FESTIVAL OF FREEDOM AT THE FORKS

Lead Singing of Shalom Chaverim:
Shalom Chaverim, Shalom Chaverim, Shalom Shalom. "Peace My Friends, Peace My Friends. Peace, Peace."
L' hitra 'ot. Le hitra 'ot. Shalom, Shalom. "Till We Meet Again, Till We Meet Again. Peace, Peace"

The Jewish term Tikkun Olam, means "to do work that repairs the planet." This means that we as Jews cannot permit the hurtful actions of those in the Israeli government who wish to expel Palestinians from their homeland or who justify torture of Palestinian prisoners. Our work as Jews here and in Israel-Palestine is to join with, and in support of the non-violent Palestinian movement. So that we seek to make a free and mutual peace between the two families of Abraham.

As peace activist Rabbi Arthur Waskow suggests, "Now we are beginning to see that we must join prayer to activism, must create non-military means that draw on our own deepest wisdom, toward peace" and Ta'ayush (Arabic for co-existence). (Tikkun - Sept/Oct '98)

Additionally, Rabbi Gershon Winkler who runs wilderness spirituality retreats led by Jewish and Native American teachers in New Mexico and Colorado, reminds us, as we do our work to repair the planet.

He says, "Healing the planet, I feel, cannot happen by becoming overly anxious and paranoid about global warming and global this and global that and all that doomsday stuff. That will not heal the planet. The planet is alive and as such she needs as much joyfulness and celebration for her healing, as any of us. We need to spend more time celebrating her than we do lamenting her. Our old testament story is about how the whole earth went to pot but all it took was one family's faith in life and in the world, to resurrect her. It was Noah and Na'amah and their kin. It took nothing else. This is what we need to get back to today-each of us needs to become Noahides and reconstruct our arks, our faith in the preciousness of existence, and to celebrate it." (Tikkun - Nov/Dec '98)

To do our work for social justice, and peace from a place of joy, trust, hope, and committment. That is what we are doing here today.

MISSION STATEMENT OF THE FESTIVAL OF FREEDOM AT THE FORKS,
GRAND FORKS, BC, JULY 25 - 27, 2003

"Perhaps as never before in our history, we the people are confronted with a choice. Either we carry on as usual, accepting violence, racism, war, social and economic injustice, and environmental degradation, until we exhaust or destroy ourselves, and the planet that sustains us - or we can begin to make a conscious change in the way we think, live, and relate to one another and to our environment. We can begin to redirect our human, natural, and financial resources to build better communities and a better world."
"The mission of the Festival of Freedom at the Forks is to build cultures of peace, and respect for human dignity and ecological integrity, because we cherish our personal freedoms, value our civil rights and recognize our individual and common responsibility to leave a better world for future generations. Proceeds from the Festival, after expenses, will help fund projects and programs advancing the Festival's theme and purpose locally, regionally, nationally, and internationally."
"The Festival of Freedom at the Forks is a response of a local community to the challenges we face as a global community entering a new millennium. The mission is an example of a community coming together to rejuvenate itself, to share its hospitality and natural beauty with friends and neighbors, and to make its contribution towards improving the human condition, at home and abroad. We invite and welcome your active participation and support to ensure that this Festival becomes all it could be." - J. J. Verigin, Jr. (Director with the Steering Committee for the Festival of Freedom at the Forks)

WEBSITE: www.f3u.com