The Global Immersion Project was started because of a trip to Palestine and Israel 9 years ago. We have been working ever since to support and learn from those who have spent decades seeking peace on their streets and advocating for peace from their governments.
The Trump Administration recently released their version of a peace deal for Israel & Palestine called “Peace to Prosperity”. The plan, developed without collaboration with Palestinians and laden with co-opted Christian language, has set off celebrations among some and protests among others. If enacted, this plan has serious and detrimental implications for all Israelis, all Palestinians, and all US Americans. Rather than a blueprint for peace, this plane is a roadmap for injustice.
Join us on Thursday, February 6th at 12:30pm PST/ 3:30pm EST for a live webinar featuring key voices from Palestine, Israel, and the US. More than a briefing of “Peace to Prosperity,” this webinar will expose the devastating implications for all of us, should it come into fruition. We urge to tune in!
Panelists
Shadia Qubti – Teacher in reconciliation, Israel-Palestine
Shadia Qubti is a Palestinian Christian who has worked in peace building and advocacy initiatives for 15 years. She is particularly focused on amplifying the voices and perspectives of women and other minorities in a variety of ways, one of which was in the Women Behind the Wall podcast. Shadia was born and raised in Nazareth. She studied International Relations and English Language at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, and Conflict Resolution and Nonviolent Action at Trinity Dublin College in Ireland. Currently, most of her current professional work focuses in the field of humanitarian and development aid.
Liel Maghen – Co-Director of IPCRI
Liel Maghen is the co director of IPCRI, a shared organization of Israelis and Palestinians focused on forming professional partnerships and impacting policy. Working both in top-down and bottom-up initiatives, his experience includes working with the Israeli Knesset, the United States Congress and the EU together with managing programs for leading peace building organizations such as Seeds of Peace, Givat Haviva, MEJDI Tours, and AIES.
Through his role at IPCRI, Liel develops impactful transboundary partnerships mainly through participatory activities, community development and inclusive processes. He holds a M.A degree in International Development and a Bachelors of Arts in Political Science and Middle Eastern Studies, both from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
Rev. Dr. Mae Elise Cannon – Executive Director of Church for Middle East Peace
Rev. Dr. Mae Elise Cannon is the executive director of Churches for Middle East Peace and an ordained pastor in the Evangelical Covenant Church (ECC). Cannon formerly served as the senior director of Advocacy and Outreach for World Vision U.S. on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC; as consultant to the Middle East for child advocacy issues for Compassion International in Jerusalem; as the executive pastor of Hillside Covenant Church located in Walnut Creek, California; and as director of development and transformation for extension ministries at Willow Creek Community Church in Barrington, Illinois.
Cannon holds an MDiv from North Park Theological Seminary, an MBA from North Park University’s School of Business and Nonprofit Management, and an MA in bioethics from Trinity International University. She received her first doctorate in American History with a minor in Middle Eastern studies at the University of California (Davis) focusing on the history of the American Protestant church in Israel and Palestine and her second doctorate in Ministry in Spiritual Formation from Northern Theological Seminary. Her work has been highlighted in The New York Times, CNN, Chicago Tribune, Christianity Today, Leadership Magazine, The Christian Post, Jerusalem Post, EU Parliament Magazine, Huffington Post, and other international media outlets.
Jer Swigart – Co-Founding Director of The Global Immersion Project
Jer is a peacemaking training organization, Global Immersion is cultivating an everyday peacemaking movement that’s restoring what’s broken in our world. As a modern-day peacemaker, Jer has found himself contending for peace in beautifully bizarre corners of our global village. Whether in the tribes of northern Pakistan, the slums of India, the red-light districts of Southeast Asia, the conflict between Israel and Palestine, or the racial divides within his own neighborhood, Jer loves people in a way that disarms violence and eliminates divides. His engagement within national and international conflicts as well as his experience as a faith leader and educator has formed him into a guide for individuals, churches, and organizations that are yearning to leverage their influence as instruments of peace in the places they live, work, and play. When he’s not navigating alpine life with his family in Bend, OR, Jer travels the country and world as a practitioner, coach, and speaker. He’s written for numerous publications, has contributed to several books, is a Pepperdine Cross Sector Leader Fellow, and is the co-author of the recently released and award winning book, Mending the Divides: Creative Love in a Conflicted World (IVP, 2017).