March 1990, Page 43

Waging Peace

By Vicki Tamoush

Coordinating Peace Organizations

The Coalition for Peace in the Middle East (P.O. Box 27755, Los Angeles, CA 90027) has called together leaders of its member organizations for a strategic planning session to help coordinate activities on the Middle East in the Los Angeles area and avoid overlap of both dates and projects. CPME is composed of Arab, Jewish, peace and other groups who support a two-state solution, a UN-sponsored international peace conference and recognition of the PLO as the representative of the Palestinian people. Similar coalitions are active across the US, and many have held workshops, cultural celebrations and other events which are open to the public.

LA Times: Worse Than 1988?

An informal statistical survey of the content of op-ed essays in the Los Angeles Times on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has been conducted by the LA chapter of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (P.O. Box 27699, Los Angeles, CA 90027; (213) 466-2838). The survey was first conducted in 1988, and comparisons are drawn, marking trends in op-ed essays. The study concluded that the number of Arab writers represented is even worse than in 1988. Also available are brief notes on some of the national and international figures whose writings have appeared in the Los Angeles Times.

Americans in Lebanon Still Publishing

A remarkable newsletter is published roughly every other month by Americans for Justice in the Middle East (c/o Mrs. Richard Scott, 226 Chambersburg St., Gettysburg, PA 17325). It is written by Americans who chose to remain in Lebanon despite the admonitions of the Reagan administration. Topics range from everyday life for Americans in Beirut to an on-the-spot chronology of Middle East events on a daily basis. Aside from the fact that AJME has continued to publish (sometimes resorting to heroic measures such as sneaking copy to Cyprus or typing while crouched under a table), it is significant that nearly every issue contains photos of areas throughout Lebanon. Some articles are reprints from other Middle East publications, but overall, the newsletter stands as a tribute to the indomitable spirit of writers everywhere.

Catholic Near East Welfare Association Magazine

Catholic Near East magazine (a publication of Catholic Near East Welfare Association, 1011 First Ave., New York, NY 10022-4195; (212) 826-1480) has several articles of particular interest in Vol. 15, No. 4. The Catholic Near East Welfare Association's Middle East Educational Fellowship Program brings Jews, Christians, and Muslims from the Middle East to study together in the US and then to return to their home countries "to work collaboratively for peace and justice." Participants in the program tell their own stories, agreeing that the experience gave them the tools with which to work toward peace. Other items of interest in the issue concern the Ecumenical Institute of Tantur, the ancient monastery at Maaloula, Syria, and the "Revolution of Stones." An examination of the statement on the Middle East by the National Conference of Catholic Bishops addresses the intifada from a number of Christian viewpoints.

Calendar of Southern California Middle East Events

The Pasadena, CA office of the American Friends Service Committee (980 N. Fair Oaks Ave., Pasadena, CA 91103; (818) 791-1978) publishes a bi-monthly calendar of events concerning Middle East issues. After much discussion, the AFSC Middle East Task Force decided to include all events concerning the Middle East, spanning the political spectrum, Titled "The Olive Branch," the calendar serves as a community network. Both individuals and organizations are encouraged to submit announcements of events in the greater Los Angeles area.

New UNRWA Publications Available

"Reaching for the Olive Branch: UNRWA and Peace in the Middle East," is the title of a new publication by the Middle East Institute, Washington, DC. Written by Milton Viorst, who writes on the Middle East for the New Yorker, it chronicles UNRWA's creation in 1949 and involvement in Lebanon, Jordan and Syria, with a special section on the intifada. Copies are available from UNRWA Liaison Office, Room DC2-550, United Nations, New York, NY 10017.

From July 1988 through June 1989, 157 UNRWA staff members were arrested or detained in Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt and Syria. An UNRWA report stated, "Many of those staff members complained of beatings and other forms of brutality during their detention. In addition, agency staff, including international staff, were subjected to physical abuse and, at times, undisciplined behavior by Israeli soldiers." Copies of the UNRWA report are available from the above address.

Canadian Conference Promotes Israeli-Palestinian Dialogue

The first Canadian conference to promote Israeli-Palestinian and Arab-Jewish dialogue was recently sponsored by The United Nations Association of Canada, Canadian Friends of Peace Now, the National Council on Canada-Arab Relations, and the Near East Cultural and Educational Foundation of Canada (NECEF, 106 Duplex Ave., Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5P 2A7, (416) 483-6467). Entitled "Seeking Peace in the Middle East," the conference featured prominent Palestinian, Israeli and North American leaders in peace efforts, all advocating a two-state solution.

Journal of Palestine Studies Assesses Intifada and Nonviolence

An important essay, "The Intifada and Nonviolent Struggle," appears in issue 73 of the Journal of Palestine Studies (P.O. Box 25697, Washington, DC 20007; (202) 342-3990). Author Gene Sharp, director of the Program on Nonviolent Sanctions at Harvard, is widely accepted as an expert in the field of nonviolent resistance, and has had his work published in Arabic by the Palestinian Center for the Study of Nonviolence.

Vicki Tamoush is an Arab American based in Glendale, CA, where she is active in peace groups.