AN ENVIRONMENT UNDER SIEGE: May 2012 Delegation

Interfaith Peace-Builders Delegation Arrives in Israel/Palestine

Reports and Photos from IFPB's 40th Delegation (May 19 - June 1, 2012):

Delegation 40 Announcement
Report 1: Information Vital to the Struggle
Report 2: On Truth, Hope and Denied Entry
Report 3: The Power of Personal Stories
Report 4: Faith in the Unfolding
Report 5: The Environmental Costs of Occupation
Report 6: Final Impressions

USE MENU AT RIGHT TO READ REPORTS FROM THE FIELD AND VIEW PHOTOS AS AVAILABLE

May 23, 2012 - Interfaith Peace-Builders (IFPB) are pleased to announce that our 30 member delegation to Israel/Palestine arrived at Ben-Gurion airport Monday morning and is now in Jerusalem.

The purpose of this delegation, the 40th to make the trip since 2001, is to educate North Americans about the region and deepen their understanding of its conflicts.

Participants on this delegation have the unique opportunity to hear directly from Palestinians and Israelis regarding the environmental effects of military occupation.  Water, and other resources, have played a pivotal role in the regions conflicts. 

May also marks the annual commemoration of Israel’s independence and the Palestinian Nakba (Catastrophe) and the birth of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.  In commemoration of these events, Palestinians and Israelis engaged in numerous nonviolent demonstrations, including symbolic marches of return to depopulated villages in Israel.

Participants will speak with Palestinians and Israelis about these developments and learn from peace activists, civil society leaders, human rights workers, and others in Palestinian and Israeli areas.

Although 30 delegates arrived safely in Jerusalem, two additional members of the delegation were denied entry at Ben Gurion Airport. Both are now safely back in the United States. The list of delegates below includes only those who were granted entry and are with the delegation currently.

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

The delegation includes the following people:

Armando Arellano - Garfield Heights, Ohio
Rosemarie Ashamalla - Los Angeles, California
Anna Baltzer - Oakland, California
Will Boland - Helena, Montana
Carolyn Cicciu - Goffstown, New Hampshire
Ray Doherty - Waitsfield, Vermont
Nancy Duncan - University City, Missouri
Philip Farah - Vienna, Virginia
Judson Feder - Long Beach, California
Kaitlyn Fitzgerald - Gilbert, Arizona
Joe Groves - Washington, District of Columbia
Joanne Hardy - Topsham, Maine
Carol Husten - Brooklyn, New York
Myrta Ladich - Spokane, Washington
Cori Mancuso - Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania
James McLoughlin (not pictured) - Jackson Heights, New York
George Muedeking - Tijeres, New Mexico
Anthony Muir - Allentown, Pennsylvania
Joan Mulholland - Arlington, Virginia
Lissie Perkal - Albuquerque, New Mexico
Julio Rodriguez & Pat Salomon - Monterey, Massachusetts
Bob Schaible & Sally Bowden-Schaible - Buxton, Maine
Janet Simmon - Laconia, New Hampshire
Bill Simonds - Potomac, Maryland
Linda Stelzer (not pictured) - Longmont, Colorado
Vince Stravino - Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
Sandra Tarrant - Largo, Florida
Marianne Torres - Spokane, Washington

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 Interfaith Peace-Builders at media@ifpb.org or 415.240.4607.