Work of Christian Peacemaker Teams in Palestine/Israel

The University of Findlay will host “Getting in the Way: The Work of Christian Peacemaker Teams in Palestine/Israel” at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 24, in Winebrenner Theological Seminary, Room 254. There is no charge to attend this presentation.

Rick Polhamus and James Satterwhite, Ph.D., will share stories and photos from their experiences with Christian Peacemaker Teams’ (CPT) efforts to reduce the violence in the Israeli/Palestinian conflict. Their experiences will illustrate the possibilities of real hope for peace that are seldom reported in the U.S. media.

According to its website, CPT Palestine is a faith-based, non-denominational organization that promotes and practices non-violent means of conflict resolution. The Palestine/Israel issue is one of many projects the CPT takes in. By collaborating with local Palestinian and Israeli peacemakers and educating people in their home communities, the organization aims to help create a space for justice and peace.

Polhamus has worked in the Middle East for 10 years. He has training and experience in violence reduction, conflict resolution and transformation, negotiation and mediation. With CPT, Polhamus has worked in South Dakota, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Palestine/Israel and Iraq. He has served on CPT’s steering committee and has been the CPT representative to the World Council of Churches.

When he isn’t traveling overseas, Polhamus speaks at conferences, universities, churches, synagogues and mosques about his experiences. He also is active in his home church, Pleasant Hill Curch of the Brethren. Polhamus resides in Miami County, Ohio.

Satterwhite served as an observer through CPT in Chechnya in spring and summer, 1996, and worked with the Balkan Peace Team in former Yugoslavia in summer, 1997, on Kosovo-related issues. He served as a human-rights monitor with CPT in Hebron, West Bank (Palestine) in the summers of 1998 and 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003 and 2004. In all of these cases, CPT worked with local groups to promote nonviolent solutions to the conflicts.

Satterwhite taught in the department of history and political science at Bluffton University between 1984 and 2007. He resides in Bluffton.

For more information about this presentation, contact Cathy Donovan at 419-434-4711 or Donovan@findlay.edu.