Peace Bus Stops at CRC Office

The colorfully painted "Wheels of Justice" touring bus made a stop this week at the Grand Rapids, Mich., office of the Christian Reformed Church, bringing peace activists who spoke about the plight of Iraqi refugees and the life of the Palestinians under Israeli rule.

Among those riding the bus were Dan Pearson, 27, who spent three months in Syria in 2006 getting a first-hand look at the issues facing Iraqi refugees. The other was Bill McGrath, a journalist from Minnesota who lived and studied and worked for a month last year on the West Bank.

The bus, with a large white dove of peace and "War is Not the Answer" painted on the outside, sat in the parking lot while tour members went inside and gave presentations during the lunch hour.

"It is our job is to bring eyewitness accounts of war … as a way to provoke a little discussion," said Pearson at the start of his presentation. "It is important to hear the testimony of people who have experience on the ground."

The event was sponsored by the CRC's Office of Social Justice (OSJ) to offer additional information and perspective on issues in the Middle East. The OSJ helped to coordinate a trip for several people in the CRC to visit and speak with a range of Palestinians last year. A report on their findings is available at http://www.crcna.org/pages/middleeast.cfm

Meghan Kraley, communications coordinator for the Office of Social Justice, said, "These are folks with first-hand experience on subjects that affect us profoundly. They come with experiences and observations rarely mentioned in our news media."

Participants in the Wheels of Justice Tour often ride for a week or two at a time and talk about their experiences in Iraq or Palestine. U.S. soldiers who have served in Iraq have been part of the tour.

Pearson spent time with Iraqi refugees in Syria who were violently uprooted from their homes and forced to live in temporary shelters. He heard stories of families begging for food on the streets.

Currently, there are between 1.5 and 2 million Iraqi refugees in Syria, he said. Many of these refugees long to return home, but believe it isn't safe to do so. "The situation is pretty bleak for many of these people.”

The United States has boosted the number of Iraqi refugees being allowed into the country. Between 2003 and 2007 only about 600 Iraqi refugees got clearance to come to the U.S. This year more than 12,000 will come, with a goal of 17,000 for next year, said Pearson. Many of the refugees are Christians, due to widespread persecution of Christians in Iraq, he said.

Pearson is Co-Coordinator of Voices for Creative Nonviolence and works with the Catholic Worker Community in Chicago.

The Wheels of Justice Tour bus, driven by Bill Hill, a bearded Vietnam War veteran,  has been moving slowly across the United States for several years, bringing education, outreach training and network building. Participants have spoken at over 3,000 venues in 48 states during the past four years.  About half of their appearances have been at schools, colleges, and universities.

The current tour began in Chicago and will travel through Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Vermont, and New Hampshire. 

In his presentation, McGrath, 56, offered a low-key travelogue about the month he stayed with a Palestinian family near the town of Bethlehem on the West Bank. During his time there, he studied the language, traveled and worked at a Palestinian newspaper, editing stories.

"I walked along many of the narrow streets where Jesus Christ probably walked," he said.

"I am no expert on the Middle East. I'm only an expert on the 28 days I spent on the West Bank," he said. What he saw, he said, were communities impacted by violence and yet he also spent pleasant nights talking to Palestinians on the front porches of their homes.

"I tend to think the Palestinians are being treated very badly on their own land, but there are many Israelis who are trying to help," McGrath said.