Olive Harvest 2015 Delegation Home
Co-Sponsored with American Jews for a Just Peace/Jewish Voice
for Peace Boston's Heath and Human Rights Project
November 2015 - Interfaith Peace-Builders (IFPB), in partnership with the Health and Human Rights Project (HAHRP) of American Jews for a Just Peace/Jewish Voice for Peace-Boston, is pleased to announce that our 35-member delegation to Palestine/Israel arrived at Ben-Gurion airport Wednesday and is now safely in Jerusalem.
The purpose of this delegation - the 55th guided by Interfaith Peace-Builders since 2001 - is to educate North Americans about the region and deepen their understanding of its conflicts. Use the menu at right to read Trip Reflections and view photos and videos from the delegation.
The delegation focuses on the Palestinian olive harvest season and its significance as a time of community gathering. Exploring how Palestinian access to land and water is limited through settlement infrastructure and Israeli policy, delegates will meet directly with Palestinian groups and communities that continue to resist and organize for their rights, as well Israeli allies.
The delegation comes at a time of increased tension as Israel continues to intensify its repressive policies, especially in Jerusalem's Palestinian neighborhoods. Participants on this IFPB and HAHRP delegation have the unique opportunity to hear directly from Palestinians and Israelis regarding their hopes for peace and the role of the United States, the US government, and other international actors, in promoting a resolution to the conflict.
The delegation includes the following people:
Richard Adams - Portland, Oregon
Celeste Akkad - Carmel, California
Nora Barrows-Friedman (co-leader) - Oakland, California
Barbara Briggs-Letson - Sebastopol, California
Elaine Cichowski - Kirkwood, New York
John Copenhaver - Winchester, Virginia
Virginia Crocker - Bedford, Massachusetts
Mike Daly - New York, New York
Kathleen Densmore - San Francisco, Califormia
Garey Eakes - Arlington, Virginia
Haniel Garibay - Washington, DC
Ann Glick - West Newton, Massachusetts
Bud Hensgen - Arlington, Virginia
Nathan Howe - Niles, Ohio
Lauren Jappe - Waltham, Massachusetts
Steven Jones - Virginia Beach, Virginia
Renee Kasinsky - Cambridge, Massachusetts
Keary Kincannon - Alexandria, Virginia
Carolyn Knoll - Orinda, California
Gary Kubitz - Afton, New York
Sarah Kubitz - Afton, New York
Wendy Love - Bath, Maine
Steve Low - Lincoln, Massachusetts
Barbara Low - Lincoln, Massachusetts
Mary Lucchese - Rome, Georgia
Duncan McFarland - West Newton, Massachusetts
Kristen Miller - Owings Mills, Maryland
Nancy Murray (co-leader) - Cambridge, Massachusetts
Allie Perry - New Haven, Connecticut
Tali Ruskin - Boston, Massachusetts
Dee Russell - Bedoford, Massachusetts
Robert Schwartz - Boston, Massachusetts
Sandra Turner - New York, New York
Kenneth Wong - Seattle, Washington
Sandra Yarne - Durham, New Hampshire
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 and groups wanting information about speaking engagements should contact Interfaith Peace-Builders at media[a]ifpb.org or 415.240.4607.
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