More than 60 Christian, Muslim, Jewish and secular charities have signed the following open letter to MPs and government ministers urging them to vote for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza ahead of an SNP motion in Parliament today (21 February). They write:
Dear Members of Parliament,
As humanitarian, human rights and campaigning agencies, many of us with teams operating in Gaza and the West Bank, we are writing to draw your urgent attention to the critical situation in Gaza. As you may be aware, there will be a vote tomorrow (Wednesday 21 February 2024) in the House of Commons regarding this matter. We, along with 71% of the UK public, urge you to support the motion for an immediate and permanent ceasefire to benefit everyone in Israel and Palestine, facilitate the provision of adequate humanitarian assistance, and the release of hostages, and curtail the risk of regional conflict amid multiple strikes in several countries.
In Gaza, the ongoing conflict has resulted in unfathomable death and destruction. At least 28,576 Palestinians have been killed, while thousands remain missing under the rubble of destroyed buildings.
The humanitarian situation is dire. For 135 days, the UN and NGOs have warned of a shortage of medical supplies and clean water, overcrowded shelters, widespread food insecurity, and a collapsing healthcare system and spread of diseases among the displaced civilians, resulting in catastrophic health indicators and urgent humanitarian needs. Nearly every child is at imminent risk of starvation and malnutrition, women resort to using scraps of tent in place of period products and go weeks without showering, and surgeons are operating on patients without sufficient anaesthesia. Unexploded ordnance resulting from the bombardment poses a serious risk both to civilians and humanitarian aid workers.
Humanitarian response agencies need to not only restore but significantly scale up the delivery of vital health, education, mental health, protection, and livelihoods services. This includes vital programming to support the unique and urgent needs of women and men, boys and girls, mainstreaming inclusion of people with disabilities, older people, and others disproportionately affected by the crisis. This is not possible under bombardment. We need a lasting ceasefire, not ‘pauses’. Without a lasting ceasefire, humanitarian organisations cannot re-establish principled operations on the necessary scale, and there will be further loss of life.
It is imperative that the UK Government takes immediate action to support an immediate and permanent ceasefire, for which there is growing international consensus.
An immediate and permanent ceasefire will halt the cycle of violence, facilitate the release of all hostages, allow for the restoration of essential services, allow for international humanitarian assistance to reach those in need, and provide an opportunity for dialogue and negotiation towards a lasting peace that benefits everyone in the region.
We cannot afford to delay any longer. Private diplomacy and cautious statements are not enough – stronger action and accountability needs to be applied or the humanitarian catastrophe will likely surpass even the horrors we have seen over the last four months.
We urge you to support the motion for an immediate ceasefire.
Thank you for your attention to this urgent matter. We look forward to your support and swift action.
Signed:
1. Action Against Hunger 2. Action For Humanity 3. ActionAid UK 4 Age International 5. Amnesty International UK 6. Amos Trust 7. Bond 8. Council for Arab-British Understanding (Caabu) 9. CAFOD 10. CARE International UK 11. Christian Aid 12. Climate Action Network UK (CAN-UK) 13. Convivencia Alliance 14. Development Initiatives 15. Elrha 16. Embrace the Middle East 17. European Centre for the Responsibility to Protect 18. Gender Action for Peace and Security (GAPS) 19. Greenpeace UK 20. Humanity & Inclusion UK 21. Inminds Human Rights Group 22. International Alert 23. International Health Partners (IHP) 24. International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) 25. International Rescue Committee UK 26. Islamic Relief UK 27. Jewish Network for Palestine 28. Lawyers for Palestinian Human Rights 29. Mercy Corps 30. Mines Advisory Group (MAG) 31. Minority Rights Group 32. Muslim Aid 33. Muslim Community Helpline 34. Muslim Hands 35. Na’amod 36. Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) 37. Omega Research Foundation 38. Oxfam GB 39. Peace Direct 40. Peacemaker Trust 41. Penny Appeal 42. Plan International UK 43. Protection Approaches 44. Quakers in Britain 45. Resistance Kitchen 46. Sabeel-Kairos UK 47. Saferworld 48. Save the Children UK 49. Scottish Catholic International Aid Fund (SCIAF) 50. Scotland’s International Development Alliance 51. Stamp Out Poverty 52. Tearfund 53. Trócaire 54. The UK Committee for UNICEF (UNICEF UK) 55. UK-Palestine Mental Health Network 56. United Nations Association – UK (UNA-UK) 57. War Child 58. War on Want 59. Welfare Association 60. Womankind Worldwide 61. Women for Women International 62. Women’s Platform
Cardinal Vincent Nichols has written to priests in the diocese to ask for a special focus of prayer on 8 March for peace in the Holy Land.
In his message, he writes: ‘As we are all aware, the situation in the Holy Land has not improved, with failed negotiations, increasing humanitarian distress and a rising death toll.
‘As Lent begins, I would like to urge that we continue our efforts, not least in prayer.
‘And so I ask that, on Friday 8 March, there is a special focus of prayer for the Holy Land across the diocese. This could take the form of a dedicated time of prayer, perhaps before the Blessed Sacrament, for peace in the Holy Land. It could be as simple as making any regular Lenten devotions you may be having on that day for this intention.’
He asks priests to make their ‘parishioners aware, and encourage them to make a special effort to take part.’
The Cardinal invites all the faithful in the diocese to take part in these prayers and devotions in their parishes.
Westminster Justice and Peace will again be joining the Christian bloc at the Ceasefire Now! rally in London on Saturday 3rd February.
Christians of all denominations will be gathering St Charles Borromeo Catholic Church in Fitzrovia before the march, to pray together for peace and justice, then joining the national demonstration to call for an immediate, permanent ceasefire, and show our solidarity with Palestinians.
The gathering at St Charles Borromeo RC Church, 8 Ogle St, W1W 6HS begins at 11.30am. Group prayers take place at 12noon. We leave to join the march in Portland Place at 12.15.
Rev Dr Munther Isaac and Rev Dr Fadi Diab – Voices from the frontline
Revd Dr Munther Isaac, Senior Pastor of the Evangelical Lutheran Christmas Church, Bethlehem – the first to put the Baby Jesus in the ‘rubble’ of his Christmas crib and Revd Dr Fadi Diab, Rector of St Andrew’s Episcopal Church, Ramallah and St Peter’s Episcopal Church in Birzeit will be speaking this Thursday in a symposium hosted by Friends of the Holy Land.
Questions they will be discussing include: How have they and their community coped with the terrible war? Where can they find resilience this Lent? What do they ask of the UK Church and their Christian brothers and sisters? And What are their hopes for the future?
Revd Dr Munther Isaac is an ordained minister of the Lutheran Church and is passionate about issues related to the Palestinian theology. He speaks locally and internationally and has published numerous articles on issues related to the theology of the land, Palestinian Christians and Palestinian theology, holistic mission and reconciliation. He is the author of “The Other Side of the Wall”, “From Land to Lands, from Eden to the Renewed Earth
Revd Dr Fadi Diab is a well-respected theologian in the Palestinian community and a prophetic voice for justice and peace. Fadi provides leadership and pastoral support for St Andrew’s school. He is the current Chairman of the Friends of the Holy Land Volunteer Committee based in country.
Although both are used to living in crisis, the war which has continued since October is the longest and most shocking in its intensity that they have ever experienced. The sheer scale of the numbers killed and the disruption to daily life is new.
Christians in the Holy Land – Finding hope and resilience for the future takes place on Thursday, 1st February at 2pm. Hear their views from the frontline and join in the conversation.
Last Sunday, around 1,000 people attended a multifaith peace walk in Central London, ‘Peace in every step’. Jews, Muslims, Christians, Hindus, Buddhists and others participated. One Christian walker was Sr Elizabeth O’Donohoe, a Sister of the Holy Crossand former member of the Westminster Justice and Peace Commission.
Sr Elizabeth writes: Since October 7th there have been many ways of demonstrating the desire to find a path to Peace for the Middle East: last Sunday we did it in silence.
Hot foot from morning Mass, we arrived in Trafalgar Square to find that Prayers from the Faiths represented were already being offered. In this Vigil, beautifully organised by the Buddhists of Ticht nacht han’s Plum Village and the Quakers, the Walk was preceded by short prayer contributions by each Faith, after which there was a respectful pause and the gong of the Prayer bowl.
Other than religious dress, we had all been asked not to bring any flags or slogans, but instead to wear a white flower – many had made their own or bought fresh ones.
Led by the Faith representatives, we set off in silence down Whitehall. Traffic police cleared the way for us and vehicles were very patient. There really was nothing to disturb our contemplative walk: past Downing Street, round the Cenotaph and back to the Square.
Personally, I found a mantra coming to me – in fact from the music we had sung at Mass earlier: ‘Have mercy, have mercy, have mercy, Lord. Have mercy, have mercy have mercy, Lord.’ It seemed just right for this occasion.
Nearly an hour later, we were back in the Square.
A short thank you from Rabena Harilall and Judith Baker who had worked so hard to make this all-faiths vigil become a reality, and an invitation, in a gesture of common endeavour, to share our white flower with someone nearby. As can happen on such occasions, I gave mine to someone who recognised me from 30 years ago!
This weekend, campaigners will be holding local demonstrations in more than 50 locations around the country. For details click here or visit the ICN Listings page.
Cardinal Vincent Nichols has stressed that prayers must continue after more than 100 days of fighting in the Gaza Israel war:
‘The 100 days of warfare in Gaza and Israel illustrate, yet again, the horrors of war and the reinforcing of the barriers of hatred that it creates.
‘Our 100 days of prayer are not futile and our prayer must continue, not only for peace in the wider Middle East but also in Ukraine and all other areas riven by conflict.
‘The local Church tells us that the parish of the Holy Family in Gaza continues to be a place of safety for over 600 people, including over 50 severely disabled and very vulnerable children. They need our prayers and practical help financially.
‘So, too, we pray for all those involved in current negotiations to bring additional humanitarian aid to the beleaguered people of Gaza and medical aid to the hostages. Tireless efforts in negotiations are essential. This war and violence against the innocent must end. The hostages must be released. People must be able to live in peace. The long, slow work of reconstruction has to begin, sooner or later, on the ruined foundations of life in Gaza and in Israel. The challenges are immense and the dangers facing the world immediate and deeply troubling.’
Up to half a million campaigners of all faiths and beliefs, marched through London on Saturday, from the Bank along Fleet Street towards Trafalgar Square down Whitehall to the Houses of Parliament, appealing for peace in Gaza and the West Bank.
Westminster Justice and Peace joined the Christian bloc, co-ordinated by Christians For Palestine, which included banners from Pax Christi, the Church of England, Quakers, the Columbans, London Catholic Worker, Passionists, Holy Land Trust, Fellowship of Reconciliation, Anglican Pacifist Fellowship, Sisters of St, Joseph of Peace and many more. We walked next to the Jewish bloc, which included hundreds of individuals and members of Na’Amod, International Anti-Zionist Network, Jews for Palestine, Torah Jews, JVL and other Jewish peace groups.
Columban Sisters Kate Midgley and Young Mi helped carry one of the Christian banners. Sr Mi said: “The reason I joined the demo is only a little gesture to show my solidarity towards suffering Palestinians. Because what is going on in Gaza and what Palestinians have to go through at this time is a total distortion of humanity.”
Little Amal – the 3.5 metre tall puppet of a nine-year-old Syrian refugee girl, who made the 8,000 km journey from the Syrian border to Manchester, in 2021, to highlight the plight of child refugees, led the front of the march, accompanied by a group of Palestinian children.
Speaking in Parliament Square, the Palestinian ambassador to the UK, Husam Zomlot, accused the British government of “complicity” with Israel. He said: “I stand before you with a broken heart but not a broken spirit.” He congratulated South Africa for bringing a genocide case against Israel at the UN’s international court of justice.
Sinn Féin’s president, Mary Lou McDonald, told the crowd that Palestinian freedom is possible. She said: “When I say this, standing in London, in common cause with you, having walked our own journey out of conflict, building peace for 25 years, this can happen. “This must happen and we will ensure that it does.”
Former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn thanked South Africa for their bravery bring their case to the ICJ. He pointed out that the weapons used in the onslaught on Gaza are provided by the United States and the UK. Corbyn thanked everyone around the world and especially those campaigners in Israel who are speaking up for peace, justice and hope.
This was the seventh National March for Palestine in London organised by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign since October.
Protests took place in 120 cities around the world on Saturday, including Dublin, Edinburgh, Washington DC, Johannesburg, Kuala Lumpur, Paris, Rome and Milan.
On Peace Sunday, 14th January 2024, Pope Francis made a heartfelt appeal for an end to armed conflicts and a firm condemnation of war as “a crime against humanity.”
“War itself is a crime against humanity. People need peace. The world needs peace,” said the Pope at the Sunday Angelus prayer.
He also mentioned a program he had seen on an Italian TV channel just minutes before, in which the Vicar of the Custody of the Holy Land had spoken. Fr Ibrahim Faltas said: “we need to learn from John the Baptist how to cry out and show the path to follow.” Jesus, he added, is “the way. He is forgiveness, justice, love, and peace.”
“If we follow Jesus, we will truly have peace and there will be no war,” said Fr Faltas.
He noted that there are over 60 ongoing wars in the world, calling the global situation “utter confusion.” “We want to live in peace,” concluded Fr Faltas. “We want to follow Jesus, so we will have peace throughout the world.”
Photo: Holy Family Church in Gaza (Mazur/CBCEW.org.uk)
Bishops of the Holy Land Coordination have issued a statement after two Christian women were killed in a sniper attack on the Holy Family Church compound in Gaza on 16th December 2023.
Holy Land Coordination Statement
The Bishops of the Holy Land Coordination were profoundly shocked and distressed at the killing by snipers on 16th December of two Christian women sheltering in the compound of the Holy Family church, Gaza. Messages were sent immediately to the Patriarch, His Eminence Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, and to the Parish Priest, Fr Gabriel Romanelli.
The Holy Land Coordination has been warmly welcomed by priests and parishioners on numerous occasions. We have witnessed firsthand the faith and commitment of the few parishioners who remain; and the dedicated care by the Missionaries of Charity of some fifty profoundly disabled people who live in the convent alongside the church.
The desecration of this compound and the destruction of the Sisters’ convent, ‘signalled’, according to the Patriarch, ‘as a place of worship since before the beginning of the war’, is profoundly disturbing. The shooting in cold blood of Nahida Anton and Samar Antoun, a mother and daughter seeking to enter the convent is unfathomable.
The Holy Land Coordination bishops represent a broad sweep of countries, each bishop committed to a just peace for all and to holding the plight of Christians of the Holy Land at the forefront of their governments’ concerns. We visit the Holy Land regularly to reassure these Christians that they are not forgotten. We seek also to understand better, and at first hand, the realities experienced by the people of three Abrahamic faiths sharing this Land; to fathom the possibility of hope in a two-state solution.
The atrocities perpetrated against Israeli Jews on 7th October and the subsequent killing by the Israeli Defence Force of nearly 20,000 Gazans, of whom 70% were women and children, would appear profoundly to jeopardise the prospects of any such resolution of this deep-seated conflict. Yet, the approaching celebration of Our Saviour’s birth two thousand years ago in the heart of the West Bank should serve as an incentive to people of faith, across the globe, to call down the Holy Spirit ever more fervently to move the hearts of all who can bring influence to bear on these lands and to find a way to cease the hostilities from all sides.
Bishop Nicholas Hudson (Chair of the Holy Land Coordination) Auxiliary Bishop of Westminster England and Wales
Bishop Nicolo Anselmi Bishop of Rimini Italy
Archbishop Udo Bentz Archbishop-elect of Paderborn Germany
Bishop Pierre Burcher Bishop Emeritus of Reykjavik Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden
Bishop Christopher Chessun Anglican Bishop of Southwark Church of England
Bishop Michel Dubost Bishop Emeritus of Evry-Corbeil-Essonnes France
Archbishop Richard Gagnon Archbishop of Winnipeg Canada
Bishop William Kenney Auxiliary Bishop Emeritus of Birmingham England and Wales
Bishop Declan Lang Bishop of Clifton England and Wales
Bishop Donal McKeown Bishop of Derry Ireland
Archbishop William Nolan Archbishop of Glasgow Scotland
Archbishop Joan Enric Vives i Sicilia Bishop of Urgell and Co-Prince of Andorra Spain
Bishop Sithembele Sipuka Bishop of Mthatha South Africa
Bishop Paul Terrio Bishop Emeritus of St Paul Canada
Since 1998, the Bishops’ Conference’s Department for International Affairs has organised the annual meeting of the Coordination of Episcopal Conferences in Support of the Church of the Holy Land.
CAFOD, Christian Aid and other humanitarian agencies and Christian church leaders from around the world have signed a joint letter to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak MP appealing for peace in Gaza. They say: “enough is enough” as Palestinian families in Gaza are being “wiped out.”
They also condemn the vitriolic “crimes of hate” against Jews and Muslims which are “straining community cohesion and interreligious efforts”.
The church leaders say: “We write as religious leaders to say enough is enough. We cannot remain silent as generations of families in Gaza are wiped out in an instant. World leaders cannot sit by while Palestinian civilians in Gaza experience such catastrophic destruction and trauma.
“The relentless and unrestrained bombing campaign with horrific indiscriminate effects and the ground invasion by Israel must end. We weep with broken hearts as we hear of hospitals, mosques, churches, and schools damaged and destroyed by this war. In Gaza, there is no safe place. There is no refuge. There is no escape.”
Since 7 October, more than 15,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza. 1,200 Israelis have also been killed. During the seven-day pause last week more than 100 Israeli hostages were exchanged for 240 Palestinian detainees and some humanitarian aid delivered.
Along with church leaders and other relief agencies, CAFOD is calling on all world leaders to press for a full and permanent ceasefire to come into effect immediately. The charity says this is the only serious option to stop further loss of civilian life and deepening the humanitarian catastrophe.
See the full letter and signatories below:
Rt Hon Rishi Sunak
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
No 10 Downing Street, London, SW1P 2AB
November 29, 2023
“My eyes fail from weeping,
I am in torment within;
my heart is poured out on the ground
because my people are destroyed,
because children and infants faint
in the streets of the city.”
Lamentations 2:11
Dear Prime Minister,
We have watched in horror and sadness at the devastation unfolding in Palestine and Israel since October 7th. As leaders of Christian communities throughout the world, we join in grief for the Israelis and Palestinians who are mourning loved ones who have died.
Our faith compels us to speak out. To make clear that we oppose violence, whether directed toward Israelis or Palestinians. Even the loss of one more life is one too many. International humanitarian law must be respected and adhered to by all sides.
We welcome the recent announcement about the release of dozens of hostages and a parallel prisoner exchange, in addition to the desperately needed few days of a cessation of violence. Now is the time to redouble our efforts to insist that a long-standing bilateral ceasefire comes to fruition.
We acknowledge the profound and existential grief experienced as a result of the actions of Hamas on October 7 as a tragedy for Jewish people in Israel and around the world. We weep with those who have loved ones held hostage, and we pray for their immediate release.
Like the author of Lamentations, our broken hearts weep as we hear of Palestinian babies in Gaza dying and of the thousands of children who have lost their lives. More than eleven thousand Palestinians have been killed, tens of thousands have been wounded, and 1.6 million have been displaced from their homes and communities.
It is unacceptable that millions of people are in desperate need of clean water, adequate food, fuel for electricity, and urgently needed medical supplies. Without safe drinking water and proper medical supplies, poor hygiene conditions have already led to more preventable deaths, especially among children.
We weep with broken hearts as we hear of hospitals, mosques, churches, and schools damaged and destroyed by this war. In Gaza, there is no safe place. There is no refuge. There is no escape.
The escalation of war cannot be adequately understood without acknowledging the conflict’s broader backdrop – ongoing Israeli occupation and the disenfranchisement of Palestinians for more than 70 years. Three-quarters of Palestinian residents of Gaza are refugees dating back to 1948. Before 7 October 2023 had already been on track to be the deadliest year for Palestinians in the West Bank since the Second Intifada in 2000.
Under the current Israeli government, there has been a significant expansion of illegal settlements in the West Bank, emboldening Israeli settlers to act with impunity as they attack Palestinians and force them from their homes.
Settler violence has brutally intensified since 7th October, while there has been an increase in abuse, harassment, and discrimination of Palestinian Israeli citizens in Israel. A future where all human dignity in the region is respected looks distant if these realities are not acknowledged.
We stand up ardently against the vitriolic hatred that is being expressed around the world toward Jews, Muslims, and others because of firmly held convictions about the war. We condemn crimes of hate and uphold that all people should be able to live without fear, with security, and with equally protected human rights. We lament how this conflict is straining community cohesion and interreligious efforts.
We write as religious leaders to say enough is enough. We cannot remain silent as generations of families in Gaza are wiped out in an instant. World leaders cannot sit by while Palestinian civilians in Gaza experience such catastrophic destruction and trauma. The relentless and unrestrained bombing campaign with horrific indiscriminate effects and the ground invasion by Israel must end.
We are deeply grieved by the complicity of the United States and several other Western countries in the continued violence through efforts to actively oppose a ceasefire, including by vetoing multiple United Nations Resolutions.
Instead, we call on governments worldwide to do everything possible to secure a bilateral ceasefire, one that will stop all violence from Hamas and Israel, allow for the safe release of civilian hostages held in Gaza, and give immediate and adequate access to desperately needed humanitarian aid to be delivered, including through crossings to Israel.
Without an agreed upon end to violence from all parties – there is no path forward. We call on all governments to show support for the protection of all human life, advocating for a just and durable resolution to this crisis in which all Israelis and Palestinians might realize a vision of a just peace, illuminating human dignity, advancing security and self-determination for all.
Yours sincerely,
Christine Allen Director, CAFOD
Dr Nicola Brady General Secretary, Churches Together in Britain and Ireland
The Rt Rev Christopher Chessun The Lord Bishop of Southwark, Church of England
Rt Rev Michael Doe Assistant Bishop and Preacher to Gray’s Inn (London)
Anglican Diocese of Southwark Trustee The Balfour Project
Rt Rev Sally Foster-Fulton Moderator of the General Assembly, Church of Scotland
Rev Dr Tessa Henry-Robinson Moderator of the General Assembly, United Reformed Church
John Hill Interim General Secretary, The United Methodist Church – General Board of Church and Society
The Most Rev Dr Michael Jackson Archbishop of Dublin, Church of Ireland
Rt Rev Dr Michael Langrish Former Bishop of Exeter
Tim Livesey Chief Executive, Embrace the Middle East
Very Rev Andrew RC McLellan, CBE Former Moderator, General Assembly of the Church of Scotland
Rev Gill Newton President, Conference of the Methodist Church in Britain
Paul Parker Recording Clerk, Quakers in Britain
Father Timothy Radcliffe, OP Former Master of the Order of Preachers
Rev Chris Rose Director, Amos Trust
Patrick Watts Director, Christian Aid
The R. Rev Dr Jo Bailey Wells Deputy Secretary General, Anglican Communion, London
Joyce Ajlouny General Secretary, American Friends Service Committee (AFSC)
Archbishop Vicken Aykazian Ecumenical Director and Diocesan Legate Diocese, Armenian Church of America (Eastern)
Rev David E Bennett President, Moravian Church Provincial Elders’ Conference
Rev Bronwen Boswell Acting Stated Clerk, General Assembly Presbyterian Church (USA)
Bishop Susan J Briner Southwestern Texas Synod, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA)
Rev LaMarco Antonio Cable Co-Executive, Global Ministries of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and United Church of Christ (UCC)
Bishop Laurie Larson Caesar Oregon Synod, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA)
Rev Dr Mae Elise Cannon Executive Director, Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP)
The Rt. Rev. Paul-Gordon Chandler Episcopal Bishop of Wyoming, Founding President of CARAVAN
Stassi Cramm President, Community of Christ
Rev Dr Rob Dalrymple Leadership Board, Network of Evangelicals for the Middle East (NEME)
Bishop DeDe Duncan-Probe Diocese of Central New York, The Episcopal Church
The Rev Elizabeth A Eaton Presiding Bishop, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA)
Pastor Ps L Elliott General Secretary, Rhema Family Churches
Bishop Paul D Erickson Greater Milwaukee Synod, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA)
Rev Wesley Granberg-Michaelson General Secretary Emeritus, Reformed Church in America (RCA)
Susan Gunn Director, Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns
Andrew S Hamilton District Executive, Southeastern District Church of the Brethren
Lisa Sharon Harper President and Founder, Freedom Road
The Rev Deborah Hutterer Bishop of the Grand Canyon Synod, Evangelical Church in America (ELCA)
Bishop Richard Jaech Southwestern Washington Synod, Evangelical Church in America (ELCA)
Rev Kevin T Jones Bishop of Northeastern Iowa Synod, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA)
Rev Nicolas Kazarian Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America
Dr Peter Makari Co-Executive, Global Ministries of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and United Church of Christ (UCC)
Archbishop Thabo Makgoba Anglican Church of Southern Africa
Rev Felix Malpica Bishop of the La Crosse Area Synod, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA)
The Rev Lee M Miller II Bishop of the Upstate NY Synod, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA)
Professor Leepo Modise University of South Africa
Bridget Moix General Secretary, Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL)
Bishop Joy Mortensen-Wiebe South-Central Synod of Wisconsin, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA)
Rev Dr Lungile Mpetsheni General Secretary, The Uniting Presbyterian Church in Southern Africa
Bishop Malusi Mpumlwana General Secretary, South African Council of Churches
Scott Murphy President, Community of Christ
Rev Siphiwe Ndebele Evangelical Alliance of South Africa
Rev. David M. Neuhaus, SJ Superior of Holy Land Jesuits
Rev. Amy J Odgren Northeastern Minnesota Synod, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA)
Rev. Teresa “Terri” Hord Owens General Minister and President, Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in the US and Canada
Rev Dr Tyrone S. Pitts General Secretary Emeritus/Ecumenical Office , Progressive National Baptist Convention Inc.
The Rt Rev Bavi Rivera Bishop of Eastern Oregon, The Episcopal Church
Richard L. Santos President and CEO, Church World Service (CWS)
Bishop GS Seane Central Diocese, Evangelical Lutheran Church of South Africa (ELCSA)
Bishop Sithembele Sipuka Catholic Bishop of Umtata, South Africa
Andrea Smith Founding Board Member, Evangelicals4Justice
Rev Jason Smith Executive Director, BPFNA ~ Bautistas por la Paz
Bishop Kevin L. Strickland outhwestern Synod, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA)
Bishop Pedro M Suarez Florida-Bahamas Synod. Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA)
Rev Adam Taylor President, Sojourners
Rev Dr Karen Georgia Thompson General Minister and President. United Church of Christ (UCC)
Rev N Tyokolwana Moravian Church, South Africa
Nikki Toyama-Szeto Executive Director. Christians for Social Action (CSA)
Rev Sandra María Van Opstal Founder, Chasing Justice
Father Thomas Zain Vicar General, Antiochian Orthodox Church
Diocese of Westminster Justice and Peace Commission 