Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki warned the U.N. General Assembly Wednesday that the continued flow of weapons, suicide bombers and terrorism funding into his country would result in "disastrous consequences" for the region and the world.
"Of course we are interested to maintain this language, because at the end, this is the language of Jesus Christ." Father Toufic Eid of St. Sergius Church
On an ABC News report, one I have not seen anywhere else, there is this report of a gathering of women and men, children and adults; Muslims, Christians, Jews, Druze, Bedouin and Palestinians, both secular and religious. This takes place in Israel each year, last years was canciled because of the War, and was started in 2001.
This years gathering was from August 14-16 in the olive groves of Latrun Monastery midway between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem.
Jews and Muslims Making Grassroots Peace A diverse cast meets in Israel, trying to teach politicians how to make peace.
Apparently it has had a rapid growth since it's conception, from a few hundred participants, the first year, to and estimated 6000 this year. This is Grassroots at it's best and a Grassroots movement that can only expand, especially in the Middle East, as more understand that the leaders of the political and faction groups, on all sides, are not interested in a peace that strips them of the growing power they seek and gain from the fear they spread.
As one of the organizers says:
Gabriel Meyer, co-founder of the Project: "Peace is not a concept or an ideology; it's a way of being. We are surprising reality one heart at a time, until it changes."
A quick search brought up one short article in the The Jerusalem Post: In the name of peace
The three day festival is called "On the Way to Sulha." Their site Sulha Peace Project, describes it so
A grassroots organization inspired by the indigenous process of mediation {Sulha}, aims to rebuild trust, restore dignity and move beyond the political agenda.
Many already know that there is a large Peace movement, of diverse groups, in Israel and the Palestinian onclaves.
One other group, of Israelli and Palestinian combatants, started up only a few years ago, and have grown.
We are a group of Israeli and Palestinian individuals who were actively involved in the cycle of violence in our area. The Israelis served as combat soldiers in the Israel Defense Forces and the Palestinians were involved in acts of violence in the name of Palestinian liberation.
We all used weapons against one another, and looked at each other only through weapon sights; however today we cooperate and commit ourselves to the following:
We no longer believe that the conflict can be resolved through violence.
We believe that the blood shed will not end unless we act together to terminate the occupation and stop all forms of violence.
We call for the establishment of a Palestinian State, alongside the State of Israel. The two states can exist in peace and security beside each other. We will use only non-violent means to achieve our goals and call for both societies to end violence.
When these ex-combatants went public they invited Ellen Barfield, a board member of Veterans For Peace to attend, in Israel, their first public event.
You can find what she wrote of her visit Here at my site.
A little snippet
I was greatly honored to be able to represent Veterans for Peace at the first public event of the new peace organization Combatants for Peace, Palestinian and Israeli former fighters who have renounced violence and now work together for peace and justice.
Last weekend, from august 15th to august 19th two of their members were in St Louis for the Veterans for Peace annual conference
Combatants for Peace members, Yonatan Gur and Raed Hadar represented our group in annual Veterans for Peace convention in St. Louis, Missouri. During the convention they talked in the main plenary and took part in various workshops concerning the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the war in Iraq. Raed and Yonatan also gave interviews to several independent newspapers, spoke in a local Muslim-American radio station and spoke to members of the Jewish community in Saint Louis. Raed and Yonatan arrived at St. Louis after giving two successful lectures in Chicago, Illinois. One was with members of Brit Tzedek v'Shalom, and with members of the Jewish community; the second was with Arab and Jewish peace activists from Chicago.
There isn't much up about the conferance yet, abit too soon to put it all together, at the VFP site. There are a few articles that were written about it that can be searched out, if interested. But I did find the following photo at the site:
Photo is a human peace sign made under the St Louis arch!
Those of you in California, if close by and interested in finding out more about Combatants for Peace, they are on a speaking tour of the state.
Speaking Tour
Combatants for Peace members, Shimon Katz and Raed Hadar will be in Los Angeles in late August as guests of Topanga Peace Alliance and will give several talks.
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS:
Tuesday, August 21, 2007, 7:30 p.m. Cousins' Club of Orange County Irvine Ranch Water District Office 15600 Sand Canyon Avenue Irvine, CA 92618
Thursday, August 23, 2007, 7:00 p.m. Topanga Peace Alliance Topanga Community House 1440 North Topanga Canyon Blvd. Topanga, CA 90290
Friday, August 24, 2007, 7:00 a.m. Interfaith Communities United For Justice and Peace Immanuel Presbyterian Church 3300 Wilshire Blvd. Los Angeles, CA
Friday, August 24, 2007, 7:30 p.m. Beth Shir Sholom 1827 California Ave. Santa Monica, CA 90403
Saturday, August 25, 2007, 7:00 p.m. First Congregational Church 241 Cedar Avenue Long Beach, CA 90802
Sunday, August 26, 2007, 11:30 a.m. Unitarian Universalist Community Church 1260 18th St. Santa Monica, CA 90404
Sunday, August 26, 2007, 2:00 p.m. Vets For Peace Arlington West Santa Monica Beach, CA
Tuesday, August 28, 2007, 7:00 p.m. All Saints Church 132 Euclid Ave. Pasadena, CA 91101
