A 2023 nativity scene shows baby Jesus wrapped in a keffiyeh and placed in a pile of rubble in the Evangelical Lutheran Christmas Church in Bethlehem, the West Bank.
This call is hosted by the Christian Peacebuilding Network (CPN), a multi-org group we helped found, and is part of a series of monthly conversations to help connect Christian peacebuilders and discuss themes related to peacebuilding and the Christian faith.
Christians working for justice and peace often feel marginal, both in the divided wider community and within Christian communities themselves. Although Western Christians may come from contexts in which Christianity has been overt, widespread, and “dominant,” many Christians working for justice and peace in the West and around the world feel a sense of isolation among Christians and discouragement about their limited impact in wider society.
Saleem Anfous, a Palestinian Christian tour guide and Project Manager for the peacebuilding organization Musalaha, joins this call to discuss how marginalized communities, either based on their identity or their motives to work for justice and peace, have much more power and influence than they often recognize or imagine. Small numbers of seemingly powerless Christian peacebuilders can speak and change their societies and the world.
If you’re a Christian peacebuilder, join us for this online discussion to talk and process together about the following questions.
Discussion questions:
What are the challenges and obstacles we experience as peacebuilders working from the margins, and how do we navigate them? Do you refrain from speaking out or taking action because of fear of further marginalization or because of the difficulty of developing impactful strategies and interventions?
How does marginalization provide wisdom and insight to offer something fresh, new, and effective? How can experiences of marginalization equip and empower us in our work?
Time:
3:00pm Central Europe / Central Africa (4:00pm East Africa Time / Jerusalem, 2:00pm UK, 9:00am USA Eastern, 6:30pm India Time)
Facilitator:
Saleem Anfous
Saleem Anfous, husband and father of three beautiful girls, is a tour guide in Bethlehem and Project Manager for the Muslim/Christian Young Adults program at Musalaha.
Saleem originates from Aboud, the heart of Palestine’s finest olive oil, and has called Bethlehem home for over 25 years.
Inspired by the lack of initiatives bridging Muslim and Christian communities in Palestine, Saleem is excited to work alongside the young adults of Bethlehem. His deep connection to both his Palestinian and Christian identities fuels his commitment to breaking down internal walls and managing the external challenges of living under the Israeli military occupation.