“Can the Bible be redeemed? Has it been used as a weapon so much that we cannot redeem it?” These were questions that the Rev. Naim Ateek, founder of the Friends of Sabeel, asked at the Wide Tent for Justice: Next Steps for Peace in Palestine/Israel conference at the St. James Episcopal Church in Chicago, co-sponsored by AFSC.

Note: Elaine Lane is the founder of David’s Shoes, an organization based out of Irvington, New Jersey, that is “Helping Children and Teens Honor Life.” Inspired by AFSC’s “Eyes Wide Open” exhibit, Elaine is collecting 3792 shoes to start her own exhibit, commemorating the number of children killed by gun violence in the United States in 1998, the year her own son was killed.

Palestinian-American Sandra Tamari, a member of the St. Louis Religious Society of Friends, recounts how a small group of St. Louis activists brought the boycott and divestment movement for justice in Israel-Palestine to their city—and how their impact was felt across the world.

Quakers around the world are working for peace in Israel/Palestine by joining or supporting the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement.. Here is a collection of minutes and statements supporting the BDS movement and calling on all governments to end the dehumanizing effects of the Israeli occupation.