Send Christmas wishes and prayers to Bethlehem
For the fourth consecutive year Christmas celebrations will take place in a climate of fear for all peoples in the Holy Land. This climate of fear results from the continuing violence - occupation, suicide bombings and military operations- violence which causes great suffering for the local population and greatly reduces any prospects for a just and peaceful solution of the conflict. The building of a fence or wall of separation is deepening further the climate of hatred. Pax Christi International, the International Fellowship of Reconciliation (IFOR), Church and Peace and the Presidency of the Conference of European Justice and Peace Commissions are supporting an initiative of partners in Bethlehem -- the Arab Educational Institute (AEI), the Centre for Conflict Resolution and Reconciliation (CCRR) and Wi'am Centre - inviting all its members to e-mail wishes and prayers for peace. All individual members and all member organisations and partners are invited to e-mail Christmas wishes and prayers for peace to the partners in Bethlehem. Please do this before 25 December. English is the preferred language, however non-native English speakers may also send wishes and prayers in their mother tongue. All messages should be sent to christmas-message@paxchristi.net Some of these messages will go directly to Bethlehem and at the same time be put on the website of Pax Christi International: www.paxchristi.net. It might be that a student of the AEI will respond to your message by sending his or her own wish and prayer.