NEWS RELEASE
Citizens For Justice In The Middle East
6100 W. 52nd Street
Mission, Kansas 66202
Contact: Andrea Whitmore, (913) 236-9825 or Matt Quinn, (816) 729-9102
Area Peace Group Launches $10,000 Campaign to Support Peace and Democracy in the Middle East
July 5, 2007 -- The May 31 kickoff fundraiser dinner for Hope Flowers School in Bethlehem exceeded organizers’ expectations, bringing in $1700 at Holy Land Café in Overland Park. There were 45 people attending the event to launch the $10,000 fundraising campaign.
Hope Flowers is an independent private K-7 school located on a hillside of South Bethlehem, where 220 children are given a progressive education based on Montessori methods with an intercultural, interfaith, conflict-resolution and democratic emphasis. Hope Flowers seeks funding support, educational contacts and volunteers to help in teaching and project development at the school. The support of concerned Americans can make a huge difference in the Hope Flowers school program.
"The Hope Flowers School provides a ray of hope for the world and, in particular, Palestinian families and children who believe that peace is possible for Israeli and Palestinian people," according to Peter Waasdorp, who, with his wife Nancy, is co-facilitator of the US Friends of Hope Flowers School. Citizens for Justice in the Middle East is working with US Friends of Hope Flowers School to raise $100,000 nationally, and has set a goal to raise $10,000 from Kansas City area donors.
Local church groups -- New Song Church, Disciples Peace Fellowship and the Peace/Justice Group of Grace Covenant Church -- are working with Citizens for Justice in the Middle East to show Palestinians that Americans support their peace and democracy elementary school.
Ibrahim Issa, the son of the deceased founder of the school, is its director and now spends much of his time in other countries in an ongoing search for the critical funds. The school’s loyal staff and teachers are fully committed to keeping the school alive and able to meet its mission of providing peace education for the children. However, if this is to happen, the citizens of the United States need to join the governments and citizens of Britain, Holland, Switzerland and other countries in providing the much needed financial support to Hope Flowers.
To continue the fundraising campaign Citizens for Justice in the Middle East will be holding a second fundraising dinner on August 12 and bringing Ibrihim Issa, director of Hope Flowers School, to Kansas City October 12-16. The group is also selling t-shirts and accepting contributions online. Learn more about the school by visiting http://www.cjme.org/hfs or by calling one of the fundraising committee members – Andrea Whitmore (913-236-9825) or Matt Quinn (816-729-9102).
About Hope Flowers School -- http://www.hopeflowersschool.org
Bethlehem’s Hope Flowers is a world leader in its field because of its unique peace and democracy curriculum. It was founded in 1984 to meet a need for a safe and supportive environment where children could grow and develop into peaceable citizens of a new Palestinian democracy. Support comes from many groups and individuals from a wide range of nations, faiths and political persuasions who share its philosophy.
About Citizens for Justice in the Middle East – http://www.cjme.org
Since 2003, Kansas City-based Citizens for Justice in the Middle East has educated the American public about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The group believes U.S. policy should recognize the rights and aspirations of both Israelis and Palestinians; only by respecting the need to provide both peoples in the conflict with security and self-determination can a viable and just peace be assured.
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