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Ecumenical Accompaniment Program in Palestine and Israel

OGHS Live! Presents … Rev. Eric Fistler. Ecumenical Accompaniment Program in Palestine and Israel. A program of the World Council of Churches. Conference Schedule. Gathering & Connecting to call OGHS Live! Begins Welcome & Introduction Opening Prayer & Scripture

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Ecumenical Accompaniment Program in Palestine and Israel

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  1. OGHS Live!Presents… Rev. Eric Fistler Ecumenical Accompaniment Program in Palestine and Israel A program of the World Council of Churches

  2. Conference Schedule Gathering & Connecting to call OGHS Live! Begins Welcome & Introduction Opening Prayer & Scripture Reflection by Speaker Interaction with Speaker – Q & A Partnership Prayer Commissioning & Benediction OGHS Live! Ends

  3. Accompaniment Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,    I fear no evil;for you are with me;   your rod and your staff—   they comfort me. ~Psalm 23:4

  4. An Introduction Responding to the 2001 call from the Heads of Churches in Jerusalem, EAPPI was launched in 2002 as an initiative of the World Council of Churches under the Ecumenical Campaign to End the Illegal Occupation of Palestine: Support a Just Peace in the Middle East.

  5. An Introduction • EAPPI has functioned fully and continuously since then • Over 14 countries participate in EAPPI • Over 500 EAs have been sent for three months to stand in solidarity with the churches and people in Palestine

  6. EAPPI’s Vision • EAPPI seeks to support local and international efforts to end the Israeli occupation and bring a resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict with a just peace, based on international law and relevant United Nations resolutions.

  7. Tasks of Ecumenical Accompaniers • Being present in local communities • Ensure that children safely travel to and from school • Provide a protective presence by monitoring checkpoints • Assist Palestinian and Israeli human rights, peace, information and ecumenical non-governmental organizations

  8. Tasks of Ecumenical Accompaniers • Accompany farmers cut off from regular access to their fields • Accompany health teams crossing military checkpoints as well as ambulances on their emergency rounds to West Bank clinics • Engage in advocacy efforts to end the occupation and support a just peace • Share their experience and knowledge of the situation back home

  9. Please wait while slide is loading Areas A and B(Oslo Accords) 149 Israeli settlements,96 outposts Israeli military closed areas and 27 military bases Nature Reserves West Bank Barrier and Areas between the Barrier and the Green Line Roads used by the settlers Closures The effect of the closures Fragmentation of the West Bank Permanent Checkpoints Partial Checkpoints Tunnels (As of March 2007) Note: Israeli Settlements growing at 5.5% a year Illegal under international law Note: Permits are required to access areas behind Barrier Permit difficult to obtain (except Gush Etzion) Note: Green Line (1949 Armistice) Note: Interim agreement of 1994 Oslo process Areas A and B (40% of area) under Palestinian authority Area C under Israeli authority Note: Nature reserves mostly off-limits to Palestinian entry No grazing or development Note: Roads primarily for Settler use Palestinian access banned or restricted on majority of roads Note: Roadblocks and checkpoints physically prevent Palestinian vehicles accessing settler roads Note: Roads, settlements, other infrastructure fragment West Bank Note: Checkpoints straddle settler roads Palestinian movement from one enclave to another via checkpoints or tunnels under settler roads Note: Areas A and B (Palestinian control) mirror fragmentation. Note: Israeli military bases-off-limits for Palestinians Note: Effect is a series of corridors for settler traffic, but obstacles for Palestinian movement

  10. Effectiveness of EAPPI • Evaluation Report conducted May 2008 by Palestinian Counseling Centre, Beit Hanina

  11. De-escalate, reduce and prevent threats, incidents of violence and human rights violation in areas of tensions (checkpoints and agricultural gates) 76.8% 64.8% 34.7% 76.1%

  12. When EAs are present • 73.2% - report decreased incidents of Israeli solder’s harassment of Palestinians • 70.5% report that they pass more quickly

  13. Reduce Fear Among Palestinian Communities • 73.8% fear being delayed • 68.3% feel reluctant to go to their destination • 71% feel afraid and unsafe to cross • 72.8% fear not being able to return home

  14. When EAs are Present • 77.4% feel safer • 77.7 % of those crossing checkpoints feel empowered and more confident in facing the soldiers

  15. 83.5% state that the EA’s presence reduces their suffering at checkpoints and agricultural gates

  16. “…with our friends around us, we don’t feel alone anymore.” ~villager from Yanoun • “Had the EAs not been here the situation would have been much worse” ~villager from Sousya

  17. EAPPI-US • EAPPI-US, The United States coordination, is administrated through Church World Service • EAPPI-US falls under the management of the Mission Relationships and Witness Program of Church World Service

  18. Primary Reasons for a Lack of US Participation • Financial support for EAs • EAs from the US must raise their own funds $6800 + airfare (to Washington DC for orientation and to Israel-Palestine for the program)

  19. One Great Hour of Sharing • Thank you, thank you , thank you! • Almost half of EAPPI-US budget is provided by OGHS • Thank you for the opportunity to • Work for peace with our ecumenical partners • Work to repair the broken relationships which we are at least partly responsible for • Walk with Palestinian and Israeli brothers and sisters

  20. EAPPI-US Thank you forparticipating with… With the Rev. Eric C Fistler ecfistler@gmail.com Ann Hafften, National Coordinator EAPPI-US204 S. Lamar St.Weatherford, TX  76086 info@eappi-us.org www.eappi-us.org

  21. Partnership Prayer One: God of mercy and compassion, of grace and reconciliation, pour your power upon all your children in the Middle East. People: Let hatred be turned into love, fear to trust, despair to hope, oppression to freedom, occupation to liberation, All: That violent encounters may be replaced by loving embraces, And peace and justice could be experienced by all. Amen Said Ailabouni, “Imagine Peace” Imagine Peace: Bible Meditations and Worship Resources for Advent - World Council of Churches October 2008, p. 21. WCC http://www.oikoumene.org/fileadmin/files/wcc- main/2008pdfs/imagine_peace.pdf

  22. Thank youfor your support of One Great Hour of Sharing • Three ways to give: • Receive the offering at your local UCC church, forwarding them on to your UCC Conference Office. • Make a secure online donation at www.ucc.org/oghs • Send gifts made payable toOne Great Hour of Sharing to the national setting of the UCC at: United Church of Christ 700 Prospect Avenue Cleveland, OH 44115

  23. Commissioning and Benediction • The End

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