anglican focus

The news site of the Anglican Church Southern Queensland: nourishing and connecting our faith community

Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine and Israel

"A priority for all EAPPI teams is providing a protective presence for communities. For us, this mostly involved walking through the Old City, and other communities, while wearing recognisable vests in the hope that this would reduce the likelihood of human rights violations occurring," (Andrew Telford)
Resources & Research

Take a walk in the footsteps of an Ecumenical Accompanier: a Lenten guide

Australian Christian Andrew Telfer recently served as an Ecumenical Accompanier with the World Council of Churches Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine and Israel – his personal reflections form the backbone of an inspired free Lenten guide, which blends personal anecdotes, suggested calls to action and prayers

Features

When not even home at night is safe for Palestinian children

“My Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine and Israel teammates were clearly upset when they came home one night after visiting a family in the West Bank town of Azun. As they debriefed with me, I learnt about the arrest of a 14-year-old Palestinian boy earlier that morning. This was the first time that we heard a firsthand account of Palestinian children being detained by the Israeli military, but sadly this wasn’t the last story that we documented in our roles as Ecumenical Accompaniers,” says Nell Potter from the Palestine Israel Ecumenical Network

News

South Hebron Hills families share stories of life under occupation

Jack Munayer, coordinator for the World Council of Churches Ecumenical Accompaniment Program in Palestine and Israel, recently visited the South Hebron Hills area with diplomatic delegates from eight different countries, as well as Israeli activists. The visit was organised by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. The group visited families and listened to their stories with the goal of discerning the nature of hardship and trauma that the occupation continues to cause. Munayer shares his reflections on what he heard from communities and families.