First Friday - The Justice and Reconciliation Center November 2007 Events

First Friday Hawaii Newsletters News Item
Back \| Current News Newsletters \| News Archive	Powered by MBC NewsMaker

The Justice and Reconciliation Center November 2007 Events

Join Us!

At
The Justice and Reconciliation Center
19 N. Pauahi Street
Honolulu's Chinatown 96817
mrjoy "at" hawaii.rr.com

First Friday, November 2, 2007 "Peace For Sale"

Saturday, November 10, 2007 at 2pm. The Pacific Justice and Reconciliation Center in conjunction with Sabeel Hawaii, presents Claire Anastas. Claire Anastas is a Palestinian civilian living opposite Rachel's Tomb in Bethlehem. She will speak of the horrors of living with the "Wall" surrounding her home. Claire has hand carved Olive wood items for sale.

Saturday, November 17, 2007 at 2pm Meet Lidinila R. Reyes, Attorney, and author of "This LandÉCabatangan" is a commendable attempt to put into perspective the issues -- historical, socio-cultural, political and legal, which are related to the Cabatangan problem. Lidinila R. Reyes talks about the Muslim-Christian conflicts that lighted the flames of war in Mindanao.

Thursday, November 22, 2007 Thanksgiving Day
We, the Pacific Traditions Gallery, at the Pacific Justice and Reconciliation Center, are grateful for your friendship and support throughout the year.

Saturday, November 24, 2007 noon -- Bring the children and string Paper Cranes for Christmas.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Claire Anastas is a Palestinian civilian living opposite Rachel's Tomb in Bethlehem.
"I am a mother of two girls and two boys. We live in this building, surrounded on three sides by a nine-meter Wall; only one side is open, with barely any sun coming through it. While sitting in the kitchen I see three walls. The army is going to build a fourth one, in the middle of their camp. As we live nearby Rachel's Tomb, our house is subject to severe military measures. Our shops -- two for home accessories and another two for car mechanics -- are located below in the building. They are closed-- there is no business. In front of our house used to be the main street to Bethlehem. It was the richest area of Bethlehem here but now it is a small scary place. We are without neighbors; we just live with two families on our own. We are imprisoned; we are buried alive in a tomb.

The little town of Bethlehem has been made even smaller by this concrete barrier. The Israelis built it to protect Jerusalem from suicide bombers, but it has also cut off many Bethlehem farmers from their land and their livelihood.

Forty-one-year-old Claire Anastas, a Christian, has lived in Bethlehem all her life. Now, she sees only gray.

"I feel that we are buried alive. We are not animals. We are human beings," said Claire Anastas.

Mrs. Anastas will sell hand carved Olivewood items from Bethlehem. Come, enjoy, learn, and spend the afternoon with this courage woman.

Lidinila R. Reyes, an Educator, a Management Consultant, and a Lawyer Of Muslim-Chinese-Christian parentage, Atty. Reyes belongs to the affluent Barrios-Macrohon clan of Zamboanga City on the maternal side and the Abubakar-Rasul-Asda clan of Jolo, Sulu on the paternal side who traces their lineage to the Royal Sultanate of Sulu whose proprietary claim over the Federated Malaysian State of Sabah is still the controversial issue in Philippine History.

Her career is as colorful as the 10 years she served as the veritable "Girl Friday" of Rear Admiral Romulo M. Espaldon, Southern Command Commander. She was the first and only civilian woman "lawyer of choice" to litigate criminal cases in Court Martial proceedings before the Department of Defense Military Commission No. 29, Armed Forces of the Philippines. As Executive Assistant and member of the personal staff of the Commander, she saw many exciting days of "rebel surrenders" and "peace talks" on land and on board Flagship "RPS 69" as it traversed the uneasy waters of Sulu and Basilan at the height of the Mindanao conflict. Her membership in the Special Military Staff Support Group during the "Zamboanga Peace Talks" afforded her full exposure to the peace efforts during Martial Law.

Much of Atty. Reyes NGO activities result from her being Founder & Executive Director of the Regional Youth Center Foundation, Region IX's arm in Youth Leadership & Community Involvement which was highlighted in 1990 by the establishment of a CAD-CAE Advanced Computer Training School in a joint venture with Advanced Technologies & Solutions (ATS) of Singapore, and the sponsorship of "Miss Philippines for 'Miss-Asia London' 1989" International Beauty, Culture & Trade Pageant, which proceeds went to the RYCF support projects for the care, training and development of abandoned, orphaned and mentally-retarded children in Zamboanga City.

Atty. Reyes' stint as Founding Chairman of Habitat for Humanity Affiliate in Zamboanga City saw the active participation of RYCF student volunteers in the building of the "New Hope" homes at Mampang CDCP resettlement project of the City Government, the first Muslim "Habitat" village in the world for which Atty. Reyes was awarded the "Top of the Year 2001" Award for Human Concerns for advocacy in the concept of "Shelter for the Homeless".

Back | Current News
Newsletters | News Archive