Gaza Ceasefire Pilgrimage - Kingston, ON

We are a group of Christians in Kingston, ON, participating in a Gaza Ceasefire Pilgrimage on March 9. The Gaza Ceasefire Pilgrimage is a network of autonomous Christians groups with shared convictions who are engaging in a prayerful show of solidarity in cities around the world, where people during Lent will walk the length of the Gaza strip.

The 3 fundraising priorities of the Gaza Ceasefire Pilgrimage are:

1. Relief - Humanitarian relief in the form of food, water, medical supplies etc.

2. Refugees - Supporting those who are seeking safety.

3. Arrival of Relief and Refuge - Groups working to make sure the relief is arriving to those in need and refuge is being provided to those seeking safety.

The funds raised on GoFundMe for Kingston's Gaza Ceasefire Pilgrimage will be directly donated to Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP), an American organization working to mobilize Christians to embrace a holistic perspective and to be advocates of equality, human rights, security, and justice for Israelis, Palestinians, and all people of the Middle East.

Funds raised will be distributed by CMEP equally in the following 3 categories:

1. The first third of funding will go towards humanitarian relief efforts in the Gaza Strip, including food, water, medical supplies, and shelter. These funds will, in part, be distributed by CMEP’s board denominations working on the ground in Gaza to Catholic Relief Services (CRS), the Al-Ahli Arab Hospital, American Friends Service Committee (AFSC), and the American Friends of the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem (AFEDJ) which have long-standing presences there. Other funds will be allocated to trusted humanitarian organizations working in Gaza, as recommended by partners, colleagues, and board denominations.

2. The second third of funding will support efforts for Palestinian refugees seeking safety in the United States and Canada with little or no government support. These funds will be distributed with the help of our 30+ board denominations and organizations that are active across both countries.

3. Finally, the last third of the funds raised will support CMEP’s church-based educational programming and advocacy efforts in the U.S. and Canada. Some examples of these efforts include meetings with communities across the U.S. to discuss the war and its consequences; D.C.-based advocacy with congressional offices, State Department officials, and the White House; and the development of educational resources and briefings used by CMEP’s constituents around the world. CMEP’s mobilization efforts include gatherings like previous White House prayer vigils calling for a ceasefire and ending all violence. All of our work is done in close consultation with our partners on the ground in the Holy Land.

Our prayer is that this Lent as we meditate on the life and passion of Jesus, we might deepen our solidarity with what our Palestinian sisters and brothers are experiencing daily. We are committed to taking seriously the body of Christ in Palestine’s costly testimony to the truth of what is happening. Like Israeli human rights organisations and Jewish peace groups, we too want to accurately name what Palestinians are undergoing as fitting the legal definition of apartheid and military occupation. We heed the wisdom of experts who overwhelmingly identify genocidal intent in the ongoing war against Gaza and we are committed to its prevention. As Jesus teaches, we are seeking to “simply let our yes mean yes” and speak plainly the truth. We do so following the lead of so many Palestinians, including Palestinian Christians who have been on the forefront of the nonviolent movement, in calling for an enduring ceasefire and an end to occupation so a healing peace can finally begin.