Interfaith program to include former Senator and Governor Lowell Weicker, speakers from Israel, Palestine and South Africa

Lowell Weicker, former Governor of Connecticut, is a keynote speaker at the conference.

On Sunday, Oct. 20, the First Congregational Church of Old Lyme will be the site of the Ninth Annual Interfaith Conference on Israel and Palestine, an all-day event that will focus on the theme, “To Exist is to Resist.”  Consistent with the eight previous Conferences, the program will amplify voices of peacemakers as it illuminates issues inherent in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict overlooked or under-reported in mainstream media.

Organized by the Tree of Life Educational Fund (TOLEF), and open to the public, the Conference, which will run from 1 to 8 p.m., will feature a speaker program, an information and crafts bazaar, a concert by musicians from the West Bank in Palestine, and a Middle Eastern dinner.

A timely and relevant theme

In announcing this year’s event, the Reverend David W. Good, President of TOLEF and Minister Emeritus of the First Congregational Church of Old Lyme, commented, “While revival of the Israel-Palestine peace process proceeds haltingly at best, and every day’s news from the Middle East is distressing, the theme of the Conference, ‘To Exist is to Resist,’ is both timely and relevant to a broad range of issues that we Americans must address.  Violence seems to be the order of the day, right here in the U.S. and sadly, too often abroad.  As people of conscience, we should have something to say in response.  Our Conference speakers can help us find the words and the courage to speak truth to power, and effect positive change.”

Several different perspectives

Jane Hilal

The speaker program will begin at 1:30 p.m., and offer a number of perspectives on the imperative to resist oppression.

• Jane Hilal, of the Applied Research Institute in Jerusalem, will outline the implications of rationed water resources in developing a viable Palestinian state.
• Israeli-American Miko Peled, the son and grandson of political and military leaders in the modern history of Israel, will describe his conversion to peace activism when his 12-year-old niece was killed in a suicide bombing in Jerusalem.
• The Reverend Dr. Charles Villa-Vicencio, who was intimately involved in South Africa’s truth and reconciliation process, and is currently Visiting Professor in the Conflict Resolution Program at Georgetown, will talk about parallels between apartheid South Africa and the Israeli occupation of Palestine, with particular emphasis on the Kairos Document, an ecumenical call for justice.
• The case for political engagement will be made by former Connecticut Senator and Governor Lowell Weicker, Jr., well-known for his embrace of controversial issues, even when it has meant breaking ranks with his own party — or being the first U.S. Senator ever arrested for civil disobedience, when in 1985, he joined an anti-apartheid protest in Washington, D.C.

Abigail Cipparone of Old Lyme will be a speaker at the Tree of Life Conference.

The speaker program will conclude with a reading of the TOLEF  manifesto by two teen-aged students from Connecticut, Abigail Cipparone and Anyssa Dhaoudi, Christian and Muslim, respectively, reminding the audience that “we are the ones we’ve been waiting for.”

Middle Eastern dinner, and a concert

Following the speaker program, a Middle Eastern dinner will be served, provided by the Islamic Center of New London and the Connecticut Council on American-Islamic Relations.  At 6:30 p.m., a concert featuring the “Bridges of Hope Performers,” young Palestinian musicians playing traditional instruments, will conclude the day.

Admission, reservations, information

$25 per person covers all events of the day.  Students and attendees under age 21 will be admitted free of charge.  Reservations are suggested and may be made online at www.tolef.org, or by phone at 860-434-8686.  Tickets will also be sold at the door on the day of the Conference.

The First Congregational Church of Old Lyme is located at the intersection of Ferry Road and Lyme Street, Old Lyme, CT.

The Tree of Life Educational Fund, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, strives to provide cross-cultural and transnational travel experiences, interfaith conferences and educational opportunities, helping participants become more enlightened and engaged in making this a just and peaceful world.  Established by the First Congregational Church of Old Lyme in 2002, TOLEF today operates independently, supported by organizations and individuals committed to peace and justice.

In addition to the Old Lyme event, originally the only Conference location, this year’s Conference programs will be held at 14 other locations around the country, including four here in Connecticut:  Madison, Hartford, West Hartford and Storrs.

For more information about TOLEF, Conference speakers and all 15 conference programs, visit www.TOLEF.org.