Summer 2013amos news no.125www.amostrust.org

Right to Movement Palestine Marathon

Kairos Britain Time for Action for Palestine

Bet Lahem Live Festival – joy, hope & art

Surfers Not Street Children

BelowChris found some new Amos inspired graffiti on the Separation Wall© Sa’ad Hossain

OppositeChris crosses the finish line helped by Marwan from Holy Land Trust© Jenny Baker

to work, so that there is life

‘To believe in God, is not just to love life, but to work, so that there is life.’

— Jon Sobrino, Liberation Theologian

After 23 miles of the Bethlehem Marathon I’m not sure if I loved life. It was the only time I’ve been grateful to see the Separation Wall loom in front of me as it meant the run/ordeal was nearly over. A day or so later, slightly more recovered, my team mates and I were able to reflect on what an honour it had been to share in a celebration of life in the face of the occupation. (See page 4 for a full report on the marathon.)

Celebrating life is something I always associate with Palestine from my very first

Chris RoseDirector visit in 2004. Garth was headlining the

Cucumber Festival, a small, one-off festival, in which the music, marching bands and joyful, crowded streets created a moment of hope amidst the palpable tension at the end of the second intifada. In June this year I felt similar joy and hope at Bet Lahem Live Festival, a new arts festival organised by our partners Holy Land Trust. Together with Greenbelt Festival we took five UK artists over to perform alongside local acts. The delight of the local children as street performer Thomas Trilby stilt walked through the narrow streets of Bethlehem was a highlight, as was the warm-up gig at St Paul’s, Shefa’amr, near Nazareth. The UK musicians – Garth, Beth Rowley, Martyn Joseph and Stu G and long-term Amos friend Rev. Fuad Dagher led the crowd of

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300 singing a new song of liberation by Garth, No injustice lasts forever. Spine-tingling stuff! (See page 5 for more.)

Life was celebrated in abundance in June during the Surfers not Street Children team UK tour. Many of us have watched these three former street children grow up with our partners Umthombo Street Children, so seeing them visiting the UK as street child ambassadors was a real testimony to the work of Umthombo and its founder Tom Hewitt. (page 6 & 7)

“But to work, so that there is life.” – I can think of no better description of the home rebuild at Easter. (page 10) The home is nearing completion now, so on behalf of not just the family but also the community of Battir I want to say a huge thank you to all those who took part and all those who have supported them, practically and financially. It has been life changing for everyone involved.

The build team included staff member George Middleton, who recently moved on after over 7 years with Amos. We are really grateful for all he has contributed to our work by running the office and managing All Hallows on the Wall so efficiently. Thank you George.

We are delighted that Jill Howard-Gunasekera has since joined the team. She’s an experienced charity administrator, who has worked for organisations, both big and small. She visited Umthombo on an Amos trip several years ago and so it was fitting that she got to catch up with the surf team during their UK tour in her first week with us. Welcome Jill.

George’s new role is as Verger at St Peter’s Eaton Square, which is where we are holding Amos Day this year (flier enclosed).

We will be joined by project workers from five of the street child projects involved in 2014 Rio Street Child World Cup, who are in the UK for a special summit. Hear how these ground-breaking projects in India, Nicaragua, Burundi, the Philippines and our partner Umthombo in South Africa are preparing for Rio 2014 and campaigning together to challenge world leaders and policy makers’ perceptions of street children.

Amos Day is also our official launch for Time for Action – a British response to Kairos Palestine (Page 9) and we will be focussing on the action that churches and individuals can take to pursue equal rights for everyone who calls the Holy Land home. We look forward to seeing you there.

Martyn Joseph reflected on his experience on his blog at www.martynjoseph.net

My senses went from overwhelming sadness to deep anger on an hourly basis … And so you take all that to the stage and you play your songs to a thousand gathered people. People of all ages … Your dressing room is an empty concrete room with no light but you have never felt safer. You are among big hearted people with only light and gratitude in their eyes. Gratitude that you have come and so disbelieving that you have songs about them, that you bring them greetings from your country and that you tell them they are not alone and that you will go home and tell their story. And they tell you all that and they give you a gift. The gift of you. Every heart breaking story you hear does the most amazing thing. It gives you your life back. It reminds you of what you have lost and challenges you to re think, to re group and come home to yourself.

The festival also aimed to regenerate Star Street, previously the main road into Bethlehem, and now seldom visited due to the effects of the occupation. Throughout the festival the street was bustling with life and laughter.

We took a small contingent of UK performers to take part in this vibrant new event, working with the Greenbelt Festival to secure the talents of Brit Award nominee Beth Rowley, street performer Thomas Trilby, guitarist and vocalist Stu G, our very own Garth Hewitt of course, and singer songwriter Martyn Joseph.

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bet lahem live

bethlehem marathon

RightJenny crosses the finish line© Sa’ad HossainPaul finishing the race© Sa’ad Hossain

OppositeThomas Trilby entertains the children of Bethlehem© Amos TrustMartyn Joseph tunes up by the Separation wall in Bethlehem© Stu G

Trustee Jenny Baker was part of Team Amos

Race day started at 5am in the hotel lobby, eating hummus, pitta bread and bananas. But the journey to the race had begun just over a year earlier when I came back from my first trip to Palestine. My mind full of the injustice and oppression that we had seen, was dwelling on the question ‘how can this be allowed to happen?’ I think a common reaction is to want to do something, but at the same time to feel completely powerless. What can I do to effect change in a situation that is so complex and so entrenched?

Chris had told us ‘Do what you do, just do it better.’ One of the things I do is run and so here we were about to run a marathon in Bethlehem. In one sense it was just a race, but in another it was something very significant.

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In April 13 runners from the UK travelled to Palestine to run the Bethlehem’s first ever marathon, the Right to Movement Marathon. The little town does not have 26 miles of continuous road without a checkpoint, so the route had to double back so local Palestinian runners could take part.

Thank you to everyone who sponsored Team Amos, who raised an amazing £30,000 for the UN children’s summer camps in Gaza and our partner projects in Palestine.

Team mate Paul Trueman wrote about his experiences for the Guardian’s running blog www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/the-running-blog

Nothing gives the cramping runner better perspective than being cheered on by children whose home is, and always has been, a refugee camp. It wasn’t just the children. All of Bethlehem had never seen anything like this before.

I had always said I would never run a marathon. Too much road for a tall man’s knees. But it was an unforgettable 26 miles, capped off by being pulled across the finish line by two laughing children. I grabbed their hands again in thanks after I had finally, thankfully stopped running, my eyes shining from the rain and the run and the moment.

For four days in June, the atmosphere in Bethlehem was changed, as local families relaxed and enjoyed the first ever Bet Lahem Live Festival. Organised by our partner the Holy Land Trust, 5000 people flocked to see a programme of music, dance and performing arts from across the region including stars from Arabs Got Talent!

To see daily films from Bet Lahem Live, visit our website.

Bet Lahem Live Festival 2014 will run from 19 – 22 June. We hope to run an Amos supporters trip. Details to follow.

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BelowLucky competing© Wayne Perry

The team were very encouraged by the support and enthusiasm from both Amos supporters and the UK surf community they met on the tour. The project is still in its early stages, but the long term hope is for the team to help other street child projects around the world to use surfing in their work, as they know first-hand what a powerful and positive force for good surfing can be.

See the enclosed Surfers not Street Children leaflet for more information about this new project.

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surfers not street children uk tour

Surfers Not Street Children is a surf team made up of former street children, who all learnt to surf with Amos’ partner Umthombo Street Children in Durban, South Africa.

The team has been brought together by co-founder of Umthombo, Tom Hewitt, to surf competitively and to campaign for and promote positive perceptions of street children by sharing their own life stories, achievements and enthusiasm for surfing.

For three weeks in June, Tom, Sihle (21), Andile (21) and Lucky (24) toured the surf spots of the UK in Devon, Cornwall and South Wales. They spoke at local schools and churches and met with projects using surfing to reach disenfranchised young people. They were the special guests of OceanFest, a music and surf festival in North Devon and got to compete in several surf competitions. They also timed their visit so they could ride the Severn Bore, the annual tidal phenomenon on the River Severn.

Surfing is like a rehab to me. When I surf, I forget all of the bad things that have happened to me. We are role models to the other children. Being on the street was like being in a fire that you cannot get out of. We show other children how to get out of that fire.— Andile

I love the ocean. It makes me feel free. Now my whole life is based around the ocean. I have become somebody, through surfing and through Umthombo— Lucky

Clockwise from top leftWaxing boards © Wayne PerryLucky works as a lifeguard back home in Durban. He was able share his expertise and teach local children in Devon © Pete Cox PhotographyThe team meet Sir Tim Smit at the Eden Project, L–R: Andile, Tom, Sihle, Sir Tim Smit and Lucky © Ben Foster

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time for action – kairos britain

Kairos is a Greek word that means ‘a critical moment in time’. At the beginning of his mission in Nazareth, Jesus invoked the urgency of kairos saying “The time has come.” It is a word that demands an urgent response and a change of mind and direction.

In 1985 Christian leaders in South Africa issued the Kairos Document, a call to action to the Church across the world asking them to denounce apartheid as a sin, and to take a lead in the campaign against apartheid.

In 2009 Palestinian Christians issued a similar call A Moment of Truth; A word of faith, hope and love from the heart of Palestinian suffering or the Kairos Palestine Document.

“Our question to our brothers and sisters in the churches today is: Are you able to help us get our freedom back? For this is the only way you can help two peoples attain justice, peace, security and love.“ – Kairos Palestine Document

Kairos Palestine has inspired Amos Trust’s campaigning for a just peace for Palestine. We have responded to its call to ‘Come and see’ with our trips. We have supported acts of non-violent resistance such as our home rebuilds and Bet Lahem Live Festival. We have championed the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions campaign, and produced resources to enable Amos supporters to speak out for Palestine e.g. our 65@65 campaign.

We are acutely aware that this is not enough, so we have joined together with other Christian campaigning groups from a variety of theological and church traditions to coordinate a unified British response to Kairos Palestine. Together as Kairos Britain we have created a new resource, Time for Action, a clear statement as to why British Christians should care. It challenges churches to speak out against oppression and for human dignity, and suggests actions that individuals and churches can take.

“We can be silent no longer. It is time for prophetic faithfulness. It is time for action.“ – Time for Action

Time for Action will be launched at the Greenbelt Festival and then available from www.kairosbritain.org.uk

See back page for our Time for Action appeal.

AboveCover image for Time for Action© Meg Wroe

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65@65 – what will you do?

Myself and a few friends recently returned from Bethlehem, where we had been taking part in the first ever Bethlehem Marathon (see page 4. I only ran 10k but who’s counting?) Having seen for ourselves the difficult conditions and daily injustice our Palestinian hosts were forced to endure, we returned with a desperate desire to do something for Palestine. Something to make a difference, but what?

The thought of doing something for Amos’ partners in Palestine seemed more complicated and more intimidating than organising a fundraiser for Street Children or a Nicaraguan health project.

I know a lot of Amos supporters feel the same way, which is why when we launched the 65@65 campaign back in May our aim was to enable people to raise awareness of the current situation in Palestine in a non-threatening way. We know that a coffee morning isn’t going to solve the situation in

Palestine, but it is a simple way to start the conversation with friends and family about what you have seen and experienced of how Palestinians are being treated today.

The aim of the campaign isn’t to raise vast sums of money through huge events either, all we are hoping is that between now and Christmas we will reach our target of Amos supporters running 65 small events across the country. Even a few pounds makes a real difference to the community programmes of our partners in Palestine, Holy Land Trust and Wi’am. More importantly this support ensures that Palestinian people know that they are not forgotten, that they are not alone.

For ideas and inspiration, download the 65@65 fundraising resource pack from www.amostrust.org/downloads and take a look at the list of events Amos supporters have organised so far in the news section of our website. Keep it simple and have fun.

As for our local event we are still working on that! I look forward to being inspired by your events and ideas, so over to you…

Katie HagleyCommunity Engagement and Fundraising Manager

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TrusteesJenny BakerPeter BoneRamani LeathardJude LevermoreMairi NeevesSimon PlaterJulia RuxtonLucy Winkett

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home rebuild – battir 2013 As you know, in April this year a team of volunteers from Amos Trust and our local partners Holy Land Trust worked with local community to rebuild a demolished home in Battir, just outside Bethlehem, taking it from rubble to watertight in just two weeks. The cost of the rebuild was covered entirely by donations from Amos supporters who gave to our 2012 Christmas appeal and by the 24 Amos volunteers who formed the build team.

In the past months the family has been working with the Holy Land Trust’s Field Worker to complete the final leg of the build in order to move in soon. Amos Trust are committed to a continued programme of home rebuilding in Palestine and we will work with Holy Land Trust on another project in 2015. Thanks to everyone who supported and took part in this vital project of non-violent resistance.

Amos Trust 4th FloorDevelopment House56 – 64 Leonard StreetLondon EC2A 4LT

diocese of london lent appeal We were delighted when the Bishop of London, Richard Chartres chose Amos Trust and the Street Child World Cup for the Diocese of London’s 2013 Lent Appeal. Over 150 churches across the capital supported the appeal by organising collections or encouraging their congregation to give something up for Lent and then donate the money they would have spent. Others took part in sponsored sleep-outs including the Arch-Deacon David Meara and his church, St Brides Fleet Street, whilst an entire year of Christ the Saviour Primary School in Ealing had a full day outside having school “on the street”.

Thank you to all the Londoners who made the appeal such a success. To date £25,000 has been raised, which will go towards the Street Child World Cup in 2014, and the surrounding, long-term advocacy and campaigning work to change perceptions of street child around the world.

To help your church get involved in campaigning for street children, download the Street Child World Cup Worship Resources and our Churches Fundraising Pack from www.amostrust.org/downloads

If you or someone you know would like to attend the Street Child World Cup in Brazil next April there is still time to volunteer, visit www.streetchildworldcup.org/volunteers for info.

BelowThe house at Battir© Amos Trust

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“Our question to our brothers and sisters in the churches today is: Are you able to help us get our freedom back? For this is the only way you can help two peoples attain justice, peace, security and love.“

– Kairos Palestine Document Kairos Britain is a new network of Christian campaigning groups from a variety of theological and church traditions, who have come together to coordinate a unified British response to Kairos Palestine.

The group aims to help British Churches and Christians to understand and engage with the issue, and prayfully take action for their brothers and sisters in Palestine.

Amos Trust were active in setting up Kairos Britain and our Director Chris Rose is chair.

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Above Separation Wall graffiti © Amos TrustCover Thomas Trilby entertains young citizens of Bethlehem © Amos Trust

We are excited to be part of this new initiative, but we need your involvement in taking this message out to churches throughout the UK and your support to help pay for the essential costs we have to meet. To get things moving we need to:

– Design, print and distribute full copies of the resource, Time for Action

– Create and distribute 30,000 copies of a summary leaflet for church leaders

– Redesign and repurpose our Just Peace for Palestine website for this new initiative

– pay an administrator to work for half-a-day a week

Any support you can give will be invaluable in helping us to unite and respond to the urgent call for action from our Palestinian brothers and sisters.

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