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The CRS Fair Trade Program creates opportunities for you to bring the values of our faith to bear in the marketplace through your purchase of Fair Trade handcrafts, coffee and chocolate and your contributions to the Fair Trade Fund.

Is Peace in the Middle East Possible?

That’s a question that many at CRS have been asking this fall and into the season of Advent. A recent story in Philadelphia’s Catholic Standard and Times featured reflections from travelers who toured Jerusalem and the West bank visiting with Christian, Jewish and Muslim leaders and CRS partners who are working to alleviate the humanitarian crisis and build peace. They returned to the United States ready to support the efforts of the Catholic Campaign for Peace in the Holy Land.

Here in the Fair Trade program, we want to do our part by reminding you that purchases from the Holy Land help provide vital income for artisans struggling with restricted access to local and international markets.

holy family olive wood

A Mosaic Nativity, for example, comes from Shepherd’s Field, a group of 19 Palestinian artisans near Bethlehem. The decrease in tourism to the Christian holy sites has had a disastrous impact on the income of the carvers who work for Shepherd’s Field. Through Work of Human Hands, these carvers earn income crucial to the survival of their families.

Sindyanna of Galilee is a nonprofit organization run by Jewish and Arab women who work together to improve the incomes of Arab olive growers in Galilee. Olive cultivation provides crucial income for Palestinian farmers. However, without equal access to modern irrigation equipment and access to international markets, profits remain low. Through Sindyanna, hundreds of small farmers can get their olive oil, olive soap, honey and other products to market at a fair price.

Holy Land Handicrafts represents artisans working in the Palestinian territories on the West Bank of the Jordan River. The tradition of producing handmade olivewood and religious artifacts was introduced to the area in the 17th century by Franciscan monks.

To learn more about the daily life of Holy Land residents like these, please visit the Travelogue of CRS staff. Thank you for making part of your Advent preparations a time for acting on behalf of those residents.

This entry was posted on Thursday, December 13th, 2007 and is filed under Beyond Fair Trade, Fair Trade, crafts . You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

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One Response to “Is Peace in the Middle East Possible?”

  1. Hedley Says:
    December 13th, 2007 at 2:45 pm

    This issue is one of those many issues you don’t talk about at the Holiday dinner table. Politics and religion: Peace in the Holy Land has it all and a whole lot more!

    Yet not talking about it is not resolving the conflict. The United States has a huge role to play and when I say the US I mean us, everyday people. More than being pro-Israeli or pro-Palestinian we are pro-Peace. So let’s start talking more about how we are going to enable peace in the Middle East.

    Thanks for the post Jackie.

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