Abir's Garden/Combatants for Peace - a message of hope...

I attended one their fundraising/awareness speaking tour events locally the other evening. Very, very moving. Former IDF and former Palestinian militant (freedom fighter) who have left violence and hatred behind and are committed to this peace initiative, along with about 600 other Israeli and Palestinian people. They will be heading to Washington DC to speak with J. Kerry and hold a meeting reception with congressionals who might be encouraged to attend.
Courage of Conscience Speaking tour info here:Â Â
- kate of the kiosk's blog
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tour schedule/they were in Cambridge, Mass March 7, Gret
Courage-of-Conscience-Speaking-Tour-Schedule
Feb 27- Mar 29, 2009
East Coast including New Hampshire, Boston, Rochester, NYC, Washington DC
  Â
20-Mar Fri: Â C4P speaking in New Jersey
Daytime: NOON: Combatants for Peace Interviewed by March Steiner (stay tuned for radio broadcast next week)Â
   Evening:  7:30-8:30 Islamic Center of Passaic County, Main Hall,
                    152 Derrom Avenue, Paterson, New Jersey, 07504Â
21-Mar Sat:Â Â C4P speaking in New Jersey
Evening:Â 6:00 PMÂ Union Baptist Church
             12 Midland Ave. Montclair, New Jersey 07042
             Valerie Dixon, Coordinator, justpeacetheory.com
              This is a public event!
22-Mar Sun:Â C4P speaking in Rochester
Morning – Arrive Rochester, NY
Daytime – 3:00pm: University of Rochester Rush Rhees Library (Wells Brown Rm/1st floor)
Evening – 6PM Islamic Center of Rochester, PRIVATE Dinner Gathering (no program)
23-Mar Mon Rochester events
Morning – Daytime – Jewish Federation Speaking Event (private)
Evening – 7 pm - Temple B'rith Kodesh, 2131 Elmwood Ave., Brighton
24-Mar Tue Washington DC
Morning:Â Flight to DC from Rochester
Daytime: Visits with Senators,Representatives, Press
Evening:Â Â 7:30 Pm Trinity Presbyterian Church and Friends of Tent of Nations North America (Fotonna.org) will co-sponsor the event which will be held in the church sanctuary. 5533 North 16th Street, Arlington, VA 22205. Â http://maps.google.com/?q=5533+North+16th+Street%2C+Arlington%2C+VA%2C+22205%2C+us
25-Mar Wed Washington DC
Morning: 8-9 am private reception in the Senate
                11:30-12:30 private reception/briefing in the HouseÂ
Daytime: 2:40 - 4:00PMÂ Â Visit with the State Department
Evening:Â 7:30pm First Unitarian Church Parish Hall, 1 West Hamilton St just off Charles Baltimore, MD sponsored by Baltimore Phil Berrigan Memorial Chapter Veterans for Peace.Â
26-Mar Thu Washington DC
Morning:Â Interviews with media
Daytime:  Visits with Senate and House staff
Evening: 6-9pm  Rayburn Foyer in the Rayburn Office Building of the U.S. House of Representatives, Â
          Piecing the Peaces Art Exhibition and speaking event.  Note: Please invite your congressperson!
27-Mar Fri Washington DC
Morning:Â Â Interviews with media
Daytime:  Visits with Senate and House staff
Evening: Courage of Conscience Tour Closing Engagement.
     7:30-9pm Saint Columba's Episcopal ChurchÂ
     4201 Albemarle St NW, Washington, DC 20016
http://www.columba.org/
     Contact: Jim Vitarello, Jim.Vitarello@verizon.netÂ
28-Mar Sat:Â Â Travel Day
Speakers depart for home
____________________________________________________________________________________________Â
Events Already CompletedÂ
28-Feb Sat
Private dinner
1-Mar Sun
Morning – 12noon sandwich lunch at church
12:30-2:30PM Arlington St.Church, Boston
4-6PM  Durham Community Church Possible soup supper
Evening – Possible informal gathering at private home
2-Mar Mon
Morning: 10-12 Noon –  Odeum A, Campus Center,Worcester Polytech, Worcester,MA
Daytime – TV interview
Evening – 5:30-7:30PM Brandeis University, Waltham, MA Student art gallery in the Shapiro Student Center- *Public Welcome*
3-Mar Tue
Morning – 11AM- 12:30 PM Lesley University, University Hall in Porter Sq. Exchange Bldg, 1815 Mass ave, 3rd Floor, Room 094 (used to be rm 305) Boston, MA
Daytime -12-2 Luncheon with Linda Brion Meisels (Abby)
Evening – 7:30-9PM First Parrish Church, 14 Bedford Rd., Lincoln,MA (Rev.Roger Paine) co-sponsored by First Parish Unitarian Universalist Church of Bedford, MA
 Â
4-Mar Wed
Morning:
Daytime 11:30-1:30PM Lunch Meeting Boston Univ. School of Theology - Students and faculty
Drive to Keene, NH after BU lunch
Evening: 7pm at the Keene Public Library on Winter Street Keene, NH (Susan Hay) *Public Event*
5-Mar Thu
Morning:Event at Keene State College
Daytime: Event at Keene HS
Evening: Drive back toward Lowell, MA
6-Mar Fri
Morning – 9-10:30 U Mass Lowell
Daytime –1-4 PM Peace and Justice Studies, Tufts
Evening -Â 7:00pm, followed by reception
               First Parish in Malden, Universalist
               2 Elm Street, Malden, MA
               tel:781-322-0474, Directions: http://www.maldenuua.org/contactus.aspx
7-Mar Sat
Private Meeting scheduled in Boston
Morning – 11-12:30 Phone interview for Radio/John Grebe, Sounds of Dissent
Daytime – 2-4pm,  First Parish Unitarian Universalist Church
3 Church St., Harvard Square,Cambridge, MA
               Co-sponsors:Cambridge Peace Commission, Cambridge United for Justice with Peace,
               Somerville/Medford United for Justice with Peace,Amnesty International  *Public is Welcome*
Evening – 7:30-9PM   Temple Nehar Shalom
43 Lochstead Ave., Jamaica Plain, MA
8-Mar Sun
Morning    9:30- 12 noon,  Temple Bnai Brith
                  201 Central St., Somerville,MA Sommerville, MA -
Daytime:   4-6 pm,  The Church of the Good Sheperd
9 Russell Ave.,Watertown, MAÂ *Public is welcome*Â
9-Mar Mon
Morning: Private meeting scheduled through the morning and afternoon.
Evening – MIT 7PM Amnesty International Group. Possible DVD showing with the program.Â
10-Mar Tue
Morning
Daytime – 4-6PM Holy Cross, Rehm Library, Worcester, MA *Public is welcome*
Evening – 7:30-9PM, Sackler Science Building lecture room S121/N104 Clark University, Worcester, MA *Open to the Public*
Overnight – Worcester
11-Mar Wed
Morning -Â Meeting with consultant
Daytime – 1-3PM Joiner Center,UMass Boston - Univ. Campus Ctr. 3rd floor, Rm. 3545
Evening – 5PM Reception by invitation
         7-9 PM Public Event, Southern New Hampshire University, Mara Auditorium in Webster Hall, North of Main Campus on North River Road, Manchester NH
12-Mar Thu
Morning
Daytime –  2-4PM Berklee College, 1140 Boylston St., (Mass Av) Boston
Evening – Unitarian Universalist Church Concord, N. H. 274 Pleasant Street Sponsored by Pace e Bene Nonviolence Service NE
13-Mar Fri
Morning -Â 11:30 Jeff Farias Show, online interview for radio
Daytime – 3 PM Press conference at Peace Abbey
Evening: 6PM Private Dinner at Peace Abbey, Sherborn,MA
             7:30PM Courage of Conscience Award, Peace Abbey, *Open to the Public*
               Two North Main Street, Sherborn, MA 01770
               Abbey Office: (508) 655-2143
www.PeaceAbbey.org
14-Mar Sat
[Andrea in Rochester, NY Mar 14 thru Mar. 25, Donna now tour host from Mar 14-Mar 27]
Morning – 11am-2pm Temple Hillel B'nai Torah (speak 11:30-12 duringSabbath Service, social/buffet12:30-1, and 1-1:30 discussion group)Â
          120 Corey St., West Roxbury, MA
Daytime – 4-6PM Temple Kerem Shalom, 659 Elm St., Concord,MA (also invited, Temple Isaiah, Lexington, and Temple Beth Elohim? in Acton and Temple Emmanuel, Lowell) Rosalie Gerut, Peter Hilton, Light dinner afterwards
 Evening-7:30-9pm Congregation Dorshei Tzedek, Second Church, 60 Highland St, Newton, MA (Rabbi Spitzer) co-sponsor:Workmen's Circle
15-Mar Sun
11:30-12:30  Wayland Islamic Center,  Parents Circle - Interfaith Program, Wayland MA
http://www.icbwayland.org/
Daytime: Drive to Northampton
Evening - 7 p.m. Congregation B'Nai Israel, 253 Prospect St. Northampton, MA 01060, sponsored by Brit Tzedek v'Shalom: Jewish Alliance for Justice and Peace, Western mass chapter.  Public is Welcome!
16-Mar Mon: Connecticut!
Morning: 11-1pm  Central Connecticut State University, 1615 Stanley Street in New Britain. Maloney Hall (Chen Arts Center), Meeting will be in the lobby.Â
Daytime: 2-4:30pm Quinnipiac University, Mancheski Seminar Room,in the Lender School of Business Building.
               Hamden, Connecticut
For those coming from outside Quinnipiac, they can park at the visitor’s entrance to the University on Mt. Carmel Avenue in Hamden, CT. The School of Business and Seminar Room are a short walk from there.Â
17-Mar Tues:Â New York
Morning:Â Open for Press interviews
Daytime:Â Noon - 3PMÂ Church Center for the United Nations, Room 10H, 777 United Nations Plaza
18-Mar Wed:Â NYC
Morning:Â Open for Press interviews
Daytime:Noon-2pm, Queens College of the City University of New York, Flushing campus: Rosenthal Library Auditorium.Â
               Sponsored by Veterans For Peace and the Queens College Faculty-Staff-Student Antiwar Committee
          3:30 pm, Meeting with UN Under-Secretary-General for Communications and Public Information Kiyo AkasakaÂ
      4-5pm, Press Conference, United Nations Press ClubÂ
19-Mar Thu: New Jersey
Morning:Â Â Â
Daytime:    1:30pm Seton Hall, Whitehead Institute in Orange, NJ
                 5:30pm Phone interview with Vassar college Activist Radio is on Thursday from 5 – 6 pm (WVKR 91.3 FM). Tune in!
Evening: Private dinner in Sparta NJ
               7:30pm Sparta United Methodist Church, 71 Sparta Avenue,Sparta 07871
Courage-of-Conscience-Speaking-Tour-Schedule
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thanks for the heads up, KoK...
I hadn't seen anything about this until you pointed it out. brings up an interesting sidenote--the "Cambridge walk for peace" that used to take place every single wednesday at noon since the war on Iraq started mysteriously seemed to disband after Obama was elected. I guess they really only had a problem with illegal and immoral wars that were led by Bush... so I wonder what these guys' position is on 9/11? Something tells me not to expect too much--courage and conscience have interesting limits in some people after all... :-/
yeah, i never had a chance to ask that
question, and I have to say, they really did not allude to the events of 911 but were more focused on their own individual journeys, traumas, etc., and what led them to working together for a common good. They are two regula kinda guys. Now, the woman whowas traveling with them, founder of The REbuilding Alliance, Donna ________-Walker (will fill blank later), is an MIT graduate (former) engineer...a little more complex. At the end of the panel, i asked her facetiously if she had met Noam. "Oh Chomsky? haha..he actually was one of the first to endorse us!" not sure if by "us" she means Combatants for Peace or The Rebuilding Alliance. So there you have it -Â extrapolate to your heart's content! in the meantime, i'm going to try to have another conversation with Donna down the road....
they did emphatically chastise
their audience (interfaith: ministers, rabbis, priests and nonclergy included) as US citizens. "You are partly to blame, your country enables, funds, and provides the weapons which kill the Palestinians!"