Periodically we lift up work being done at the grassroots. This week, it’s the Bishop’s Committee for Israel/Palestine of the Episcopal Diocese of Olympia. Thanks to our friend and colleague Cabby Tennis for connecting us with this committee.

From their website: “The Bishop’s Committee for Israel/Palestine is a special committee of the Episcopal Diocese of Olympia. We are committed to a future in which everyone in Israel and Palestine enjoys security, justice, and equal rights. We work toward this future by raising awareness, advocating for change, and with prayer. We partner in this effort with people and groups of all faiths. This website is intended to be a platform for us to provide information and make announcements to our community. Over time we hope to create a library of background information on Israel and Palestine, a selection of current events, and links to other organizations working for peace and justice in Israel and Palestine.”

Rennie Colt, one of the organizers, says:
Over the past 6 months, we have been working two fronts… Firstly, we have written and published a number white papers on Israel/Palestine, collectively titled You Can’t Say We Didn’t Know.
Secondly, we have been establishing a social media presence using three overlapping channels: a website, a Facebook page, and a Twitter feed.
In addition to publishing our writings, we have used our website to announce an promote events — most importantly a conference on Islamophobia last fall, Islam in the Public Square — and to post articles of interest on Israel/Palestine, refugees, and religious intolerance.

Check out the series of white papers here.  Writers include Mary Segall, the Right Rev’d Gregory H. Rickel, Rennie Colt, Randolph Urmston, Claude Soudah, Tim Hill, the Rev’d John-Otto Liljenstolpe and Carolyn Sherrard. Brief biographies are on the website.