Lake View Presbyterian Church

Middle East Task Force

The Middle East Task Force Mission Statement.

To bring a greater awareness of the conflict in the Middle East (specifically Palestine/Israel and Iraq) through methods of personal witness - including non-violent methods of resistance - and present opportunities for support and action in accomplishing a just peace in the region.

Goals and Objectives:

To bring an awareness and understanding in our own congregation and beyond, to the economic, physical and psychological impact of occupation.  

To highlight the human rights violations suffered by all peoples in this conflict.

To provide emotional, financial and spiritual support for the dwindling Christian population of these areas in the Middle East.

To financially support individuals of the Lake View congregation choosing to travel to these regions to bear witness to the conditions of Life.

To state, and support with actions or contributions to the appropriate organizations, we as a congregation, oppose the occupation of the West Bank, Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem, as well as Iraq AND the use of violence in these regions as a means of accomplishing peace.

Social Justice Committee
Middle East Task Force
Spring, 2005

What has the Middle East Task Force has done?

WITNESS

Through Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT), three LVPC members have traveled to the Palestine/Israel and Iraq.

Deanna Boyd  - West Bank Peacekeeping Delegation April 2002  & Sept/Oct 2002 (pictured with CSD Family members, Kawla and twins Nidra & Esra, 2002)

Anita David West Bank Peacekeeping Delegation May 2003 , CPT Reservist Duty in Iraq May - July 2004, CPT Corps Member Duty in Iraq June - September 2005

Laurie Empen - West Bank Peacekeeping Delegation Oct 2003 & May/June 2005 (pictured in At-Twuani, small village south of Heborn, wearing necklace crafted by the local women)

Christian Peacemaker Teams  

Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT) is a program of active peacemaking sponsored by:  Church of the Brethren, Friends United Meeting, Mennonite Church Canada, Mennonite Church USA, Baptist Peace Fellowship of North America, Congregation of St. Basil (the Basilians), Every Church a Peace Church, On Earth Peace, and Presbyterian Peace Fellowship.  Christian Peacemaker Teams  offers an organized, nonviolent alternative to war and other forms of lethal inter-group conflict. CPT provides organizational support to persons committed to faith-based nonviolent alternatives in situations where lethal conflict is an immediate reality or is supported by public policy.

CPT seeks to enlist the response of the whole church in conscientious objection to war, and the development of nonviolent institutions, skills and training for intervention in conflict situations. CPT projects connect intimately with the spiritual lives of its constituent congregations. Gifts of prayer, money and time from these churches undergird CPT peacemaking ministries.

Anita David trained to become a CPT Reserve Corps member in 2004,. which means she agreed to serve 4 weeks out of each year, for three years, where CPT may have needed her presence.  This obligation was fulfilled with her time in Iraq in 2004.  Anita is now a full-time CPT Corps member.  Since 1993, Christian Peacemaker Teams has been recruiting and training individuals for the Christian Peacemaker Corps (CPC). Corps members, trained in peacemaking skills and nonviolent direct action, are available on a full-time basis to enter emergency situations of conflict and areas of militarization at the invitation of local peacemakers. Responding to Christ's call to confront injustice, its members attempt to bring the redemptive love of God to violent situations.

Full-time Christian Peacemaker Corps members commit to a three-year term of service. They spend approximately two-thirds time working in situations of conflict. While at home, members are available for short-term organizing, speaking, training, or other peace work within their community. 

The Campaign for Secure Dwellings is a network of congregations in North America working to end the Israeli military occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

Since June 1995 a Christian Peacemaker Team has worked at violence reduction in Hebron in the occupied West Bank. From initial work on the streets in the city, CPT learned of the extent of the violence of demolitions of Palestinian homes by the Israeli military. They also met Israeli and Palestinian peacemakers. They identified the home demolitions as one of the most damaging and indefensible human rights violations of the occupation. Starting in late 1997 in cooperation with the Palestinian Land Defense Committee, Rabbis for Human Rights, and the Israeli Committee Against Home Demolitions, CPT initiated the Campaign for Secure Dwellings to stop the home demolitions.

The Campaign for Secure Dwellings matched churches and groups in North America with individual Palestinian families whose homes are threatened with demolition. Through visit reports, the North American partners in CSD understand in a personal way the vulnerability of Palestinian families facing this threat, and are motivated to work to change the home demolition policy of the Israeli government. Palestinian partners receive the encouragement of knowing that there are people in North America who know of their danger and who care enough to work on their behalf.

During the years of the Campaign for Secure Dwellings, the number of home demolitions tapered off until, for a period of a year, the Israeli military demolished no homes in the Hebron district. When the home demolitions resumed, Palestinian and Israeli peacemaker friends were of one mind: as long as the Israeli military occupation continues, no Palestinian home is safe. Ending the Israeli military occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip is essential to any hope for peace in Israel/Palestine.

Lake View sponsors the Sabarneh family of Beit Ummar.  They are Kawla (mother) and Hassan (husband) with 4 children - Hadil (1998), Sara (2000), twins Nida & Esra (2002) and one child due in August 2005.

Their home in Beit Ummar, with a standing demolition order.

EDUCATION/ADVOCACY

. . .through Drama

LVPC hosted a Staged Reading of PRECIOUS STONES, March 29, 2004 along with a Healing Ceremony.  This play, written by Jamil Khoury - Artistic Director of Silk Road Theatre project - deals with the issues of the first intifada of 1987 and the narratives of both the Israeli and Palestinian through two actresses playing six roles total.  Proceeds from the door were shared with Silk Road Theatre Company and Jouthor Jenin Youth Center, a NGO serving the youth of Jenin. 

. . .through financial support - Olive Wood products from Bethlehem

Local shopkeeper Adnan Al-Khouri of Bethlehem experiences very little if any tourism in Bethelehem these days. To help assist economy of this Christian village, olive wood products were shipped from his shop to Lake View by PC (USA) Regional Liaison Doug Dicks for our Fair Trade Bazaar in December of 2003, and November of 2004.  This helps to support not only Adnan but the craftspeople of that area because all profits are given directly back to them, which is the intent of Fair Trade as well.  It is our desire to continue this partnership and expand such opportunities to other congregations

.

Laurie Empen visits with Adnan during her last trip, May 2005

. . .through Interpretation and Communication

Deanna, Anita and Laurie have all presented their trips to various church groups, organizations and schools throughout Chicago and beyond.  Laurie was able to present of VHS copy her 45 minute documentary Journey to Palestine/Israel to Senator Dick Durbin's Legislative Director Tom Faletti in May of 2004 and the PC (USA) United Nations Representative, Jen Butler in October 2004.

On several occasions, the church has sponsored letter-signing campaigns to our elected officials to let them know of the conditions of occupation and that we desire a just resolution to this conflict in the immediate future. 

. . .through organizations

Chicago Presbytery Middle East Task Force - Deanna, Anita and Laurie are members of this committee, formed thirty years ago to educate ourselves and our presbytery on the plight of Palestinian Christians in the Middle East.  Today, the group meets monthly to share information and update one another about current events.  Most members have been on one or more trips to the Middle East and the first hand-encounters we have had with Palestinian Christians has impacted us and we want to tell you about it.

Israel/Palestine Mission Network - Worldwide Ministries Division of PC (USA) - Laurie is serving on this newly formed Mission Network in the Partnership focus group.  A meeting was held at the National  Office in April 2005 to establish this group whose mission is "in joyful obedience to the call of Christ, and in solidarity with churches and our other partners in Israel and Palestine, this network covenants to engage, consolidate, nourish, and channel the energy in the Presbyterian Church (USA) toward the goal of a just peace in Israel and Palestine by facilitating education, promoting partnerships, and coordinating advocacy".

Refuser Solidarity Network, Not in My Name are just a few of the organizations task force members have worked with in facilitating education and awareness on the occupation.  SEE USEFUL LINKS

 Laurie Empen at the Refuser Solidarity Network Conference, March 2004)

What the Middle East Task Force is Planning?

As of June, 2005, Anita David returned to Baghdad for her CPT Corps commitment. Laurie Empen participated in the May/June CPT Middle East delegation to the West Bank.  Both will give presentations of their experiences when they return.

There will be a FOOD FOR THOUGHT series focusing on the Middle East October 11, 18 & 25, 2005.

We will continue letter writing and signing campaigns to our elected officials.

If you are interested in joining the Middle East Task Force, please email Deanna Boyd dboydttx@yahoo.com  or Laurie Empen LaurieAE@sbcglobal.net. 

Useful Links