10th, November 2013
Nidal AbuZuluf, the JAI Manager, have joined the Palestinian delegation to the World Council of Churches Assembly meeting, held in Busan/Korea, from 30th October to the 9th of November 2013.
He participated in several workshops at the meeting including: a workshop of Echo Justice in Palestine, attended by 50 people, where he was one of four speakers and presented the Olive Tree Campaign; a workshop on the Theology of Pilgrimage to the Holy Land that was organized by the EAPPI and the ATG; screening the film "the Stones Cry Out" by NCCOP, where he and Nora Carmi were the ones to respond to the questions of the audience; Four sessions of the Ecumenical Conversation titled "Middle East, Whose Justice, What peace?" this was attended by some 120 people each time, where in the last session he talked about the OTC as one of the solidarity and advocacy tools that the WCC member churches can take; the Middle East Workshop that discussed the situation of the Christians in the Middle East; and a workshop for the Kairos and BDS that was attended by 100 members from different churches who took BDS initiatives.
He also had: a series of meetings with the WSCF international General Secretary and two regional ones of the ME and North America, which concluded by planning for a visit to Palestine through JAI; a meeting with the General Director of the YMCA/Korea to talk about the practicalities related to the OTC in Korea; a meeting for the continuation Committee for Peace for Life; a meeting with Eilert Rostrup the director of Karibu Foundation, Norway, and others.
Nidal was also at the Palestinian booth and distributing materials among the visitors including the JAI publications, Keep Hope Alive t-shirts and pens and pins, Palestinian scarves; and having discussion with the visitors about Palestine and the JAI. He was also interviewed and filmed by the YWCA World.
The JA Manager participated in the launching of the Alternative Tourism Group/Korea. This was attended by key members of the National YMCA of Korea including the NGS and the President and General Secretaries of some local YMCA in Busan in addition to the vice President of the YWCA of Korea, the General Secretary of the National Council of Churches in Korea and some other Korean and international guests. In this Launching the focus was on the need to develop better engagement between Korea and Palestine Y Movements, supporting the Olive tree Campaign and peace pilgrimage. Nidal spoke in this launching, in addition to other members of the Palestinian delegation. Following the launching, the OTC was officially adopted by the YMCA of Korea in cooperation with the YWCA there.
