Jeff Halper:

A Rational Approach to the Palestine/Israel Dilemma

April 29, 6:30 p.m.

Community Church of NY

Jeff Halper is an Israeli anthropologist and Coordinator of the Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions, an organization that unites Israelis and Palestinians to  rebuild Palestinian homes that have been demolished by the Israeli government who claim that homes were constructed without permits. Halper is a strong advocate for peace and justice in the Middle East, has appeared on US radio and television programs, and has been a candidate for the Nobel Peace Prize.

Co-sponsored by the All Souls Peace Task Force and the Community Church Action for Justice Committee, the event takes place at Community Church of NY, 40 E. 35th St. between Park and Madison Avenues.  Free admission; refreshments served.

Iranian Physicians Talk and Exhibit

May 1, 7:00 p.m.

Reidy Friendship Hall

After two decades of work with chemical weapon survivors, Iranian physicians and two patients from the Society for Chemical Weapons Victims Support, a non-governmental organization from Tehran, Iran, are touring major U.S. cities, both medical schools/hospitals and public forums like All Souls Church, to exhibit materials regarding the short and long term medical consequences of chemical warfare. This exhibition is also designed to promote diplomacy and give specifics on conflict resolution tools the United States could employ to decrease tension in the U.S.-Iranian relationship, moving us farther from war and closer to peace.

The Exhibition is hosted by Physicians for Social Responsibility and the Campaign Against Sanctions and Military Intervention in Iran.  The event is co-sponsored with Community Church.  Refreshments will be served.

Encounter Point Film Event

May 4, 1:00 p.m.

Reidy Friendship Hall

Encounter Point, which premiered at the 2006 Tribeca Film Festival, is an 85-minute documentary  that follows a former Israeli settler, a Palestinian ex-prisoner, a bereaved Israeli mother, and a wounded Palestinian brother—all of whom  risk their lives and public standing to promote a nonviolent end to the Palestinian-Israelian conflict.  Their journeys lead them to the unlikeliest places to confront hatred within their communities. The film explores what drives them and thousands of other like-minded civilians to overcome anger and grief to work for grassroots solutions.  For two years, the Just Vision crew traveled from Tel Mond to Tulkarem, from Hebron to Haifa, documenting the courageous, painful and moving stories of people who refused to sit back as the conflict escalated. These civic leaders navigated suicide bombings and checkpoints to confront militancy on both sides, and work for peace.

Co-sponsored with Adult Education. 

Articles On Past Events

Ted Glick: The Clean Energy Revolution

All Souls Church Reidy Friendship Hall 
Tuesday, March 4  7:00 p.m.

Ted Glick, who has been a progressive social activist since the late 1960s, became a climate activist in the summer of 2003 after the extreme heat wave in Western Europe aroused him to the ongoing danger of such extreme climate events (droughts, monsoons, etc.) to the earth and our way of life. He is a co-founder of the Climate Crisis Coalition and a coordinator for the U.S. Climate Emergency Council; his twice-monthly column, "Future Hope" is available at: http://www.ippn.org. His talk was sponsored by the All Souls Peace Task Force, and he was introduced by Lawrene Groobart.

To read the article, click here.

Interfaith Peace Witness: Trip to Washington D.C.

The Peace Task Force is proud to support the Olivebranch Interfaith Peace Partnership, which is hosting an Interfaith Peace Witness in Washington DC on March 7th, 2008.  Members of the Peace Task Force invite you to join their group, as well as thousands of other activists across religions, for this peaceful action to end the war in Iraq and bring our troops home.  We will leave early Friday a.m. by bus or car, and gather at noon in temples, mosques, synagogues, and churches near the Capitol Mall for worship in each of our different traditions.  UUs will meet at All Souls Unitarian Church at 1500 Harvard Street to worship with UUA President, Rev. William G. Sinkford.  Following worship, all participants can join in an interfaith event on the Mall at 2:30 p.m., which will include speakers of national reputation.  

A review article by Susan Cushman is forthcoming, and will also be published in the upcoming Spring, 2008 All Souls Quarterly.
  

Monthly Film Series Event:  "God Grew Tired of Us" (2007)

Sunday, February 24, 1:00 p.m.

Review by Phoebe Hoss

The documentary God Grew Tired of Us was presented by the All Souls Peace Task Force. This film, made by Christopher Quinn and Tommy Walker and narrated by Nicole Kidman, won both the Grand Jury Prize and the Audience Award at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival. It recounts the moving story of three of the Lost Boys of Sudan who came to the United States, and is based on the book of that name written by one of the Lost Boys, John Bul Dau, with Michael S. Sweeney.

To read the article, click here.

The Human Face of Iran

January 27, 2008 

Review by Phoebe Hoss

At 1:00 p.m., in Reidy Friendship Hall, the Peace Task Force hosted a slide show in continuation of the effort to enhance our understanding of Iran and its culture. This event was presented by Ann and Ahmad Shirazi, who had appeared two weeks before in connection with the film Children of Heaven, and Ellie Ommani. Mr. Shirazi is a film editor who grew up in Iran. He came to the United States in the early 1960s and is the only one of his family of 150 to 200 members to come here. Ann Shirazi has worked as a social worker and is now a full-time peace activist. Ms Ommani and her husband, Ardeshir, who was unable to attend, are both retired school teachers and founded the American-Iranian Friendship Committee, whose mission is to promote "trust, mutual understanding, and peace between Americans, on one hand, and Iranians living in Iran and abroad, on the other."

To read the article, click here.