2023 in pictures
Community Peacemaker Teams was awarded the International Peace Award by the Community of Christ Church and the Shaw Family Foundation on April 22 during the Church’s international conference.
Honoring CPT’s 35 years of peacemaking while presenting the award, the awarding body said, “We do this in recognition of your significant contribution to peacemaking through nonviolent accompaniment with those actively working for human rights and just peace. Your work includes spiritually-centred peacemaking, evidenced by your multifaith relationships and organization. And we recognize that you do all this with a willingness to put yourself in harm’s way.”
The lives of Palestinian martyrs are not just numbers; they had a life before their martyrdom. They strived and fought for a better future. Some were doctors, nurses, or paramedics, dedicated to saving people’s lives. Some were teachers, imparting knowledge to entire generations. Some were parents, the backbone of their families, and siblings supporting one another.
Even as the immediate causes of migration from south to north across the US-Mexican border change, the root causes for why people migrate remain the same. Due to climate change or overworked land, people cannot grow food; and they are hungry. There are very few jobs in an economy run by drug cartels. People are threatened by
government officials, soldiers, police, and criminal organizations—all of whom may be colluding with one another. In recent years, collapsing economies and the violence of armed actors have caused people from all over the world to make their way through Mexico to the southern US border.
Known as the food basket of Iraqi Kurdistan, Penjwen is now also a symbol of nonviolent action. Citizens organized and successfully demanded the Kurdistan Regional Government provide families with enough kerosene and electricity in order to survive this winter’s cold.
Read Protestors in Penjwen secure fuel and electricity needs
20 years ago Judy invited CPT to join Grassy Narrows in resisting logging on their land. 10 years ago, Judy received the Michael Sattler Peace award in Germany. CPT is so excited to be able to celebrate 20 years of relationship and resistance.
CPT Palestine visited one of the families whose large water well was recently demolished by Israeli occupation forces not far from the Kiryat Arba settlement in Hebron.
In occupied Palestine, settlers are entitled to what the owners of the land are not, even the life source of water.
A report released by CPT-Aegean Migrant Solidarity documents the deaths of migrants in Moria’s Reception and Identification Centre between 2016 and 2020 in Lesvos, Greece.
““Deadly End” is a timely reminder of what these policies of containment will inevitably lead to, and an important, thoughtful, and much needed archive to preserve the historical memory of all those whose lives were taken as a result of Europe’s deadly border policies.””
On 4 November, people of faith gathered in prayer at Oak Flat (Chi’chil Biłdagoteel), a sacred site of the Apache people, to pray to save the land from destruction by Resolution Copper and commit to reweaving the sacred hoop of life.
On December 7, in solidarity with the Palestinian people and CPT Palestine, on the Day of Candles in Colombia, CPT Colombia lit candles to express rage against the genocide committed by the Israeli government and to remember the lives that continue to be lost in the occupation of Palestine.
“It is important to keep this light on; it is the hope that prevails in the face of indifference, and it allows us to continue believing and dreaming of the possibility of putting an end to this violence in the world.”
Greece is attempting to restore its reputation after the Pylos tragedy by allowing more migrants to land, but now the horrors of detention centres are increasing.
The entrance to the Kara Tepe Closed Controlled Access Center (CCAC) on the island of Lesvos, Greece.
CPT Colombia celebrates with the community of El Guayabo its recognition of victims of the conflict. On 2 November 2023, the Land Restitution Unit arrived in El Guayabo and its Regional Director Rafael Figueroa apologized for the systemic abandonment of the state and for the enormous injustice of the institutions who did not believe the community when they bore their testimonies as victims.