Voices of the Peacemakers Delegation >>

Interfaith Peace-Builders and National Peace Foundation Delegation
Arrives in Israel/Palestine

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May 25, 2010 - Interfaith Peace-Builders (IFPB) and the National Peace Foundation are pleased to announce that our 28 member delegation to Israel/Palestine arrived at Ben-Gurion airport Tuesday morning and is now safely in Jerusalem.

The purpose of this delegation, the 33rd to make the trip since 2001, is to educate North American citizens about the region and deepen their understanding of its conflicts.

The delegation will explore Palestinian and Israeli efforts to achieve peace and a resolution to their conflict based on justice and feature meetings with Palestinian and Israeli peacemakers — leaders of civil society groups, grassroots organizers, religious leaders and more.  Given the current situation in the West Bank, the delegation will focus on learning about the challenges facing nonviolent activists resisting occupation. May also marks the annual commemoration of Israel’s independence and the Palestinian Nakba (Catastrophe) and the birth of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. 

Despite early signs that the Obama administration may shift the focus of US policy in Israel/Palestine, US military aid to the region has risen in the past two years. As a result, Palestinians and Israelis have stepped up nonviolent resistance to Israel's occupation policies. Participants on this delegation have the unique opportunity to hear directly from Palestinians and Israelis regarding their hopes for peace and the role of the US government in promoting a resolution to the conflict.

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A photo of the delegates at orientation in Washington, DC.

The delegation includes the following people:

Anna Baltzer - St. Louis, Missouri
 Jason Bechtel - San Diego, California
Heber Brown - Baltimore, Maryland
Marsha Carlton - Oakland, California
Keren Carmeli - Cazenovia, New York
Teresa Davis - Santa Fe, New Mexico
Lara Elborno - Chicago, Illinois
Rich Forer - Albuquerque, New Mexico
Dick Fralin - Austin, Texas
Diana Galbraith - Mountain View, California
Eulalia Han Ni (not pictured) - Brisbane, Australia
Helenty Homans - Santa Fe, New Mexico
Yeou Shiuh Hsu - Princeton, New Jersey
Hanlon Kelley - Boulder, Colorado
Laila Liddy - Tuscaloosa, Alabama
Charlotte-Anne Malischewski (not pictured) - Richmond, Indiana
Danya Mustafa (not pictured) - Albuquerque, New Mexico
Barry Newman - Schaumburg, Illinois
Karen Peterson - Horseheads, New York
Mary Poor - Arlington, Massachusetts
Hannah Poor - Arlington, Massachusetts
Fred Reynolds - Rochester, New York
Liz Seraphin - Los Angeles, California
Cathy Sultan - Eau Claire, Wisconsin
Diane Tracht - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Bea Volkman - Mobile, Alabama
Sofia Wolman (not pictured) - Natick, Massachusetts


Interfaith Peace-Builders believes in the power of eye-witness experience and transformation. Given the opportunity to speak directly with Israelis and Palestinians, delegates return to the United States better informed, more energized, and with a deeper understanding of the possibilities for true justice in the Middle East.

Upon their return to the United States, delegates will share their experiences with the public, the media, and their political representatives.

Media interested in interviewing the participants when they return, and groups wanting information about speaking engagements, should contact the San Francisco office of Interfaith Peace-Builders at media@ifpb.org or 415.240.4607.

 

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