Pray-in for a Permanent Ceasefire: A Nonviolent Witness for Gaza
Pray-in at the U.S. Capitol Calls for Congress to Support a Permanent Ceasefire
When and where: Thursday, March 21, 1-2pm at the Methodist Building, 100 Maryland Avenue NE, with a nonviolent witness action to follow.
Why: The crisis in Gaza and pending full invasion of Rafah demands immediate public action and witness. In addition to the 31,000 killed in the war, at least 27 Palestinians have died from starvation just recently. For Christians, nonviolent witness includes urging for a just peace, especially now as our Muslim family members enter their holy month of Ramadan.
What: All are welcome to join a public pray-in as part of an ongoing Lenten Ceasefire Campaign. We will offer a prayerful vigil with press invited, and then a nearby nonviolent witness action. We will raise our voices together, asking our Creator for guidance and strength as we urge those in power to do the courageous work of nonviolent peacemaking.
We urge all parties to:
a) Publicly call for bilateral ceasefire to prevent the further loss of life
b) Support demilitarization rather than supplying additional military aid or arms to Israel
c) Focus on a release of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners held without due process
d) Support robust humanitarian assistance and restarting U.S. government funding to UNRWA, the UN agency supporting Palestinian refugees
e) Work diplomatically to end the siege on Gaza and end the occupation of the Palestinian Territory in order to address the root causes of the violence, accountability for harm, and move all parties toward a lasting, just peace that protects all human life and ensures long-term security and sustainability in the Middle East