches and related organizations in more than 20
countries (
http://www.oikoumene.org/en/events-sections/wwppi/events-summary.html
)are taking part. The World Council of Churches-led action week
is dedicated to prayer, education and advocacy for an end to a
60-year conflict.

"We feel as if we are in one world and every one else, and all
other cities, live in another world," says a student’s prayer
that may be projected on the Wall and is one of many available (
http://www.aeicenter.org/ )online from a church-related
organization in Bethlehem.

During the action week the peace prayers will be read aloud at
local sites of suffering – near settlements, at demolished
homes, at checkpoints, in refugee camps, and in parishes and
schools in the West Bank and Gaza. Churches on every continent
will also make use of the prayers.

People and parishes around the world are invited to send their
own prayers for peace to Bethlehem ( mailto:aei@p-ol.com )for
this "World Week". The invitation is open to churches well beyond
the membership of the WCC.

Parishes and organizations in some 40 countries responded (
http://www.aeicenter.org/aei/sumud/human_clock/PrayersForPeace.htm
)during last year’s action week, thanks especially to members
of Pax Christi International. Emailing prayers enables people "to
show direct solidarity" in addition to parish events, a Swedish
organizer says.

While "World Week" prayers ask help from heaven, church
advocates also seek changes on earth. On 5 June, two church
groups in England will visit an Israeli-owned company in the West
Midlands that makes engines for drones used in the Gaza war.
After a public witness there, they will build a peace cairn at a
local church.

>Special focus on settlements

Israeli settlements on occupied Palestinian territory, which are
illegal under international law, are a special focus this year. A
UK advocacy paper (
http://www.oikoumene.org/fileadmin/files/wcc-main/documents/p3/worldweekforpeace/documents/2009_settlement_products.pdf
)on settlement products suggests morally responsible actions
people and parishes in the European Union can take with retailers
and governments that maintain economic links to the occupation.
The paper was developed by Quaker Peace and Social Witness, one
of 12 organizations behind the action week in the UK.

Parliamentarians, local parishioners and a Palestinian
legislator will meet for an advocacy evening on June 10 at an
Edinburgh parish in Scotland. To enter they will have to walk
around a full-sized image of the Wall outside the church.

Church groups in France have joined a civil society campaign for
Palestinian rights that is focused on candidates in the 7 June
election for the European Parliament. Most of Australia’s
parliamentarians have received a report on the humanitarian
situation in Gaza, with a cover letter from church
representatives in Canberra. Meanwhile, 3000 Australian parishes
have received information kits about Israel-Palestine.

Participating countries report that joint actions in June for
World Week often strengthen or spawn individual church actions
for Israel-Palestine peace during the rest of the year.

Education (

http://www.oikoumene.org/en/events-sections/wwppi/educate.html
)to counter misinformation is a goal of the week. Norwegian
organizers are tackling conflict-related problems in tourism and
theology. A tourism seminar will explore a Code of Conduct
developed by Palestinian tourism groups. A theology seminar will
examine the concept of "Promised Land" with a pastor who has
written a new book on the subject.

In the Netherlands, a story-telling relay will spread across the
country, starting at the beach. The idea comes from parish
protests during the recent Gaza war.

In the Philippines, World Week is one impetus behind a new
Philippines Solidarity Group for Peace which links religious,
youth, indigenous and academic organizations, and includes
Protestants, Roman Catholics and Muslims.

Brazil, Austria, South Africa, the USA and other countries will
have congregations and conferences learning, singing and praying
about peace, thanks to a liturgy from Ireland (
http://www.oikoumene.org/fileadmin/files/wcc-main/documents/p3/worldweekforpeace/documents/2009_Irish_liturgy.pdf
). The order of service was inspired by a church leaders’ visit
to the Occupied Palestinian Territory for action week last year.
It includes testimonies by young Palestinians and Israelis about
peace.

An ecumenical service sponsored by the Heads of Churches in
Jerusalem has anchored World Week each of its four years. This
year the East Jerusalem event is on Sunday 7 June. A prayer (
http://www.oikoumene.org/en/events-sections/wwppi/pray.html
)from the Jerusalem church leaders is available to nearly 400 WCC
member churches in more than 100 countries.

The World Week and its joint actions are part of the Palestine
Israel Ecumenical Forum which is convened by the WCC.

>World Week for Peace in Palestine Israel
>http://worldweekforpeace.org

>WCC member churches in Israel/Palestine
>http://www.oikoumene.org/?id=4746

>WCC Living Letters visit to Israel/Palestine
>http://www.overcomingviolence.org/?id=6661

Additional information:Juan Michel,+41 22 791 6153 +41 79 507
6363media@wcc-coe.org

The World Council of Churches promotes Christian unity in faith,
witness and service for a just and peaceful world. An ecumenical
fellowship of churches founded in 1948, today the WCC brings
together 349 Protestant, Orthodox, Anglican and other churches
representing more than 560 million Christians in over 110
countries, and works cooperatively with the Roman Catholic
Church. The WCC general secretary is Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia, from
the Methodist Church in Kenya. Headquarters: Geneva,
Switzerland.