IPMN. The Israel Palestine Mission Network of the Presbyterian Church(USA)

Transcription

1 IPMN The Israel Palestine Mission Network of the Presbyterian Church(USA)

2 HOW IPMN WORKS an overview of our structure

3 IPMN STRUCTURE Education Trips and Partners Advocacy Communication Finance

4 EDUCATION Dar al kalima School, Bethlehem

5 The Education Committee was originally formed to educate commissioners at General Assembly about facts on the ground, but has evolved into a group that also produces original copyrighted educational media IPMN has produced 3 copyrighted books/booklets Cradle of Our Faith, the Enduring Witness of the Christians of the Middle East Steadfast Hope, the Palestinian Quest for Just Peace Kairos Palestine, A Moment of Truth, A Study Guide

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7 The Education Committee has many fact sheets available for free download on the IPMN website There are powerpoint presentations available for free download as study aids for Kairos Palestine There is a Lenten Study for free download, written by an IPMN member, based on the Gospel of Mark with emphasis on the Occupation of Palestine

8 In October 2011, IPMN sponsored a day-long theology symposium at the Presbyterian Center in Louisville, KY The focus was Land Theology and why it cannot be used as a justification for ethnic cleansing today Speakers included Said Ailabouni, Palestinian Christian perspective Eugene March, Old Testament Texts Gary Burge, New Testament Texts Video of entire day available on IPMN website

9 Before every General Assembly, IPMN sends out an educational mailing informing all commissioners about the latest facts on the ground re: Israel/ Palestine and the need for peacemaking with a Gospel lens The Education committee prepares this document and does the mailing. There is a sample online under Study Resources --> Publications Just Peace was mailed to commissioners for 2008 General Assembly

10 T R I P S & PARTNERSHIPS El Funoun, Palestinian Dance Troupe

11 Travel IPMN has a travel section on the website to promote justice-oriented trips led by friends and members of the network IPMN has endorsed the Come & See call Palestinian Christians have issued a call to come and see with guidelines for Holy Land Pilgrimages see our website: Travel -> Why Go?

12 IPMN Church Partners include... Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land (ELCJHL) The Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem Diyar Consortium Sabeel Ecumenical Center Bethlehem Bible College Pilgrims of Ibillin

13 IPMN has worked with... Jewish Voice for Peace B Tselem, The Israeli Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories printed and distributed 2000 copies of their annual report at 2008 GA YMCA of East Jerusalem & YWCA of Palestine Tent of Nations a bridge-building farm bringing diverse people together

14 IPMN has worked with... San Francisco Jewish Film Festival Pal Craftaid (Fair trade Palestinian olive wood sculptures and needlework) Import Peace (Fair trade Palestinian olive oil) US Campaign to End the Occupation Keep Hope Alive Olive tree planting and harvesting trips from the U.S. (2 trips per year) United Church of Canada Israel/Palestine group

15 IPMN has worked with... Presbyterian Peace Fellowship Partners for Peace (now merged with the Council for the National Interest) this group has itinerated 16 tours of Jerusalem Women Speaking in the U.S. Three Women, Three Faiths, One Shared Vision, highlighting the non-violent efforts of Palestinians, Israelis, and citizens of other nations to end the occupation of the Palestinian territories.

16 IPMN has worked with... Israeli Committee Against House Demolition (ICAHD) Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) Episcopalian Peace Fellowship - Palestine Israel Network (EPF-PIN) IPMN helped EPF-PIN launch this parallel network by working with their leadership and through their attendance at our annual meetings. EPF-PIN has published an Episcopal version of IPMN s Steadfast Hope

17 IPMN has attended... Annual Conferences for Rabbis for Human Rights - New York J-Street Washington DC

18 ADVOCACY The Wall around Bethlehem: a home near guard tower

19 IPMN does advocacy within the denomination in the form of overtures to General Assembly and strategy for reaching and lobbying commissioners at the GA e.g. overtures on divestment, recognizing apartheid, ending military aid, etc. IPMN has done external advocacy in partnership with CMEP, JVP, ICAHD, B tselem, online petitions, etc.

20 Advocacy is responsible for reacting to topical events and putting out statements regarding events in the news. Examples: Asking the Obama Administration not to block Palestinian bid for statehood at the UN Responding to the Knesset s anti-boycott law Supporting the Gaza flotilla see full list on our website under Advocacy --> Statements

21 At IPMN annual meeting in Fall of 2010, Advocacy led workshops on BDS: Boycott, Divestment & Sanctions At the meeting, members unanimously voted to boycott 3 settlement products as a sign of personal protest: Ahava Cosmetics, Jordan River Dates, King Solomon Dates All these companies are located in Palestinian territory on occupied land

22 Before every General Assembly, when all the overtures (resolutions) are in, IPMN sends out a voter guide letting all commissioners know how the network stands on overtures relating to Israel/ Palestine. Advocacy prepares this document and does the mailing from a member s home church

23 In conjunction with the Education Committee, Advocacy is hosting an annual preaching prize, beginning in The Hosanna Preaching Prize will be awarded annually to recognize preachers who challenge and inspire believers to heed God s urgent call to justice and reconciliation in Palestine and Israel. Two $1,000 prizes one on an Old Testament text and the other on a New Testament text will be announced at the annual meeting every October. details on website

24 COMMUNICATION A Palestinian Christian vendor in Jerusalem

25 IPMN Communication includes putting advocacy statements in press releases IPMN uses RNS, Religion News Service writing correspondence maintaining contact with members online managing a communication system for members sending out links of news items on social media currently on Twitter

26 Communication also maintains and updates the IPMN website at please visit and peruse our site which has a live news feed on our homepage sourced from BBC News Mideast, Ha aretz and Electronic Intifada Friends and members can sign up for communications that are sent about 3 or 4 times a month to a master list that currently stands at about 750 names

27 FINANCE a herd of goats near Jericho

28 IPMN has no paid staff and is an all volunteer organization IPMN s mission is funded 100% by member pledges made annually we are a true grassroots organization, organized from the bottom up being grassroots is our true strength

29 Every funding campaign begins at an annual meeting and ends at the next one. annual campaigns are named and have targets the finance committee and treasurer keep track of pledges and make sure the campaigns stay on track personal letters are sent to people who pledge and records are kept as to how far we are from our annual goal every annual campaign goal has been reached targets between approx $40K and $65K

30 example of fundraising campaign graphic used all year in communication for this particular campaign year

31 Two-thirds of the IPMN annual budget is designated to Church or mission partners and PC(USA) mission workers in the region One-third of the IPMN annual budget is spent on producing educational resources and operating the network.

32 All funds raised by IPMN go through the PC(USA) World Mission receives all pledges and donations into an Extra Commitment Opportunity account (ECO) dedicated to IPMN World Mission disburses funds while exercising fiduciary responsibility that all monies disbursed are used in accordance to GA policies. IPMN raises its own operating budget and receives no funds that are not designated for IPMN.

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