Peacemakers in Action Media Update, July-September 2011

Benny tells us in emails that the situation in West Papua is precarious. Civilians are shot every day, and he is investigating the death of a pastor who was shot in August. He is busy preparing a peace framework to integrate into the Christian education programs at his church. He is also negotiating with the Indonesian police and security officials, trying to mediate the conflict with the Papuan independence movement.

Read this article for more information about the conflict in West Papua, and to read about Benny’s concerns for the security of his church and his own personal safety.

Betty’s plate is full as the woman MP of Amuru district and Minister of Water for Uganda. Click the links below to read about her actions on some of the most recent issues for her ministry and her district.

Two new profiles of Betty’s work negotiating peace with the LRA are also available online. You can read more in the links below.

Chencho’s work with the Foundation for Sustainability and Peacemaking in Mesoamerica has been focusing on Honduras lately, where tensions have simmered since the coup in 2009 and a land dispute has escalated violently. Read more about the current situation at the New York Times.

You can also follow all the latest news from Chencho on his new blog.

Nozizwe and her NGO, Embrace Dignity, forge a new approach to ending prostitution and sex trafficking in South Africa, challenging both the pro-legalization lobby and the “moral right.” http://www.businessday.co.za/articles/Content.aspx?id=151295

Read about the July housing protests in Israel, and hear Rabbi Froman’s thoughts in this article and video.

Rabbi Froman visits Mahmoud Abbas, President of the Palestinian Authority, at the end of Ramadan and states his support for Palestine’s bid for statehood with the United Nations.

See a photo of Rabbi Froman with Abbas here:

After a mosque in a West Bank community was burned in retaliation for the demolition of several Jewish homes, Rabbi Froman visits the community to condemn the retaliation and call for peace. He is joined by members of Eretz Shalom, a settlers’ peace movement. Find the article and video below.

Check out the video below for Rabbi Froman’s thoughts on numerous issues facing Israel and Palestine today.

Andrew recently returned to Iraq from Beirut, where the High Council of Religious Leaders held another conference. Participants reaffirmed their commitments to achieving peace through dialogue, rather than military efforts. FRRME hopes that these talks will build the momentum for grassroots dialogues, and increase the sense of unity in Iraq. Challenges still remain, however, and just days after the conference, 22 Shia pilgrims were killed in an apparently sectarian attack.

GodTV, a Christian television channel, recently spent time with Andrew and his church, St. Georges. Check out the special they produced online.

Andrew was also interviewed for Christianity Today and the Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs. Read about those interviews below.