Friends,

The board of the Olympia-Rafah Sister City Project (ORSCP) has applied to the City of Olympia for recognition of formal sister city status between Olympia and Rafah, Palestine. The City Council will make a decision on the matter at the end of February.

We are asking for your help to support this exciting new phase in the relationship between our two communities.

You can help in any of the following ways:

• Add your name to the list of ORSCP supporters. Just send me a note at JohnHarvey@Comcast.net.
• Ask the appropriate civic, religious, and business organizations to which you belong to endorse ORSCP and notify me whenthe endorsement is authorized. Or send the name of your organization and I will contact them.
• Write a short letter of support to the the Olympia City Council citycouncil@ci.olympia.wa.us telling them how great ORSCP is and that you support an official sister city connection with Rafah. Please cc your letter to me. Letters can be short and simple. One paragraph or even one sentence is enough. The important thing is that the city hears from you.
• Visit your friends on the City Council on any Tuesday at 7 p.m. in the Council Chambers, 900 Plum Street, during Public Communications time. (It’s easy!) It only takes a few moments to encourage the council to support Olympia-Rafah official status.

Some of our current supporters are:

• Thurston County League of Women Voters
• Sister Cities International
• Veterans For Peace, Olympia Chapter
• Friends of Sabeel - North America
• Al Bushra, Arab American Roman Catholic Community
• Senator Karen Fraser, Washington State Senate - 22nd Legislative District, Olympia, WA
• Rep. Brendan Williams, Washington State House of Representatives, 22nd Legislative District, Olympia, WA
• Rep. Sam Hunt, Washington State House of Representatives, Olympia, WA
• Rev. John VanEenwyk, PhD., Director, International Trauma Treatment Program. Olympia, WA
• The Rt. Rev. Suheil Dawani, Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem
• The Rev. Canon David James, PhD., Rector, St. John’s Episcopal Church, Olympia, Wa
• The Rev. Msgr. Labib Kobti, PhD., Pastor, St. Thomas More Catholic Church, San Francisco, CA. Member, Order of the Holy Sepulcher. Founder of Al-Bushra.
• The Rev. Arthur Vaeni, Minister, Olympia Unitarian Universalist Congregation, Olympia, WA
• The Rev. Canon Richard Toll, Director, Friends of Sabeel-North America, OR
• Cindy and Craig Corrie, The Rachel Corrie Foundation for Peace and Justice, Olympia, WA
• David Hyde, Professor of Sociology, South Puget Sound Community College, Olympia, WA

Thank you for you support. It has been our great pleasure to work with the community and we look forward to representing the city of Olympia as an official sister city.

On behalf of the the ORS Board of Directors,

John Harvey

About ORSCP: This sister city project that binds Olympia and Rafah was envisioned by local peace activist and friend, Rachel Corrie (1979-2003). The mission of this Sister City is “to actively promote and foster friendships between the people of Olympia, Washington, and Rafah, Palestine, for the purpose of strengthening cross-cultural awareness and understanding, international cooperation, justice, and peace.

Following in Rachel’s footsteps, we are continuing our work with the people of Rafah to create lasting friendships across borders and bridge cultural gaps through popular education, advocacy, communication, and community exchange. These friendships help us to educate ourselves, increase awareness, and demonstrate solidarity in a common struggle for a just and prompt peace in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. For more information, click here.

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