World Week for Peace for Palestine Israel 22 - 28 September 2013

From Australia to the UK, from the Philippines to Canada, congregations, peace organizations, and other community groups in at least 20 countries around the world will begin a week of activities from 22 September in support of an end to the Israeli occupation and a just and lasting peace for all in Palestine and Israel.

The World Week of Peace for Palestine Israel whose 2013 theme is Jerusalem City of Justice and Peace is a World Council of Churches initiative. The WCC invites member churches and faith communities to come together for a week of prayer, advocacy and action in support of an end to the illegal occupation of Palestine and a just peace for all of Palestine and Israel. Today, Jerusalem is tragically a divided city.

The challenge to Christians is to speak out and act for a peace based on justice for Jerusalem and all of Palestine and Israel, to bring about the vision of an open and inclusive city for all. The theme corresponds to the vision of the Kairos Document issued by Palestinian Christian leaders in 2009. The document states that Jerusalem is a city "inhabited by two peoples of three religions, and it is on this prophetic vision and on the international resolutions concerning the totality of Jerusalem that any political solution must be based".

Here are just some of the events taking place during the week:

* Lichfield. 21 September. Market from 4pm and illustrated talk at 7pm. Lichfield Methodist Church, Tamworth Street, WS13 6JH. Speaker Gwen Blackwell, from Women's International Solidarity Movement who has worked in Bil'in, West Bank.

* Fairlie, Largs, 24 September, 7-9pm. Fairlie Parish Church, 89 Main Road, Fairlie, Largs, KA29 0AD. An evening of stories from recent trips to Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories by Christian Aid, the Scottish Episcopal Church and the Church of Scotland, with prayers for peace.

* Newcastle upon Tyne. 26 September, 7.30pm. Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem. Brunswick Methodist Church, NE1 7BJ.

* London. 28 September, 2-3pm. Ecumenical service and gathering. The Garden, Friends Meeting House, Euston Road, NW1 2BJ. With Bishop William Kenney, RC Diocese of Birmingham, Reverend Paul Dean, URC, Kent and Rev Torbjorn Holt, Chair, Council of Lutheran Churches in the UK.

The UK network involved in the WWPPI include: Baptist Union of Great Britain, Christian Aid , Church of Scotland, Council of Lutheran Churches, EAPPI, Embrace the Middle East, Friends of Sabeel UK, Methodist Church, Pax Christi, United Reformed Church-Commitment for Life

In August Time for Action British Response to Kairos Palestine was launched. Full text can be found here. http://bit.ly/17W2q4N

For more about UK events and resources see: http://bit.ly/1eU6FDa

For more about global events and resources see: http://bit.ly/1eocp9R