Evergreen's "The Search For Peace" Series

March 4 th Local Peace Initiatives

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On this page:

The Ana-Procrustean Personal Responsibility Peace Project (TAPPRPP)
Baha'is
Brit Tzedek v'Shalom
Compassionate Listening Project
Evangelicals for Middle East Understanding (EMEU)
Friends of Sabeel-North America (FOSNA)
International Solidarity Movement (ISM)
Oly Mideast Listen
The Olympia Fellowship of Reconciliation

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The Ana-Procrustean Personal Responsibility Peace Project (TAPPRPP)

Contact: Steve McConnell

The name speaks for itself...   Procrustean: 1) of, relating to, or typical of Procrustes, 2) marked by arbitrary often ruthless disregard of individual differences or special circumstances.   Procrustes: a villainous son of Poseidon in Greek myth who forces travelers to fit into his bed by stretching their bodies or cutting off their legs.

Both Israel and Palestine, and Israelis and Palestinians are asked to make peace in extraordinarily difficult circumstances and under the intense glare of worldwide attention to their struggle.   Both sides are villainized, whether as terrorists or oppressors.   Even "peace and justice" groups lose their focus on peace as they identify greater blame on one side or the other.

TAPPRPP seeks to provide context to this unique struggle by: 1) contrasting the situation, as it exists in Israel/Palestine today against other areas of conflict in the recent past, 2) challenging others to review the history that led to their own present circumstances, and 3) considering the conflict with principles of sociobiology in mind.

TAPPRPP believes that a better understanding of all of these will: 1) lead to less demonization of each side, 2) increase attention to our own personal behavior day by day, and 3) change the relative mixture of humility and self-righteousness which people carry into their attitudes and actions in regard to this conflict.   All of these, we believe, will advance the opportunity for dialogue and increase the prospects for peace.

Baha'is

Contact: Ms. Leslie Edwards-Hill

Chairperson of the Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of Olympia

The Baha'i Faith is the second most widespread of the world's independent religions, established in 235 countries and territories throughout the world   We come from over 2,100 ethnic, racial, and tribal groups and number some 5 million worldwide.

The Baha'is of Olympia would like to be present to offer and assist in consultation surrounding the principles of our Faith, which naturally concerns and addresses the current conflict between Israel and Palestine. These principles are all embracing and will appeal to a great many in attendance. Succinctly, Bahai's worldwide believing in divine origin, being all-embracing in scope, broad in outlook, scientific in its methods, humanitarian in its principles and dynamic in the influence it exerts on the hearts and minds of men. The Baha'is of Olympia would like to be present to offer consultation surrounding principles of justice. 

We recognize the unity of God and of His Prophets, uphold the principle of an unfettered search after truth, condemn all forms of superstition and prejudice, teach that the fundamental purpose of religion is to promote concord and harmony, that religion must go hand-in-hand with science, and that it constitutes the sole and ultimate basis of a peaceful, and ordered and progressive society. It inculcates the principle of equal opportunity, rights and privileges for both sexes, advocates compulsory education, abolishes extremes of poverty and wealth, exalts work performed in the spirit of service to the rank of worship, recommends the adoption of an auxiliary international language and provides the necessary agencies for the establishment and safeguarding of a permanent and universal peace. 

Brit Tzedek v'Shalom

Jewish Alliance for Justice and Peace

Contact: David Hanig     &    Susan Rosen                    

Brit Tzedek v'Shalom, the Jewish Alliance for Justice and Peace, is a national organization of American Jews deeply committed to Israel's well-being through the achievement of a negotiated settlement to the long-standing Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Through education, advocacy, local chapter activities, and work with the media, we seek to generate greater dialogue within the American Jewish community in order to direct U.S. foreign policy toward the realization of a just peace. Monthly Meetings: usually held the third Wednesday of each month, 7 - 8:30 pm, at Temple Beth Hatfiloh.

Our Goals:

•  Advocate for a peaceful resolution to the Israel-Palestine conflict, one that respects the rights of both peoples;

•  Advocate for removing the settlements and Israeli armed forces from the Palestinian territories;

•  Lobby American political leaders to support these positions and thus serve as an alternative Jewish political voice on Israeli-Palestinian conflict;

•    Provide an emotional home for Jews who share a similar perspective on the peace process

Compassionate Listening Project
Contact: Rona Ruben           

The Compassionate Listening Project is dedicated to empowering individuals to heal polarization and build bridges between people, communities, and nations in conflict. Our work has grown out of 14 years of conflict resolution and reconciliation work on the ground in Israel and Palestine. We have ushered hundreds of American citizens very deeply into both societies to listen to the suffering and grievances of people on all sides of the conflict and help bring the humanity of each side to the other.

Our work includes:

•  Compassionate Listening training and workshops worldwide

•  Citizen delegations to Israel/Palestine

•  Trainings for Israelis and Palestinians

•  Educational programs on the Israel-Palestine conflict

Evangelicals for Middle East Understanding (EMEU)

Contact:   Sue Johnson          

EMEU is an affiliation of North American Christian churches, agencies, and individuals which seeks to provide encouragement to, advocacy for, and fellowship with Christians in the Middle East by sponsoring conferences, facilitating partnerships, and creating friendships in order to bridge the geographic and cultural divide. By means of periodic printed EMEU Journals, E mail updates, and annual conferences, we are able to keep our supporters abreast of coming events, such as our 2004 international conference "Journey to Egypt - Building Bridges" which runs from Saturday, May 29 - Wednesday, June 9th. During our "journey" there will be meetings, visits and lectures from experts in the fields of Christian theology, the ancient church, Islam, and Christian-Muslim relations. There will be many chances to meet, work and learn with the local church of Egypt through worshipping in their churches and participating in their actions within society.

Friends of Sabeel-North America (FOSNA)

Contact: Sue Johnson           

This is an outreach effort of the Palestinian churches in the Holy Land through The Sabeel Ecumenical Liberation Theology Center, Jerusalem. FOSNA has chapters in the US and Canada, and offers a program of educational events, conferences, church outreach, and alternative pilgrimage to promote understanding and support for principles of a just peace between Israel and the Palestinian people.

    Palestinian Christians, side by side with their Muslim sisters and brothers, are struggling to survive under the Israeli military occupation that has lasted more than 35 years. Sabeel's overarching goal is to end the occupation and to establish a Palestinian State with all the rights, duties, and privileges of every other country in this world.

International Solidarity Movement (ISM)

Contact: Phan Nguyen   

The International Solidarity Movement (ISM) is a grassroots movement dedicated to nonviolent resistance to the Israeli military occupation of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. ISM demonstrates that the international community can make a difference on the ground where the political leaders have either failed or neglected. Founded in 2001 by Palestinians, Israelis, and Americans, ISM invites people from around the world to work under the direction of Palestinian communities in employing the tactics of Martin Luther King and Gandhi. ISM also works with peace groups such as Ta'ayush, Gush Shalom, the Christian Peacemakers Team, the International Women's Peace Services, and Rabbis for Human Rights.

ISM has accompanied ambulances, assisted farmers in harvesting their crops, escorted children to school, prevented house demolitions, and engaged in nonviolent demonstrations. ISM has enabled people of color, members of the Palestinian diaspora, and Jews of conscience to witness first-hand the ongoing oppression under Israeli military occupation: land theft, collective punishment, home demolitions, and assorted human rights abuses--all in the absence of international monitors.

There is a difference between those who call for peace from an armchair and those who work for peace and justice on the ground. ISM was nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize in 2003--the second nomination for some of its Palestinian cofounders.

Oly Mideast Listen

Contact: Paul Pickett

Following the events of September 11, 2001, both Jews and Muslims were faced with the heightened tensions triggered by the attack. At the same time the struggle between Palestinians and Israelis worsened. In December 2001 the Jewish and Muslim Communities held several joint potluck events to hold get to know each other better. A number of activities spun off of these potlucks, and on was the formation of a "Compassionate Listening Group" that would allow Jews, Muslims, people of Middle Eastern background, and their close friends from the greater Olympia area, to learn about each other, and about Middle Eastern current affairs and history using "compassionate listening" tools.

Compassionate listening follows simple ground rules:

•  Tell your own story

•  Listen as others tell their story

•  Don't criticize or attack what others have to say

•  Everyone's story is important, so equal time for everyone is important

Meetings are held irregularly, a few times per year when organizers can find time. Sometimes a speaker may attend to present information and stimulate discussion.

The Olympia Fellowship of Reconciliation
http://www.olyfor.org

Contact: Glen Anderson & Ramon Hinkle            

5015 15 th Ave SE        
Lacey WA 98503-2723

The Olympia Fellowship of Reconciliation has worked locally for peace, nonviolence and social justice since 1976.  We are the local chapter of a broadly interfaith pacifist organization founded in 1914-1915.  The FOR sees the interconnections of all forms of violence, and we work for nonviolent alternatives.  The Olympia FOR publishes a newsletter, hosts a website www.olyfor.org , produces a series on TCTV (Mondays at 1:30 p.m. and Thursdays at 9:00 p.m.), conducts two peace vigils every week, sponsors speaking engagements and workshops, and organizes a wide variety of other activities and events.  We help strengthen the overall movements for peace, nonviolence and social justice.  We are an all-volunteer organization supported by purely voluntary contributions.

Mission Statement :  The Olympia Chapter of the Fellowship of Reconciliation seeks to replace violence, war, racism, intolerance, and economic and social injustice with nonviolence, peace and justice.  We are an organization of many faiths committed to active nonviolence as a transformative way of life and as a means of profound social change.  We model these principles by personal example.  We collaborate and dialogue with the larger community to educate and to engage in nonviolent and compassionate actions.