ICMEP Annual Report 2022
2022 In-Person Programs
Terry Dougherty, Bibi Bahrami - All Things Afghanistan
Nowruz New Year Celebration with Afghan Refugees
Golbarg Bashi - P is for Palestine
We Are The Earth – An Environmental Justice Conference
Featuring Rev. Liz Theoharis (Poor People’s Campaign) and Malik Yakini (Detroit Black Community Food Security Network); also representatives from Poor People’s Campaign-NE Indiana; Sierra Club; Faith in Action; Little River Wetlands
Eid Celebration with Afghan refugees
Mariela Shaker Concert - A Syrian Refugee and Concert Violinist
Garth Hewitt, Troubadour for Justice, A Benefit Concert for the Children of Bethlehem
TaybehFest
Jeff Halper, Israel Committee Against House Demolitions; One Democratic State Campaign
Rev. Edwin Arrison, Desmond and Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation
Izdihar Kassis, Together for the Family, Serving Syrian refugees in Lebanon
9th Annual Commemoration of the UN’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights
Jan Evrard (Human Library, Oxford Neighborhood Association), Ewelina Connolly (Amani Family Services), Jeff Markley (Positive Resource Connection), Kyle Miller (Representative, Indiana 82nd District)
Interviews
A Conversation with William Plitt, Stories I Never Knew
Hani Khoury, Memoirs of a Palestinian American
Rev. Brian Brown, Apartheid South Africa! Apartheid Israel!
Don Wagner, What I’ve Learned from my 50 years of work for Palestinian Rights
Mark Braverman, Bonhoeffer and the Jews
With UCC-PIN, Don Wagner, Alex Awad, Peter Miano: Christian Zionism in the Mainline Church and American Civil Religion
With UCC-PIN, Sahar Francis, Loren McGrail, Jonathan Kuttab: A Human Rights Framework for a Political Solution
With UCC-PIN, Mark Weber – The Weaponization of Anti-Semitism
With UCC-PIN and PCAP – Defund Racism: No More Tax-Free US $$ for Israeli Settlements and Ethnic Cleansing of Palestinians (July 20) – with Bana Abu Zuluf (Good Shepherd Collective), Jonathan Brenneman (Palestinian Christian activist), Mahmoud Zwahre (Palestinian academic and activist from Al Ma’sara village)
ICMEP & Voices From the Holy Land: "How to Make a Revolution," Einat Weizman, Issa Amro, Miko Peled
Co-Sponsor – October 9, Voices From the Holy Land, Boycott, with Peter Beinert, Jen Marlowe, Bahia Amawi
With Voices From the Holy Land, “Justice Holy Land Pilgrimage," with Mae Elise Cannon, Rifat Kassis, Sam Bahour, and Michael Spath (moderator)
Interviews with our In-Person Guests: Golbarg Bashi, Malik Yakini, Liz Theoharis, Mariela Shaker, Garth Hewitt, Jeff Halper, Edwin Arrison
Other Important Activities
Co-Signatory on 15 national and international petitions - with FOSNA, Good Shepherd Collective, US Campaign for Palestinian Rights, Jewish Voice for Peace, Jenin Freedom Theatre, Palestinian Christian Alliance for Peace, Just Peace Advocates, Defense for Children International-Palestine, American Muslims for Palestine, CODE-PINK);
Walked alongside our new Afghan neighbors - ICMEP board chair, Terry Dougherty; Joe Darvish; board member, Linda Kerr; and others led the way in Fort Wayne welcoming our new Afghan neighbors into our community, assisting with their educational, medical, employment, language, and other needs;
We hosted national and international leaders, Jonathan Kuttab (Friends of Sabeel North America), Jeff Halper (Israel Committee Against House Demolitions-Jerusalem), Philip Farah (Palestinian Christian Alliance for Peace), Robert Herbst (Israel Committee Against House Demolitions-USA) - One Democratic State Summit;
On Earth Day, ICMEP hosted a conference - We Are The Earth: Environmental Justice Globally, Nationally, Locally, with two nationally known activists, Rev. Liz Theoharis (Poor People's Campaign), Malik Yakini (Detroit Black Community Food Security Network), and four local environmental justice organizations. The conference had 140 attendees. Thanks to our Conference committee, Patty Pendleton, Linda Kerr, Jan Evrard, Pam Etheridge;
We held our 12th Annual Gala with Rev. Edwin Arrison (Desmond and Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation, Capetown, South Africa), who spoke on the subject, "My Life With 'Arch': Kairos South Africa and Kairos Palestine". ICMEP presented Edwin with our Champion of Justice Award; and Jim Goetsch and Marian Waltz (Friends of the Poor) with our Joan Coslow "Beacon of Peace" Award. Thank you to our Gala Committee, Ahnee Conner, Paula Jarjour, Kathy Masri, Jean Phillips, Janet Darvish, Barbara O'Connor, Linda Kerr, Margie and Terry Dougherty, and Pam Etheridge;
We held our 3rd annual TaybehFest, with Taybeh Golden and Dark Beer, as well as Nadim Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve. Thanks to Fr. John Newbauer and St. Mary Magdala Spiritual Center; thanks also to Joe and Janet Darvish for transporting the beer and wine from the distributor;
Board member John Detraz continued growing our ICMEP YouTube Channel, recording and collating our interviews and programs; many have 100’s of viewings and a few have over 1000;
Livestreaming – Board member Loren Woody livestreams all of our in-person programs;
Dar al-Sumud – Thanks to Rev. Martin and Sandy Garcia, ICMEP has office space at Amistad Cristiana Church;
peacequilts – Pam Etheridge, Emi Hurley, Jean Phillips, Janet Darvish, and Mary Spath are creating quilts for babies and toddlers at the Creche Children's Center in Bethlehem's Holy Land Hospital;
Michael attended the 13th anniversary of Kairos Palestine and meetings of the Global Kairos for Justice Coalition in Beit Sahour, Palestine - 35 representatives from 16 countries strategizing to support the Palestinian struggle for justice and human rights;
We continued our close relationship with the United Church of Christ Palestine-Israel Network - UCC-PIN (Rev. Allie Perry, Rev. Loren McGrail), and Israel Committee Against House Demolitions (Jeff Halper, Robert Herbst);
Michael led his 15th Solidarity Tour to Palestine and Israel with 18 participants, meeting with Jewish, Christian, and Muslim political, religious, and NGO leaders; 260+ people have traveled with Michael to Palestine and Israel;
ICMEP was a financial contributor to the Palestine Writes Literature Festival;
ICMEP continues to provide financial support for our Mission Partners:
Al-Rowwad Cultural Arts Center (Abdelfattah Abusrour), Aida Refugee Camp, Bethlehem
Multipurpose Resource Center - Health and Dental Clinic, Kindergarten, Cultural Center, Women's Center (Ayman Shaka'a, Aroub Jamleh), Nablus Old City
Playgrounds for Palestine (Susan Abulhawa), building playgrounds for Palestinian refugee children in Palestine, Jordan, Syria, and Lebanon
Tent of Nations (Daoud Nassar), Bethlehem
Wi'am Conflict Resolution Center (Zoughbi Zoughbi), Bethlehem
In addition to our regular support, we provided additional funding for Wi'am's Christmas party for 200 children as well as residents of a Senior Center in Bethlehem;
Thanks to board members, Ahnee Conner, Patty Pendleton, Barbara O'Connor, Linda Kerr, and Pam Etheridge, and Margie Dougherty, we were able to offer hospitality at each of our in-person programs;
Thanks to January Simpson, ICMEP Webmaster; Pam Etheridge, ICMEmPower Newsletter editor; and thanks to Loren Woody, Program photographer;
Thanks to our hard-working, very committed ICMEP board members – Ahnee Conner (treasurer), Ron Caldwell, John Detraz (vice-chair), Terry Dougherty, (chair), Pam Etheridge, Sam Jarjour, Linda Kerr, Amar Masri, Barbara O’Connor, Patty Pendleton (secretary), and Loren Woody.
-- L. Michael Spath, Executive Director