Imagine that your home and village were caught up in a civil war or territorial conquest. What would be the impact on your lives – on your civil rights?
On Saturday, April 9, from 4 to 5:30 p.m., at the Keene Valley Congregational Church (UCC) in Keene Valley, NY, you can hear from and discuss with several Middle Eastern families, parents and kids, what that’s like – and what they are trying to do to create a safer society back in their home countries.
Social justice leaders from the Middle East and their teenaged children, including the founder of the Syrian Non-Violence Movement, will discuss with American families what it takes to rebuild a distressed community.
During this interactive lecture, the presenters – Syrian refugees and Bedouin Palestinian-Israelis – will give first-hand accounts about empowering their communities back home to advocate for and access their basic human rights.
The children will share their role in this process, demonstrating that children are too often left out of the conversation when, in fact, they have the power to be some of the most important instigators of change.
All temporarily living in Montreal, the parents are Fellows in McGill University’s “International Community Action Network” program in the graduate school of social work.
Over the past 20 years ICAN has been training social justice leaders from the Middle East to empower their communities to access their rights and entitlements. In light of the crisis in Syria, ICAN is laying the groundwork to train a new generation of Syrian social work community builders dedicated to the democratic rebuilding of their country.
This event is free and open to the public and sponsored by the Keene Valley Congregational Church UCC and the North Country Refugee Collaboration. American families with grade school and teenage children are particularly encouraged to attend. Refreshments will be served. Inquiries may be directed to event coordinator, John Bingham, 518 963-8966 or jhlbingham@gmail.com. Further information is available from Keene Valley Congregation Church Mission Committee Rep Naj Wikoff. 518-576-2063 or Naj.wikoff@gmail.com.