Rana Atie
Executive Director
Canadian Friends of Sabeel
Office
7565 Newman Blvd.
P.O. BOX 3067
Montreal, QC H8N 3H2
Tel: (+1) 416 846 6344
Email: info@friendsofsabeel.ca
Website: https://friendsofsabeel.ca/
Canadian Friends of Sabeel formed in 1998 when participants at an ecumenical conference in Ottawa on “Justice and Peace in the Holy Land” decided to undertake a formal partnership with Sabeel Jerusalem. We began as a chapter of Friends of Sabeel North America (FOSNA) but soon developed as our own Canadian organization.
Our vision is to work non-violently for a just and durable peace for Palestinians and Israelis, and support the struggle for equality, justice, freedom, and human rights of Palestinians living under the illegal Israeli military occupation.
Highlights of our activities:
- We collaborate with a total of 18 nation-wide partner church denominations, faith-based organizations, and other partner groups.
- We organize, host, and promote speaking tours throughout Canada of Sabeel leaders and other leaders from Palestine.
- We organize theatre, film, video, photography, and other educational resources, and provide prayer and other worship resources on our website.
- For example, we worked with Sabeel to issue a 50th-anniversary commemorative photo exhibit of al-Nakba, and to present it at many venues Canada-wide. CFOS worked with Sabeel to develop the renewed 60th edition and then the 65th, digitizing it as a free download now available at https://friendsofsabeel/resources/#Exhibit.ca/
- We raise funds for humanitarian assistance projects in Gaza, before and since October 7, 2023.
- We advocate to the Canadian government to adopt policies and measures in support of a just peace in Palestine/Israel. Since the genocide on Gaza, our advocacy has urged Canada to call for a ceasefire, to recognize the State of Palestine, to implement a two-way arms embargo on Israel, and to suspend diplomatic relations with Israel.
- We support campaigns to end the illegal occupation of Palestine, such as BDS (Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions).
- We host the annual James Graff Memorial Lecture, named in honour of James Allen Graff (1931-2005), professor of philosophy at the University of Toronto and passionate advocate for Palestinian rights. Held in-person and on-line, the lectures feature internationally renowned speakers to raise public awareness of the plight of Palestinians living under the illegal Israeli occupation.
- We send Canadians to Palestine to learn directly from Palestinians, especially the Palestinian Christian community.
- In this regard, we developed a set of principles for Canadian church or para-church groups to help them plan and implement itineraries for groups making pilgrimages to the Holy Land. This project is called Authentic Christian Pilgrimage. Its principles were developed in consultation with twenty Palestinian organizations.
- We are grateful for the support and commitment of hard-working volunteers Canada-wide.
Rana Atie, Executive Director
Canadian Friends of Sabeel
Office
7565 Newman Blvd.
P.O. BOX 3067
Montreal, QC H8N 3H2
Email: info@friendsofsabeel.ca
Website: https://friendsofsabeel.ca/