Rifat Odeh Kassis

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Rifat Odeh Kassis (Arabic: رفعت عودة قسيس‎) is a Palestinian Christian was born in Beit Sahour, in the West Bank. An active human rights and political and community activist. He is an author and speaker. He was arrested and imprisoned several times by Israel.

In 1991 he founded the Palestinian section of the international child rights organization,[1] Defence for Children International (DCI) and in 2005 he was elected President of the international movement. In October 2008, during the International General Assembly meeting, held in Brussels, he was reelected President for another term. In October 2008 he became the General Director for DCI Palestine section and in 2013 he was appointed by the DCI International Executive Council as the General Commissioner for Middle East and North Africa.

In 1993, his profile appeared in a "Who is Who" book called Palestinians in Profile- A guide to Leading Palestinians in the oPt. Edited by Neil Patrick and published by Panorama in 1993.

In 1995 he helped to establish a rehabilitation programme in Chechnya targeting Chechen children who have been injured and traumatized in the war.

In 1996 he left Palestine to work in Central Asia for several years, helping to develop the NGO sector there.[2]

In September 2000 he came back to Palestine to become the Executive Director of the East Jerusalem YMCA. As a response to the second Intifada he founded the "Keep Hope Alive Campaign" and founded and run the YMCA/YWCA Joint Advocacy Desk.

In 2003, he co founded the Occupied Palestine and Syrian Golan Heights Advocacy Initiative (OPGAI), a network works on contributing to establishing a social movement and advocating on ending the Israeli occupation of Palestine and the Syrian Golan heights.

In 2004 he co founded the Palestinian National Coalition for Christian Organizations in Palestine (PNCCO), a network from several Christian related organizations works on enhancing the unity between these organizations and giving a national voice to the Palestinian Christians in their struggle on ending the Israeli occupation to their land.

In 2005 he joined the World Council of Churches (WCC) in Geneva to run the Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine and Israel (EAPPI). From September 2007 till October 2008 he was appointed as the Special Adviser to the General Secretary of the World Council of Churches on the Middle East, .

From September 2007 to October 2008 he was a Consultant at Dar Annadwa, the International Center of Bethlehem (ICB).

In March 2008 together with others he established “Badayl/Alternatives” an international consulting agency.

In 1995 he co founded the Alternative Tourism Group (ATG), a Palestinian NGO specializing in tours and pilgrimages. It was established by five people from Beit Sahour, late Jamal Salameh, Ghassan Andoni (executive director), Dr. Majed Nassar, Dr. Elias Rishmawi and Rifat Odeh Kassis (President).

He was a member of ICCO International Advisory Group, the Netherlands from 2002 till 2009. He was also member of the Advisory Group of Dan Church Aid- Denmark from 2000 till 2008. ICCO and Dan Church Aid are European ecumenical donor agencies.

In January 2008 he became a Member of the Board of Directors of Alternative Information Center, (AIC).

In April 2008 he was asked to join Peace for Life (PfL) as a member of its working group, in Manila the Philippines. PfL is an international faith based coalition fighting injustice in many countries in the World.

In June 2008 he was selected as a member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Agenda Council on the Welfare of Children, Switzerland.

He is a co-author and the general coordinator of Kairos Palestine which is the Christian Palestinians’ word to the world about what is happening in Palestine.

He is the author of several articles, study papers and researches. He spoke in many national and international conferences.

In 2006 he published his first book, Palestine: A Bleeding Wound in the World’s Conscience.

In 2011, he published his second book, "Kairos for Palestine".

He contributed to several other published books among them:

In English:

1. From Communal Strife to Global Struggle- Justice for the Palestinian People. Published by AIC in 2004

2. Bapylon will fall: Empire and Kingdom of God-Challenges to Christian Mission. Published by Seminaro Evangelico Teolgia, Matanzas, Cuba in 2006

3. Christian Community, facts, figures and trends. 2008, published together with Mitri Raheb, Rania Alqas and Rifat Kassis.

4. A History of Child Rights in Action. Published by DCI, Geneva in 2009

5. United in Struggle against Israeli Colonalization, Occupation and Racism. Published by AIC in 2009

6. Kairos for Global Justice forwarded by Patrirach Michel Sabah. Published by Kairos Palestine in 2012

7. Colonial Democracy. Published by AIC in 2012

8. Generation Palestine- Voices from the Boycott, Divestement and Sanctions Movement.Edited by Rich Wiles and forwarded by Archbiship Desmond Tutu. Published by Pluto Press London in 2013

9. Theology of Tourism Published by the Senate of Serampore university in India in 2013

In Arabic: 1. Arab Spring and Christians of the Orient. Published by DIYAR in 2012

In Dutch: 1. Liber Amicorum- Kinderrechten Beginnen Thuis. Publiched by DCI/Netherlands in 2007

In Danish: 1. Kirker I Mellemosten-Arbog 2003-2004. Published by Det Mellemkirkelige Rad, Copenhaven in 2004

See also

Kairos Palestine A Moment of Truth www.kairospalestine.ps

This document is the Christian Palestinians’ word to the world about what is happening in Palestine. It is written at this time when we wanted to see the Glory of the grace of God in this land and in the sufferings of its people. In this spirit the document requests the international community to stand by the Palestinian people who have faced oppression, displacement, suffering and clear apartheid for more than six decades. The suffering continues while the international community silently looks on at the occupying State, Israel. Our word is a cry of hope, with love, prayer and faith in God. We address it first of all to ourselves and then to all the churches and Christians in the world, asking them to stand against injustice and apartheid, urging them to work for a just peace in our region, calling on them to revisit theologies that justify crimes perpetrated against our people and the dispossession of the land.

In this historic document, we Palestinian Christians declare that the military occupation of our land is a sin against God and humanity, and that any theology that legitimizes the occupation is far from Christian teachings because true Christian theology is a theology of love and solidarity with the oppressed, a call to justice and equality among peoples.

This document did not come about spontaneously, and it is not the result of a coincidence. It is not a theoretical theological study or a policy paper, but is rather a document of faith and work. Its importance stems from the sincere expression of the concerns of the people and their view of this moment in history we are living through. It seeks to be prophetic in addressing things as they are without equivocation and with boldness, in addition it puts forward ending the Israeli occupation of Palestinian land and all forms of discrimination as the solution that will lead to a just and lasting peace. The document also demands that all peoples, political leaders and decision-makers put pressure on Israel and take legal measures in order to oblige its government to put an end to its oppression and disregard for the international law. The document also holds a clear position that non-violent resistance to this injustice is a right and duty for all Palestinians including Christians.

The initiators of this document have been working on it for more than a year, in prayer and discussion, guided by their faith in God and their love for their people, accepting advice from many friends: Palestinians, Arabs and those from the wider international community. We are grateful to our friends for their solidarity with us.

References

  1. ↑ http://www.dci-pal.org/english/display.cfm?DocId=289&CategoryId=9/
  2. ↑ http://www.dcca.elcat.kg/eng/news/news.htm

    External links

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