Peace Not Walls

WHAT CAN WE DO?

ELCA Churchwide Assembly Passes Assembly Actions Related to Israel and Palestine

Four actions related to Palestine and Israel, including the one we passed at our RMS assembly in May, "No Way to Treat a Child" (see below). Time now to write to our elected officials, especially Members of Congress, where they have an opportunity to co-sponsor Rep. Betty McCollum's bill, H.R. 2407, "Promoting Human Rights for Palestinian Children Living Under Israeli Military Occupation Act." (see "Take Action" below)

2019 Memorial to ELCA Churchwide Assembly - No Way to Treat a Child

Protecting the Human Rights of Palestinian Children Living Under Israeli Military Occupation - Each year Israel arrests and prosecutes around 700 Palestinian children. The No Way to Treat a Child campaign seeks to challenge and end Israel’s prolonged military occupation of Palestinians by exposing  the widespread and systematic ill-treatment of Palestinian children. Since 1967, Israel has operated two separate legal systems in the same territory. In the occupied West Bank, Israeli settlers are subject to the civilian and criminal legal system whereas Palestinians live under military law.

Learn more:

• Text of the Memorial passed at the May, 2019 RMS Assembly 
• Fact sheet to accompany 2019 Memorial
• Watch Detaining Dreams - 15-minute documentary about Palestinian child detentions by Israeli military
• Read about Palestinian child detentions and the No Way to Treat a Child Campaign: https://nwttac.dci-palestine.org 
• Watch the trailer of documentary film, Imprisoning a Generation

Take action:

• Become a citizen co-sponsor of HR 2407, "Promoting Human Rights for Palestinian Children Living Under Israeli Military Occupation Act"
• Resources for learning and talking about HR 2407 from Rep. Betty McCollum
• Tell your lawmaker to co-sponsor HR 2407
• Contact Zelda Edmunds to show the 50-minute documentary, Imprisoning a Generation, in your congregation: https://www.anemoia.net
• Plan educational events in your congregation. Contact the Peace Not Walls team to arrange for a speaker/discussion leader: millerjan68@gmail.com

Thomas Mass Liturgy

The Thomas Mass is a Lutheran worship liturgy designed for contemplation, prayer, and questioning. It is named for the Apostle Thomas because of his questions in faith. The bulk of this service is an Open Phase during which worshippers are invited to participate in different worship stations as they feel compelled. This particular Thomas Mass has been developed by the Rocky Mountain Synod’s Peace Not Walls committee.  The service may be adapted for use throughout the year in various worship settings.

• Complete Liturgy
• Graffiti Wall
• Words in Action 
• Life without Water
• Living with Appropriation
• Prayers for Peacemakers

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Direct Support to Palestinian Lutheran Ministries

Opportunity Palestine - supporting Lutheran schools in Bethlehem, Beit Jala, Beit Sahour and Ramallah: http://opportunitypalestine.org.

Bright Stars of Bethlehem - supporting ministries of Christmas Lutheran Church in Bethlehem - K-12 school and after school programs, elder care programs, Dar Al-Kalima University College and more: http://brightstarsbethlehem.org 

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Two 2016 Churchwide Assembly Actions

• Peace with Justice in the Holy Land: Urging the US to make our foreign aid to Israel contingent on Israel's cessation of settlement construction in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem 
• Justice for the Holy Land through Responsible Investment: Asking for development of an ELCA human rights social criteria investment screen, specifically addressing Israel and Palestine

Read a FACT SHEET about the two memorials.

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WHAT IS PEACE NOT WALLS?

In the Rocky Mountain Synod, we participate in a special ELCA campaign working for justice and peace in Palestine and Israel, through

• Accompaniment
• Advocacy
• Awareness-raising

Peace Not Walls connects us with our Palestinian Lutheran companions—promoting dignity, full respect for human rights, healing and reconciiation. With our companions in the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Jordan and the Holy Land (ELCJHL) and the Lutheran World Federation (LWF), we also accompany Palestinians and Israelis, Jews, Christians and Muslims working together for peace with justice. Learn more about the ELCA campaign.

Some other ways you and your congregation can be involved:

• IMPLEMENT the ELCA resolutions on Israeli settlements and responsible investment - read a FACT SHEET on the Memorials
• WATCH a video introduction to Peace Not Walls
• CONTACT a speaker
• STUDY the KAIROS PALESTINE document, the Palestinian Christians' call to Christians around the world, asking for support in their struggle for human rights
• SUPPORT Lutheran  ministries in Bethlehem through Bright Stars of Bethlehem
• WHY have more than 200 Israeli settlements been built on Palestinian land? Watch "The Iron Wall" documentary
• WHY is a two-state solution unlikely? Watch a two-minute video: "Israel-Palestine, a Land in Fragments"
• Watch 1948: Creation and Catastrophe 
• Watch The Occupation of the American Mind
• Summary of ELCA churchwide actions on Palestine