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Thinking For a Change

The weekly ezine from Ekklesia
exploring belief, politics and culture
 
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In This Edition
Proportionality and 'just' violence in Gaza by Timothy Seidel
Making sense of Charles Darwin by Mark Vernon
Quota: David Miliband and Anne Frank
The week that was: Your sixty second roundup
The week ahead
Research Focus: The Gaza conflict in context
Media and web debate
Event: UK tour of Christian peace activist Gene Stoltzfus
Thinking in Action: Poverty and Homelessness Action Week
Reading allowed: A Palestinian cry for reconciliation
Books on Gaza from the Ekklesia bookshop
 
 
God's Land on Loan: Israel, Palestine, and the World by W Eugene March here
 
 
 
 
Arab and Jew: Wounded Spirits in a Promised Land by David K Shipler here
 
 
 
At-Tuwani Journal: Hope and Nonviolent Action in a Palestinian Village by Arthur G Gish here
 
 
 
 

Christian Peacemaking and International Conflict: A Realist Pacifist Perspective by Duane K Friesen here
 
 
 
Christian Perspectives on the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict by Wesley H Brown & Peter Penner here
 
Quick Links
 
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Gene Stoltzfus Tour
Pioneering Christian peace activist and organizer Gene Stoltzfus will be in Britain and Ireland from 16 January 2009, speaking about nonviolent intervention in situations of conflict and injustice. With the tragedy unfolding in Gaza, the trip could not be more timely. You can hear him at the following places:
 
16 January, 7:30pm - Sustaining Spirit, Body & Mind for Long Term, Disciplined Peacemaking
Friends' Meeting House, 43 St. Giles, OXFORD,
Tel: 01865 557373

17 January, 3:00pm - Case Studies - Peacemakers in the Midst of War
Friends' Meeting House, South Terrace, HASTINGS
Tel: 014 2443 7820

18 January, 2:15pm - How can we regain a sense of compassion in the face of the frustrations of activism?
London Islamic Network for the Environment, at 14 Shepherds Hill, LONDON,
Tel: 0845 456 3960

18 January, 7:30pm - Invitation to Global Peacemaking
Cheap Street Church Hall, Cheap Street, SHERBORNE, email: l.docksey at yahoo.co.uk

19 January, 7:30pm - Following the Call to Peacemaking: the experience of Christian Peacemaker
The Friary Church Hall, Crawley Town Centre, Hasslett Avenue, CRAWLEY
Tel: 0129 354 2853

20 January, 7:30pm - Iraq as a case study: does nonviolence work in this century?
Friends Meeting House, 2 Church Street, READING
 Tel: 0118 9671362

21 January, 2:00pm - Case Study - Peacemakers in the Midst of War: Iraq
CCR Training Room, Peace Studies Department, Pemberton Building, BRADFORD,
Tel: 012 7423 5171

21 January, 7:30pm - Bending Our Lives to Active Peacemaking
South Parade Baptist Church, Kirkstall Lane, Headingley, LEEDS, LS6 3LF,
Tel: 0113 2754989
 
22 January, 6:30pm - Peacemaking and Anger
St. Ethelburga's, 78, Bishopsgate, LONDON, EC2N 4AG,
Tel: 020 7496 1610
 
23 January, 6:30pm - Does Nonviolence Work?
Friends' Meeting House, Hill Street, COVENTRY, CV1 4AN, Tel: 024 7667 8735
 
24 January, 9:30am - A Peacemaking Vision: a Seminar on Realities and Risks
London Mennonite Centre, 14 Shepherds Hill, LONDON, N6 5AQ,
Tel: 0845 450 0214
 
25 January, 8:15pm - Case Study - Peacemakers in the Midst of War: Iraq
Cordner Hall, Cooke Centenary Church, BELFAST, BT7 2FW,
email: reconsec at tcd.ie

26 January, 7:00pm - Does Nonviolence work in this Century?
Bishop Lloyd's Palace, 51-53 Watergate Row, CHESTER, CH1 2LE,
Tel: 0759 003 1388

27 January, 7:00pm - Does Nonviolence work in this Century?
Friends' Meeting House, Dean Street, BANGOR,
email: mail at bangorpeace.co.uk
 
28 January, 7:00pm - Following the Call to Peacemaking: The Experience of Christian Peacemaker Teams
Evesham Methodist Church, Bridge St, WR11 4SF EVESHAM,
email: gematthews at tiscali.co.uk

29 January, 7:00pm - Case Study: Peacemakers in the Midst of War - Iraq
Quaker Meeting House Bean street, HULL, HU3 2PR,
tel: 079 5292 8829
 
30 January, 7:30pm - Burns' Night: Iraq, A Case Study in Peacemaking
The Christian Centre, Glebe Street, FALKIRK,
Tel: 013 2471 6231
 
31 January, 2:00pm - Bending Our Lives to Active Peacemaking
Bull Street Meeting House, 40 Bull Street, BIRMINGHAM, B4 6AF,
email:forbesbarbarae at yahoo.co.uk 


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Issue: # 27 16 January 2009
Understandably, the new headlines have been dominated in the New Year by the tragedy unfolding in Gaza. But the natural horror at the overwhelming Israeli onslaught and the rocket attacks by Hamas supporters has not always been accompanied by an understanding of what lies behind the crisis. In our research focus, Professor Paul Rogers from Bradford University and the Oxford Research Group provides an informed and fair-minded overview.
 
The first of our two feature articles is an impassioned piece about 'proportionality' in the current conflict from a Mennonite peace worker. The other piece looks at a different issue which will be hitting the headlines in 2009: Mark Vernon reflects on the Darwin anniversaries and suggests that they are about much more than another excuse for 'culture wars'.
 
Our book recommendation this week is Palestinian theologian Naim Atkeek's plea for reconciliation between two wounded peoples, based on faith and justice. Meanwhile, our quotations include a forthright critique of 'war on terror' ideology by UK foreign secretary David Miliband and a reminder from history (Anne Frank's Diary) about the mundane roots of violence.
 
We are also issuing a further reminder about the important British and Irish visit of Christian Peacemaker Teams' founder Gene Stoltfus, who has just arrived from the USA. The full itinerary and other resources are here 
Ekklesia works on a not-for-profit basis.  If you value this bulletin please consider making a donation to support Ekklesia's work through PayPal here
Proportionality and 'just' violence in Gaza
By Timothy Seidel
 
The recent Israeli military action is Gaza is being justified on grounds of 'proportionality' in response to rocket attacks on southern Israel. In this article, a Mennonite peace and development worker with experience of the region looks at the ongoing injustice that lies behind the rhetoric.
 
Read the full article here
Making sense of Charles Darwin
By Mark Vernon
   
Some will view Charles Darwin's anniversary year as one in which to score cultural points rather than purely to celebrate science, particularly around issues of religion and belief. That would be a missed opportunity for a more meaningful dialogue about evolutionary biology and human purpose. 

Read the full article here
Quota
Sayings from the week and wisdom from the tradition
  
"The more we lump terrorist groups together and draw the battle lines as a simple binary struggle between moderates and extremists or good and evil, the more we play into the hands of those seeking to unify groups with little in common."
 
- David Miliband, British Foreign Secretary.
 
"I don't believe that the big [people], the politicians and the capitalists alone, are guilty of the war. Oh no, the little man is just as guilty, otherwise the peoples of the world would have risen in revolt long ago!"
 
- Anne Frank, whose famous wartime 'Diary of a Young Girl' was featured in a recent BBC TV drama. If you are in the UK you can watch it here on BBC iPlayer
The week that was
London Peace MarchYour sixty second roundup 
 
There were further calls for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza from churches and church leaders around the world this week.  Humanitarian church, aid and refugee groups called on President Bush, US leaders, the UN, and Israeli and Egyptian ambassadors to uphold the rights of protection for the 1.5 million Palestinians in Gaza.  Following last weeks calls by churches and others the European Commission said it was to take "time-out" on its talks with Israel on upgrading relations.

A clinic funded by Christian Aid and run by the Near East Council of Churches (NECC) was given just 15 minutes to evacuate before it was destroyed by Israeli aircraft.  The action was denounced by church leaders and the Anglican Archbishop in Wales launched an urgent Welsh appeal for money for frontline medical services in Gaza.

At home civic and religious leaders expressed concern about a recent rise in anti-Jewish attacks and incidents in Britain, linked to the exploitation by racists of feelings about the current hostilities in Gaza.  In response, twenty-two prominent British Muslims signed a joint letter denouncing anti-semitic attacks and calling for continued vigilance against them.  They circulated it to mosques across the country.

Christians were amongst those taking part in a 'climate rush' on Monday to protest against the third runway at Heathrow airport.  However, the Government subsequently announced it was to go ahead, which Christian Aid said was a "massive step backwards" in the battle against climate change that will have repercussions far beyond Britain's shores.

Eight out of 10 shoppers want a watchdog appointed to monitor and penalise supermarkets which treat suppliers unfairly, according to a poll commissioned by Traidcraft, the Christian-based fair trade organisation.  The Archbishop of York, set out his "big vision" for the UK, and lamented the end of the British empire, meanwhile hundreds of destitute Zimbabweans who have sought sanctuary in the UK went to Downing Street to ask Gordon Brown for permission to work, pay taxes and gain the skills to help them rebuild Zimbabwe.

Elswhere, two clerics joined Nobel Peace Prize laureate Desmond Tutu, the former Anglican archbishop of Cape Town, in fasting in solidarity with the suffering people of Zimbabwe, and faith groups in the US are urging an increase in the minimum wage to help in the economic crisis.
 
For more on all these and other stories our News Briefing (http://ekklesia.co.uk/content/news/news.shtml) contains the full archive of daily UK and international news, plus features and columns. The page also tells you how you can get Ekklesia's running news on your web site in seconds. If you would like to support Ekklesia's free news service you can do so through PayPal here
The week ahead
Next week's agenda
 
16-17 Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin visits for talks with Chancellor Angela Merkel expected to cover Russia's gas dispute with Ukraine
 
17 Jan - George W. Bush, US president, gives his final weekly radio address

18 Jan - Peace Sunday
 
18 Jan - World Religion Day
 
18 Jan - Opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) national executive council meets in Harare to review stalled power-sharing deal with Robert Mugabe
 
18-25 - Week of Prayer for Christian Unity
 
19 Jan - Martin Luther King Day (US)
 
20 Jan - Inauguration of Barack Obama as US president
 
25 Jan - Burns night
 
26 Jan - Chinese New Year
 
27 Jan - International Day to commemorate victims of the holocaust

Research Focus
 The Gaza conflict in context by Paul Rogers
 
In this research essay, Professor Paul Rogers, Global Security Consultant to Oxford Research Group (ORG - http://www.oxfordresearchgroup.org.uk) analyses the background to the outbreak of violent hostilities in the Gaza strip. He looks beyond the current crisis to the likely larger ramifications of these events, arguing that prolonged use of extreme force will not achieve security for the region.
 
Read the full document here 
Media and web debate
Ekklesia in the news this week
 
Ekklesia's co-director Jonathan Bartley was on BBC Radio 4's iPM programme on Saturday talking about religious broadcasting, and the BBC's Thought for The Day slot, and on BBC Radio 4's Sunday Programme discussing the Atheist bus advertising campaign.  He was also interviewed on BBC Radio 2's Jeremy Vine Programme on Wednesday looking at Restorative Justice.
 
Jonathan will be part of the panel this Sunday on BBC 1's The Big Questions at 10.00am, looking at, amongst other things, the Inauguration of Barack Obama.  On Sunday evening he will be on Michael Portillo's Christianity: A History, on Channel 4, discussing the impact of Constantine.
 
Ekklesia works on a not-for-profit basis. Please support Ekklesia's work with the press and other media by donating to support its work, through PayPal here
Event: UK tour of Christian peace activist Gene Stoltzfus 
 
This month Wilson Tan from Singapore will be accompanying Gene Stoltzfus, founder and Director Emeritus of the Christian Peacemaker Teams as he embarks on a busy tour (17 January - 1 February 2009) across Britain and Ireland.
 
The purpose is to provide a perspective on issues of faith, conflict and nonviolence and to share Gene's considerable field experience in global peacemaking. 
 
 
 
Thinking in Action
Poverty and Homelessness Action Week  
 
Poverty & Homelessness Action Week 2009 runs from 31 January to 8 February 2009. This year, the people behid it - Church Action on Poverty, Housing Justice, and Scottish Churches Housing Action are working with Actors for Human Rights to produce a special drama, Voices from the Edge, which tells in their own words the stories of people affected by homelessness and poverty in today's Britain.
 
You can join in the action by:
  • Running a church service on Homelessness Sunday (1 February) or Poverty Action Sunday (8 February) using extracts from Voices from the Edge.
  • Use Voices from the Edge and a new discussion guide for small group work reflecting on homelessness and poverty, in your church, school, house group or project.
  • Put on a public performance of Voices from the Edge in your school, church or project.
  • Come along to a professional performance of Voices from the Edge - or help organise one in your area!
Encourage your church to get involved; uncover the reality of hidden poverty or homelessness in your community; celebrate what is already going on locally; make new links with others working on the same issues.
 
More details:
http://www.actionweek.org.uk/
 
Reading Allowed
A Palestinian cry for reconciliation. By Naim S. Ateek
 
This sequel to the widely-acclaimed 'Justice and Only Justice' is divided into three parts.
 
The first focuses on events since the Intifada of 1987, including the violence that has come from Israel's aggression and from the use of suicide bombers by Palestinians. The second part draws on Christian and Hebrew scripture, looking at biblical figures such as Samson, Jonah, Daniel and Jesus as it examines issues of ownership of the land.
 
Finally, Ateek presents a strategy to achieve peace and justice non-violently that will promote justice for the Palestinians and security for both Israel and Palestine.
 
(Orbis Books, 2008, 244pp, �13.99)
 
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