FNJP PROGRAM ON MIDDLE EAST SUNDAY; LIVESTREAM LINK HERE

The Freeman Network for Justice and Peace (FNJP) is hosting the first of what will be a series of programs offering a closer look at the ongoing Hamas-Israeli conflict Sunday afternoon, April 7 at the Freeman Community Center auditorium located at 224 S. Wipf Street in Freeman.

The program will run from 2 to 4 p.m. and will include refreshments; it will also be livestreamed with a link here.

The series that will be presented monthly through the summer — “Challenging the Myth of the Israel-Palestine Narrative: A Community Conversation” — is designed to provide background and context as it relates to the longstanding conflict in the Middle East that isn’t typically shared through traditional media.

“Our main objective is to educate and create dialogue,” said Shakil Hafiz, a member of the Freeman Network for Justice and Peace who lives with his family in Freeman. “We just want people to gain a better understanding of what has led to this conflict, and to talk about it.”

The April 7 program will focus on a historical overview of the Middle East and how each of the Abrahamic faiths relate to that region. Those attending will hear from three speakers each representing different faith perspectives: Jen Dreikse of Sioux Falls on behalf of the Jewish tradition, S. Roy Kaufman of Freeman on behalf of the Christian tradition and John Landis of Sioux Falls on behalf of the Muslim tradition.

More information about the sessions that will follow the April 7 program will be shared in a timely fashion.

The FNJP is a local organization that focuses on a national and international understanding through education, perspective and dialogue in the name of non-violent resolution.