Friends of Tent of Nations

The Austin Stone Community Church, in Austin, Texas, sent a film crew to the Tent of Nations/Nassar family farm during the June 2011 Summer Youth Camp. In this 23-minute film, Daoud Nassar talks about his faith as a Christian and follower of Jesus, and how the family's vision lead to the creation of the Tent of Nations Project. Daoud also talks about the family's responses to the evils of the occupation, and how their faith, like all faiths, teach the concept of "Refusing to be enemies."

Love Your Enemies from The Austin Stone on Vimeo.

Dear Friends – Here is a note from us at FOTONNA about the loss of a man we knew and respected and loved. He will also be sorely missed by the larger world community of people who seek peace with justice. In addition, we are including the statement sent out by Interfaith Peace-Builders as they grapple with their own sorrow.

Scott Kennedy died unexpectedly on Saturday, November 19, 2011. He was a mentor and teacher to us at FOTONNA, and he served as a member of our Advisory Council. He was a big part of the reason that several of us on the Steering Committee ever got involved in the search for justice and peace for the Nassar Farm, the Tent of Nations, and the Holy Land itself. Scott was a personal friend to several of us, though we suspect that hundreds of people feel that same way. He had a way of speaking the truth, not just to power, but to all of us, that was incredibly liberating. At the same time, he made us laugh and inspired us to work for justice at times when we might have been discouraged with the thought that justice could never be attained.

We feel a sense of terrible loss. We are also tremendously grateful to have had him as a friend.

Peace to you, Scott, and thank you for all the inspiration you passed on to us and dedication to justice you modeled so fully with your life.

FOTONNA STEERING COMMITTEE

IFPB Statement:

We write today with sad news. Scott Kennedy, chair of the IFPB board of directors, trip leader for many of you, and friend to us all, has passed away. Scott died Saturday in his sleep in Santa Cruz, CA, just one week after co-leading the latest Interfaith Peace-Builders Olive Harvest Delegation.

With the shock and hurt of the news still fresh, we all mourn and wish peace for his family. To say that Scott had an enormous impact on Interfaith Peace-Builders would be an understatement. Our work of sending delegations (39 since 2001) was rooted in delegation work that he pioneered, starting with a trip that Scott and Allan Solomonow led in 1975. Since that time, Scott's work with the Resource Center for Nonviolence, the Fellowship of Reconciliation, and Middle East Witness all contributed significantly to the program that we know as Interfaith Peace-Builders today. Scott has been a tireless advocate, a dedicated trip leader, an active and engaged board member, and a joy to learn from and work with.

His work with IFPB was but one of his many projects which spread from Santa Cruz, the city he loved unconditionally, to Israel/Palestine, whose nonviolent leaders he supported at all costs. He dedicated his life to helping others, to seeking justice, and to spreading the power of active nonviolence.

When Scott received the El-Hibri Peace Education Prize in 2008, IFPB Senior Fellow Joe Groves wrote a tribute to Scott. We include it here:

"I have worked with Scott Kennedy on Middle East peace education for twenty years in many varied venues. What fun! Even though we live on opposite coasts, our collaboration has been consistent, from forming Middle East Witness to take delegations to Israel/Palestine, to working together on FOR's Middle East Task Force, to collaborating on FOR's Interfaith Peace-Builders Program, to creating an independent Interfaith Peace-Builders organization. That's one of Scott's defining features-creating anew by building on strong and deep relationships. Programs can come and go-it's the people who are crucial. A second defining feature is that Scott makes the work fun, in a deep, complex way that far exceeds laughter (although there is plenty of that). It's fun stemming from creativity, imagination, stimulating conversation, immense energy, and profound commitment to the work of Middle East peace. We need all of those qualities to sustain work on Israel/Palestine in the midst of consistently grim and discouraging realities. Someone who brings fun to Middle East work-what more can you ask! And what better way to lead in peace education. "

If you'd like, you may also watch this online video where Scott describes some of his work with IFPB. [ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rTq0HlimLjA&feature=related ]

At this point we don't have any details about service or condolences. We expect that some of you may want to send thoughts and prayers to the family. We invite you to send any condolence letters (letters only, please) to IFPB (IFPB, 1326 9th St., NW, Washington DC 20001) and we'll bundle them together with other notes from others who he touched through his work with IFPB.

More information on Scott is provided in these online tributes and obituaries:

Scott will be very sorely missed. And we feel the utmost gratitude to have known, worked, and laughed with him.

In Peace,

Joe, Mike, Jake, and Emily, "IFPB Staff"

Ilise, Mark, Doug, Mary Ann, Mara, Gerald, Sandra, Richard, Rami, Allie, Shakeel, Barbara, Hanan, Darryl, and Cathy, "IFPB Board"

Some people come to speak and afterward you tell others what they said. On November 4, 2010, Daoud Nassar came to speak at Immanuel, and I want to tell you who he is.

Beyond what he said, it was his person that we most remember. One from Immanuel said that he felt he was listening to Martin Luther King. A Jewish friend said, “I feel I was in the presence of a prophet.”

Daoud (David) Nassar came to Immanuel from his home six miles SW of Bethlehem. His 100-acre family farm has become over the last ten years the Tent of Nations, a gathering place for pilgrims from around the world exploring what it means to live in peace.

His farm has been under constant threat of annexation by the occupying Israeli state since 1991. They asked him to prove it was his. He had the papers dating to 1916 (many of his neighbors had no such papers and lost control of their land). They required him to have the property resurveyed – several times. He did it at considerable cost. They told him the surveyor was not licensed in Israel. He had it surveyed yet again at tens of thousands of dollars.

His property is not allowed running water or electricity. Tents, a small shed and other minor renovations are under demolition orders. Neighboring settlers (his land is surrounded by five Jewish settlements) have tried to build roads on the eastern and western parts of his land. He has stopped them in the courts.

These and other extraordinary challenges have faced his family for nearly 20 years. The choices his neighbors had - use violence, give up, move away - were all unacceptable to Daoud. Out of his Christian faith (his is the last Christian family living in this particular area of the West Bank), he chose a different path. On a rock at the entrance to his farm in many languages he put a plaque with the words “We refuse to be enemies.”

We saw in Daoud the spirit of a man who refuses to be bitter, to hate, to cling to anger, to divide. We saw a man who finds a way to turn rejection into witness. No running water, they have dug 11 cisterns to collect rain water. No electricity, they were given a generator and installed solar panels. No building permits, they turned caves on his property into meeting places and prayer sites. No friends, they open their lives to people of all faiths, Jews and Christians and Muslims and Hindus and of no faith. Last year more than 4,000 people from around the world came to spend a little or a lot of time there, hosting a youth camp in the summer, creating amazing art work like a mosaic made from the broken tiles of the conflict.

Daoud has drafted a master plan for the peace center he envisions. He hopes for the best and prepares for the worst, when he may be almost completely cut off from the Bethlehem area. He is working to make Tent of Nations self-sufficient.

This personification of peace is a magnet that draws resources and works miracles. Visited one day by the Israeli Army who wanted to examine everything, Daoud said, “We welcome everyone. You can look around, but first we offer you tea.” The conversation softened hearts.

Two people came from the neighboring settlement to make their case. They saw that Daoud had no running water while they had swimming pools. A man from another settlement visited and was led to move out of his home and to join the Israeli peace movement.

On November 4, the Tent of Nations was pitched over our head. It is now our home. Daoud Nassar’s quiet eloquence affected all of us. Our pastor Rachel McGuire said, “I hold him in my heart as a living example of the kind of human being I wish to be.” I pray that his witness will forever change me.

Story behind the Story: Immanuel Baptist Church in Rochester was honored to host Daoud Nassar in Rochester, NY on Thursday, November 4, 2010. We learned of his coming through Elaine Johnson, a dear friend and one of many in the area who have a deep concern for the people of Israel/Palestine. Immanuel Baptist Church actively supports the Baptist Peace Fellowship of North America (BPFNA). Four of our members spent 17 days on a study tour sponsored by BPFNA in Lebanon, Jordan, Palestine and Israel in 2009. Immanuel seemed a good place for Daoud to present his story.

Daoud's appearance put Christ's call to be peacemakers into flesh. We all have a very new approach to our advocacy because of his teaching.

Friends of Tent of Nations North America (FOTONNA) is a non-profit corporation. Our mission is to support the work of other nonprofit organizations in the United States and internationally devoted to the nonviolent resolution of conflict and peaceful coexistence between all faiths and nations. FOTONNA is managed on a volunteer basis by a core group of people in the United States and is governed by a Board of Directors. A growing group of supporters assist with a variety of tasks, including publicity, writing, event organizing, and community outreach. Churches and Interfaith NGOs form an important base of spiritual and financial support.

In pursuit of our mission, we work closely with other non-profits committed to the search for peace. Organizations we have supported in our inaugural year include the following:

Daoud Nassar is a Palestinian farmer living and working in the fertile hill country south of Bethlehem. The Nassar's farm, in the family for four generations, is ringed by Jewish settlements and the encroaching Separation Wall. The family has been offered millions for the land, but they remain steadfast. "This land is our mother," says Daoud. "Our mother is not for sale." Under his leadership, the family has taken the case to establish the family's land rights to the Israeli Supreme Court. To demonstrate their commitment to peace and coexistence, the Nassar family has established "The Tent of Nations" providing arts, drama, and education to the children of the villages and refugee camps of the region. In addition, Daoud and his family have also established a Women's Educational Center offering classes in computer literacy, English, and leadership training. In recognition of the Nassar’s courage and groundbreaking work for peace, we have named our nonprofit “Friends of Tent of Nations” to underscore our commitment to building a bridge between our country and others like the Nassars working for world peace. Learn more about the Nassars at www.tentofnations.org,

Interfaith Peace Builders (IFPB) is a nonprofit organization based in Washington DC that sends delegations of Americans to Israel and Palestine to connect with peace groups and to understand the facts of the conflict first hand. IFPB and FOTONNA enjoy a close relationship: the Nassar farm is a regular feature of the IFPB delegation to Israel-Palestine. In November 2008 FOTONNA co-sponsored an event the San Francisco Bay area with Interfaith Peace Builders featuring Daoud Nassar and several Palestinian and Israeli artists. www.interfaithpeacebuilders.org

FOTONNA maintains close connections with faith communities here and in Israel-Palestine and often co-sponsors events in support of non-profits working for peace in conflict areas. In March 2009 we co-sponsored an event with Trinity Presbyterian Church in Arlington, VA. The event was a presentation by Combatants for Peace, an Israeli-Palestinian organization devoted to reconciliation and a peaceful resolution of the conflict. Combatants for Peace carries out its educational and fundraising work in the United States through the nonprofit Rebuilding Alliance. Learn more about Combatants for Peace at www.rebuildingallliance.org

FOTONNA is committed to working with and supporting the work of other organizations committed to non-violence in the search for a solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict. In early 2009 we co-sponsored an educational and fundraising event with Love Thy Neighbor,. LTN is a Washington DC-based nonprofit organization that provides educational resources and programs to train young people in non-violence as a way of resolving conflict. www.ltneighbor.com

To date, over 300 individuals and families have become members of FOTONNA. Use the contact form to become a member. Your information will not be shared with any organizations or individuals, nor will you be “spammed” with frequent emails! We will send out periodic newsletters and notices of special events such as events and program by partner nonprofits and organizations sponsored by FOTONNA. Use the contact page to join and the donation form to help us in our work.