CITY TO HOST ‘PEACEBUILDERS’ EVENT TODAY: CHRISTIANS, JEWS, MUSLIMS TO PAINT BILLBOARD TOUTING ACCEPTANCE, WELCOMING REFUGEES
to Paint 48 ft Highway Billboard on New Haven Green
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WHEN: |
July 10, 2018, 4:00 – 8:00pm Speaking program begins at 5:00pm
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WHERE: |
New Haven Green New Haven, CT |
WHAT:
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A 48’ billboard sign will be painted in the middle of New Haven Green. Participants include over 30 teenagers from the Middle East, Andy Wolf from the Mayor’s office, and members of 8 local churches, synagogues and mosques. The teens and leaders will deliver remarks at 5pm and be available for interviews and photos throughout the event. |
New Haven — The city will host more than 30 teenagers from Israel, Palestine and the U.S. today when they come together to celebrate their mutual respect and tolerance by painting a 48ft billboard sign to hang on I-95 welcoming refugees to the U.S. The group will be joined by Andy Wolf, the Director of Arts and Culture for the City of New Haven, and members of local churches, synagogues and mosques.
The teens are participants in the Jerusalem Peacebuilders’ residential peace program, an initiative that brings together visiting Israeli, Palestinian, and American youth ages 15-16 for nine days to study their own faith traditions, explore each other’s diverse backgrounds, and develop peacebuilding skills that will help in the long-term resolution of conflict in their homeland. While in New Haven, the group will be volunteering at Integrated Refugee and Immigration Services (IRIS), the leading refugee resettlement agency.
The sign they will be painting was designed by artist Russell Rainbolt and inspired by a photo from the NY Times’ 2016 Pulitzer Prize winning body of work illustrating the migrant and refugee experience. The original photo, taken by NYT photographer, Tyler Hicks, captured a young Turkish boy arriving on the Greek island of Lesbos in October 2015.
Speakers will include:
- Andy Wolf, Director of Arts and Culture, City of New Haven
- Reverend Nicholas Porter, Executive Director of Jerusalem Peacebuilders
- Three youth participants:
Shada Bishara – Palestinian Christian
Eliran Ben Yair – Israeli Jew
Bara’a Abu Ras – Palestinian Muslim
For media inquiries or interview requests contact Loren@DealyMahlerStrategies.com or call (703) 201-1692
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