Skip to Content

EAPPI - What is an Ecumenical Accompanier?

Home » Faith and action » Working for peace » Overseas work » Israel-Palestine » EAPPI - What is an Ecumenical Accompanier?

Ecumenical Accompaniers (EAs) work in small multi-national teams placed in a variety of locations and are linked to local Palestinian and Israeli communities and/or organisations. Recent EA placements include: 

Protection by presence

  • In Yanoun, a very small Palestinian village in the West Bank, EAs have been providing a protective presence since 2003 to villagers who have been suffering severe intimidation and attacks by extreme right-wing Israeli settlers from the nearby settlement Itamar.
  • In Hebron, EAs have been escorting Palestinian school girls of the Cordoba School since 2004. The  school lies between two Israeli settlements which have been established in the heart of this Palestinian town and the girls often suffer threats and attacks by extremist settlers on their way to and from school.
  • In Jayyous, a village in the West Bank where the separation barrier has cut off the best agricultural land and most of the wells from the village, EAs have stood at the barrier's gates to ensure that Jayyous farmers can get to their fields.

 KB -EA Elke Dreier helping lady sort olives Yanoun.jpg

Solidarity

  • EAPPI teams have linked up with local Christians in Nablus, Ramallah and in Bethlehem. They have visited churches, homes and local organisations and have written several published articles about the difficulties experienced by the Palestinian Christian community.
  • Irrespective of where they are located most EAs accompany Israeli peace demonstrations at some time during their service. One EAPPI team is based in Jerusalem and is dedicated primarily to supporting Israeli peace activists. Since 2003, its members have responded to numerous calls by Israeli peace groups to accompany them in Palestinian harvesting in the West Bank, observing checkpoints, the rebuilding of demolished Palestinian houses, peace vigils and demonstrations and to attend the trials of Israeli conscientious objectors in solidarity with them.
  • EAs have been attached to Israeli and Palestinian non-governmental organisations to help them with specific tasks. MP Al Buerie. Hebron Miranda accompanying children to school past settlement and outpost.JPG

Advocacy work

  • While they are in the field EAs write about their experiences in Journal Letters and reports or articles for publication. They also give media interviews.
  • When they return home EAs carry out public speaking engagements.
  • EAs take their experiences and stories to meetings with their Members of Parliament, local church leaders and government officials to influence their policies on this issue.