The following announcement was provided by Watertown Citizens for Peace, Justice and the Environment:
The Peace and Security Working Group of Watertown Citizens for Peace, Justice and the Environment announces “Understanding Palestine & Witnessing Reality” on May 11 at 2 p.m. at the Belmont-Watertown United Methodist Church, 80 Mt. Auburn St.
The free educational event features Rev. Ashlee West-Laird who will share her experiences on a recent solidarity delegation to the Holy Land. Currently pastor at the First Baptist Church in Jamaica Plain, Rev. Ashlee has also served as the Southern Baptist chaplain at Harvard University and worked in Jerusalem with Sabeel Liberation Theology Center and the Middle East Council of Churches.
Short films providing context about the current situation in Gaza and the West Bank will also be shown.
The group has organized several other events regarding the situation in the Middle East, including an April event called “Ireland & Palestine: Occupation, Resistance, Hope.” They hold weekly Saturday vigils in Watertown Square calling for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza and Palestine.
The event is co-sponsored by Massachusetts Peace Action.
About Watertown Citizens for Peace, Justice and the Environment
Founded in 1979 as Watertown Citizens for Environmental Safety (WCES), the group is a grassroots organization of over 600 members and supporters working to further social and environmental justice. They engage in educational events, peace vigils, and legislative initiatives. In 2011 they changed their name to Watertown Citizens for Peace, Justice, and the Environment to better describe their expanded scope. For more information: watertowncitizens.org.