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This holiday season, give a gift of peace. Honor family and
friends by making a special donation to CMEP in their name. Your
gift will be announced with a handwritten message on a card with a
beautiful painting of Jerusalem by Ann Kerr, the chair of CMEP's
Leadership Council.
The following appeal mailing is in the mail to those of you on our
mailing list and I hope this note reminds you to send a
contribution by mail or through secure, online credit card service
on
CMEP's website.
If you only receive CMEP's Email Network messages, either directly
or from a friend, I ask you to become a contributor. We need, and
appreciate, your donation.
Thank you,
Corinne Whitlatch
Advent 2007
Dear Friends,
It is during the season of
Advent that Christians everywhere turn their thoughts and
prayers to Bethlehem. While our hearts focus on the ancient
home of Jesus’ birth, we cannot escape the reality of today’s
Bethlehem and the tragic situation facing the Christian
Palestinians who live there. Their suffering and unfulfilled
hopes permeate our thoughts of Bethlehem, and our prayers.
Those among us who have
spent some time in the Holy Land have strong memories of
specific people and stories of their struggles. I remember my
two months in Bethlehem at the end of 1999, a much more hopeful
time when the streets were busy with tourists and construction
in preparation for the millennium celebration.
On sabbatical from Churches
for Middle East Peace, I was teaching stained glass classes at
the Christmas Lutheran Church. I trained my students – mostly
women – to make new products for the tourist market, using an
abundant supply of broken bottles and scraps from Hebron’s glass
blowers. I felt great accomplishment when I saw on a visit in
2006 the beautiful glass work of one woman who can now support
her family by producing glass ornaments and even making
windows.
I have been busy these past
few weeks making a stained glass hanging for the CMEP office
that I will title “Bethlehem.” Within intertwined stars of
brass are pieces of Hebron’s cobalt blue glass and scraps of
Armenian pottery from Jerusalem. That these broken pieces can
be joined together to make a beautiful creation gives me hope
that the shattered lives of Israelis and Palestinians can be
transformed, that they can share Jerusalem and live in peace and
security.
But the vision, the
hope, the promise of peace between two peoples – living in two
viable and sovereign states – requires a political solution.
And, that is why your support of CMEP is vital.
A
fair and lasting two-state political solution to the conflict,
that ends the occupation of Palestinian land and the rejection
of Israel, is CMEP’s goal.
Your commitment to our
work for peace is extremely important. Please support CMEP this
Advent with a generous gift that will help us continue the
urgent work for peace.
One of the tragic outcomes of the conflict
between Israel and the Palestinian people is that a great many
Palestinian Christians have made the tough decision to leave – to
seek a better future elsewhere so their children can escape the
dangers, the daily humiliations, and lack of opportunity that
defines Palestinian life today. Without a political solution to
the conflict, the Christian holy sites could become museum pieces
bereft of a living community.
There are many ways that each
of us can help the Palestinian Christians – with prayers and
solidarity, by strengthening their schools and hospitals, by
funding new housing and providing emergency relief – but only a
political solution to the conflict can stem the emigration of
Palestine’s Christians.
Only a
political solution can lead to lasting peace in the Holy Land.
CMEP’s commitment to peace is
not only on behalf of the Palestinian Christians. All the
people of the Holy Land urgently need peace. The dire
conditions in the West Bank and Gaza threaten the welfare of the
entire Palestinian population. And Israel has not been able to
provide security for its people. Israelis and Palestinians
need a political solution to the conflict that would end the
occupation, establish a viable Palestinian state, and bring Israel
the recognition and security it has long been denied.
After years of stalling, the
President has launched a real push to fulfill the vision of a
viable Palestinian state living in peace alongside its neighbor
Israel. He knows, as do we, that strong U.S. leadership is
absolutely necessary for peacemaking between Israel, the
Palestinians, and their Arab neighbors. In meetings with State
Department officials and in congressional offices, CMEP is pushing
and pulling policymakers toward action and negotiations to resolve
the tough “final status” issues: borders, settlements, water,
refugees, and Jerusalem.
Your support has helped CMEP’s
persistent advocacy, with Congress and the Administration, to
encourage the sharing of Jerusalem by Israel and the future state
of Palestine, and by the family of Abrahamic faiths.
And, I want to personally
thank you for your sustained commitment to building this church
coalition into a strong advocacy voice that is making a
difference. After 21 years as CMEP’s director, I am retiring at
the end of the year. I leave with a sense of satisfaction even
though peace is still to come. The CMEP staff and Board are
strong, dedicated, and well prepared for the work that lies
ahead. Soon, I will join you as a supporter of CMEP and an
advocate. I deeply believe that policy does change, justice can
prevail and that peace is possible – with your help and mine.
In peace,
Corinne Whitlatch
P.S. This holiday season,
give a gift of peace. Honor family and friends by making a special
donation to CMEP in their name. Your gift will be announced with a
handwritten message on a card with a beautiful painting of
Jerusalem by Ann Kerr, the chair of CMEP’s Leadership Council.
Thank you for your generous
support. We wish you all the blessings of peace during this
Christmas season.
Churches for Middle East Peace
Office of the Chair
Dear CMEP Supporter,
This is a significant time of transition for CMEP. Like you, we
face the end of one year and the preparation for another, but we
add to that Corinne’s leaving after two decades of hard work and
dedicated leadership as CMEP’s Executive Director.
For
all of us, Corinne has been a teacher, an advocate, and an
inspiration. In the most troubling of times, she has always held
out hope for what we could do together to help the cause of peace
in the Middle East.
That cause continues and the best way we can pay tribute to
Corinne is to maintain CMEP as a vital organization by
contributing generously to CMEP. Leadership changes are always
challenging, but thanks to Corinne, the transition will be a
smooth one and CMEP will continue to operate with the same level
of excellence.
I
urge you to recognize and thank Corinne for the incredible force
she has been in the cause for peace with a generous contribution
to CMEP today.
Sincerely,
Maureen Shea, Chair
Churches for Middle East Peace
PS: You will be hearing from
CMEP’s new Executive Director at the beginning of 2008 and you
will be able to meet him at the April Conference. I thank you for
all your support today – and as we continue the hard work that is
ahead.
Churches for
Middle East Peace
REPLY
MEMORANDUM
Contributions can be made by check (enclose the form below) or via
credit card (send requests for holiday gifts by email to
info@cmep.org).
As Christmas
approaches, please consider giving an extra contribution to
Churches for Middle East Peace to honor a family member or friend
in tribute to their love for the Holy Land and commitment to
peace. We’ll send your recipients a beautiful card to tell them
of your meaningful gift.
TO: Corinne
Whitlatch
Executive Director
Churches for Middle East Peace
FROM:
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
Email:
___________________________________
¨ I'm
pleased to make a year-end gift to help support CMEP's important
work for peace. Enclosed is my contribution of:
____
$500 ____ $250 ____ $100 ____ $50 ____
$35 ____ Other
¨ I
would also like to honor the following individual(s) by providing
an additional gift to CMEP in their names. (Minimum $25 per
gift.) Please send a handwritten card that tells of my
gift of peace and hope to:
¨
$25
¨
$50
¨ $75
¨
$100
Name
______________________________________________________________________________
Address
____________________________________________________________________________
City _________________________________________ State
_________________ Zip _____________
Special Message:
_____________________________________________________________________
TOTAL ENCLOSED:
$ ____________
By Check:
send the above
form to Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP), 110 Maryland Ave.
NE, #311 Washington, DC 20002
By Credit card:
Click here for
Secure, online credit card donation
OR
please fill out and send in the information below:
¨ Mastercard
¨ Visa
¨ Discover
_______________________________________________________
Card
Number Expiration
Date
______________________________________________
Name as it
appears on the card (please print)
______________________________________________
Signature
(required)
CMEP gratefully accepts gifts of stock.
For information please contact Anna Rhee at 202-543-1222 or
anna@cmep.org. Your donation is eligible for a charitable giving
tax deduction. Check with your financial advisor about maximizing
your stock gift to CMEP.
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