IPMN’s 2024 Annual Meeting Recap
From Thursday, March 21 through Saturday, March 23, 2024 approximately 40 IPMN members joined us in Decatur, Georgia, alongside 20 or so virtual attendees for our Annual Meeting Palestine in Focus: Shedding Light on the Unseen. We began our time together with a reception on Thursday evening to celebrate IPMNs 20th anniversary. It was wonderful to hear from some IPMN longtimers—Fahed AbuAkel, Sue Dravis, and Don Wagner about the history of our organization and how much it has impacted their journeys through life. We were also able to hear from our Hosanna Preaching Project co-chairs, Addie and Dee, about the workshop held the day before. Make sure to read the full Hosanna report for the details of the event and ways in which you can support this ongoing work.
On Friday morning we were privileged to hear from our first keynote speaker, Adam Horowitz, an executive editor at Mondoweiss. He spoke about his work as it relates to truth-telling surrounding the topic of Palestine. He highlighted that some people feel more comfortable with Palestinians as victims than agents of their own destiny. If we truly want to be in solidarity with Palestinians we need to understand how to partner for their self-determination. Howowitz also reminded us, this work of solidarity is “a movement so it keeps moving. The victories are signposts and need to be celebrated, but are not the end.”
Next we moved into hearing remarks from some of the members of the February solidarity trip to Palestine. We listened to their witness as they stood beside Palestinians while their homes and lands were being destroyed. We heard their experience of speaking truth to power during meetings at the Israeli Embassy. We learned from the words of our Palestinian siblings—telling us that our donations and statements are appreciated, but what is needed now is movement in US foreign policy. Our mission partner, Doug Dicks, greeted us from Bethlehem speaking honestly about the reality of daily existence on the ground. In his update on October 18, 2023, Dicks explained that the “prayer list is long.” Now, in March 2024, the list is even longer and the need for an immediate ceasefire and a permanent end to the settler colonial occupation of Israel on Palestinian lands is more dire. We were also reminded of the need to keep hope alive and to tirelessly work alongside Palestinians for an end to the ongoing Nakba.
After a wonderful lunch from a local Palestinian restaurant, we spent the afternoon brainstorming together where to go next. What are the next steps that IPMN can take to live into our mission to continue to speak to the church and bring about actual change? The generative spirit of this time together, brought out many ideas for us to champion in the days, weeks, months, and years to come. Next we had a chance to hear from several of our long-time members reflecting on their time with IPMN and the importance of the work we have done over the last 20 years. It is often easy to feel like the work we have done is insignificant in comparison to the enormity of the problem, yet in these reflections we had an opportunity to remember just how much work IPMN has done and the real and tangible changes that have come from this important work. Finally, after a break for dinner, we ended the day with a screening and discussion of the documentary film, The Great Book Robbery by Benny Brunner.
Saturday morning greeted us with powerful words from our second keynote speaker, Rep. Ruwa Romman, Georgia State Representative for House District 97. Her impactful testimony centered on her story as a granddaughter of Palestinian refugees and the ways we can better engage in local and federal politics in order to make meaningful impacts. She offered a window into the Georgia political system and urged us to learn how it works and then use it, a practice which looks a lot like patient persistence or the sumud (steadfastness) of our Palestinian partners. Ruwa also shared from her recent trip to Palestine and Israel, remarking, “Do not gaslight yourself and pretend it’s not real.” Do not return home and be silent. We must come and see and go and tell.
Our official meeting time ended with a closing worship service, giving us a moment to sit and experience how our justice work with Palestinians must meet our liturgical practices.
This year’s annual meeting was met with an “email bombing” campaign demanding that our hosts, Columbia Theological Seminary (CTS), cancel the event. We are grateful to our Presbyterian family at CTS for standing firm against the immense amount of backlash and creating a safe environment for our membership to gather in person. Thank you so much for being with us, either in the Zoom room or in the physical room.
Plans are underway for a virtual gathering in November 2024 with our next in-person event scheduled for November of 2025!
Until then, and until liberation, your 2024 Annual Meeting co-chairs,
Dee & Katie