Elevate women's voices through

And Still We Rise (ASWR)

And Still We Rise (ASWR) is a women’s empowerment initiative at CMEP that creates a safe space for women to build community, invite transformation, and take action.

What is And Still We Rise?

And Still We Rise is a women’s empowerment program at Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) that creates a safe space for women to build community, invite transformation, and take action. Christians of all backgrounds from the Holy Land and the international community are invited to come together to participate in this important gathering elevating the voices of women committed to pursuing peace. We anticipate 100-200 people to attend.

The precursor to this event was the Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) 2018 annual advocacy summit held in June 2018 in Washington D.C., with a diverse delegation of women from the Middle East who are involved in peacebuilding. It was titled: And Still We Rise: Transforming US Policy for a Just Middle East.

Following October 7, 2023, the Palestinian community struggled to process pain and trauma. The unprecedented death toll in Gaza has caused a huge amount of suffering in Palestine. And Still We Rise 2024 seeks to help Palestinian women be a part of an international community that shares the pain and seeks to heal by talking about a shared struggle. Through this process, ASWR seeks to elevate Palestinian Christian women leaders, with a particular focus on topics like:

  • Women in society, peacebuilding, and the church
  • Men blessing women and celebrating their gifts 
  • Ecumenical unity among Palestinian Christians
  • Building peace in our homes and communities through trauma healing and the sharing of stories
  • Principles of gender justice in the local context
  • Responding to geopolitical challenges and taking action against injustice 
  • How international community members can advocate and support an end to the occupation of the Palestinian people
  • Acts of solidarity and advocacy that internationals can take to support the Christian community in Palestine
  • Spiritual formation, self-care tools, strategies for addressing trauma, and healing meditations

And Still We Rise videos

Upcoming And Still We Rise Events

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And Still We Rise 2024

Elevating Women Leaders, Promoting Peace
in the Middle East

A Churches for Middle East Peace Summit

Jericho, Palestine | November 15-17, 2024

And Still We Rise 2024 (ASWR 2024) is not a typical conference where attendees will only be listening to influential leaders, instead, participants will be given the opportunity to engage with them and with their fellow attendees. There will be the opportunity and space for women to learn from one another and community leaders through dialogue, cooperative exercises, and story sharing. The ASWR Summit will be very participatory and will create the opportunity to build community and experience transformational growth – both spiritually and through practical tools for peacebuilding and activism. Men will join women for day 1 of the summit, but then have their own program for days 2 and 3.

More Background on ASWR 2024:

ASWR 2024  aims to elevate Middle Eastern women who work to promote peace in Israel/Palestine and the broader Middle East, showing how they engage God and their faith in their lives and activism. This year, ASWR will host various events that bring together women leaders from Palestine with their counterparts from the United States and other international contexts in an opportunity for mutual growth, community building, discipleship, and action. Presummit events include webinars, podcasts, and in-person workshops, and will ultimately lead to the ASWR Summit in the city of Jericho from 15 to 17 November 2024. For more information, check out our ‘Introducing ASWR 2024’ webinar from the Fall of 2023.

What are we trying to accomplish with ASWR 2024?

ASWR2024 seeks to elevate the voices, contributions, and leadership of women peacemakers who are considered change-makers in the Middle East. This year, ASWR is promoting resilience and alleviating injustice in the Palestinian community by enhancing the leadership of women in ministry and equipping them to lead local peacebuilding initiatives through their religious institutions that will benefit the broader community. Specifically speaking, ASWR aims to:

  1. Create a safe and open space for Palestinian women to share both their experiences and their expertise related to religion and spirituality, peacebuilding, cultural norms, and more on their own terms.
  2. Educate international participants on human rights concerns happening in Palestine as a result of ongoing occupation.
  3. Empower women to be changemakers and peacebuilders at all levels– from their homes, to their churches and communities, to the world.
  4. Provide a safe space for Palestinian women to share their experiences and expertise.
  5. Change discriminatory laws, non-humanitarian actions, and legislation.
  6. Build on the groundwork laid by our 2018 ASWR Summit in DC to bolster CMEP’s ongoing commitment to elevating women’s voices in peacebuilding work
  7. Foster camaraderie and dialogue between Palestinian and American/international women by providing a space where the relationships built and connections made can last beyond just the three days of the summit.
And Still We Rise Podcast

Uniting Women for Change

This six-episode podcast series is produced by Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP). Co-hosts Destiny Magnett and Tamar Haddad engage American and Palestinian women from diverse age groups and backgrounds in candid conversations, with special attention to current events unfolding since October 7th. Each episode explores the multifaceted perspectives and firsthand experiences of these remarkable women as they shed light on the Palestinian struggle and international solidarity. This podcast is your gateway to understanding, unity, religious coexistence, and the potential for holistic peace in the Middle East from the perspective of the Palestinian solidarity movement.

And Still We Rise

Leadership Team

ASWR Leadership Team – Local to the Middle East

Shireen Awad

Director of Bethlehem Bible College Community & Development Outreach

Maria Wålsten

Regional Representative for Act Church of Sweden

Nisreen Mansour

Project Manager at Bethlehem University

Rania Murra

Arab Educational Institute Director

Amira Hilal​

Friends of Bethlehem's Children Psychomotor Activator

Eilda Zaghmout

Co-founder of Beit Ashams

Rulla Sarras

PhD Candidate - Manouba University

ASWR Leadership Team – International

Liz Walker

Founding Director of Can We Talk Network

Sandra Maria Van Opstal

Executive Director of Chasing Justice

Susan Shadid

Advocate, Educator and Strategic Planner

ASWR CMEP Staff Participating

Rev. Dr. Mae Elise Cannon

Executive Director

Hannah Hutton

Middle East and Events Coordinator

Destiny Magnett

Programs and Outreach Manager

Kyle Cristofalo

Senior Director of Advocacy & Government Relations | Special Advisor to the Executive Director

Dr. Benjamin Norquist

Director of Academics and Grants