Group 27: May to July 2008

 

GERMANY (3)

Manfred Fritsch (70)

Manfred Fritsch is a retired naval architect from a small town near Hamburg, Germany. He was informed about the Israel/Palestine conflict by a friend who has been engaged with the conflict for the past six years. In June 2007, Manfred had the oportunity to attend EAPPI:s Israel Exposure Week and to see with his own eyes what is going on. After that, he was convinced to attend the progamme in 2008. After a personal interview and different extensive project related training units, Manfred was accepted to attend the service from the end of April to the end of July 2008.

Manfred has been placed in Jayyous.

 

Christian Kercher (39)

Christian Kercher is from Germany and just turned 39. As an oral historian, he is convinced that every life story matters; that hope dies last; that peace starts at breakfast and that prayer is indeed an act of peace-making. He has returned as an EA after having been in the Jerusalem team 20 last year to experience this amazing sense of being fully alive again, in all the ups of sharing and pressing on for justice together and in all the downs of lies, brutal greed and indifference - in this hilly land.

Christian has been placed in Yanoun.

 

Gottfried Kraatz (67)

Gottfried is a Pastor of the Protestant Church in Berlin. He has served in different parishes in Berlin, as well as in South African black communities. He set up the Airport Chaplaincy in the former East German International Airport of Berlin. His participation in the Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme is in line with his experiences in other parts of the world, including South Africa, India, Nepal, Russia and Germany when working as Director of a Mission Society.

Gottfried has been placed in Bethlehem.

 

 

HUNGARY (1)

Enikő Ferenczy (38)

Originally from Transylvania, Enikő is currently living in Budapest, Hungary, where she is coordinating a refugee integration programme run by the Reformed Church in Hungary. Exploring uncharted territory is a natural state of being for her: having moved from chemical engineering in Romania to theological studies in the United States, from spending a year as a Peace and Justice intern in Bethlehem, to involvement with the refugee ministry in Hungary.

Enikő has been placed in Jayyous.

 

 

NORWAY (3)

Linda Ru Jee Nordby (29)

Linda holds an MSc in International Relations with emphasis on human rights from the London School of Economics. She has previously studied journalism, English literature and development studies. Before coming to Israel/Palestine, she worked for the United Nations Regional Information Centre for Western Europe (UNRIC) in Brussels, Belgium. This is her second term as an EA.
Linda has been placed in Hebron.

 

Maria Stivang (30)
Maria is a nurse and a midwife, living in Oslo, and working at a hospital. She is originally from Aalesund, a small town on the West coast, but has been living in Oslo since 1997. She has previously lived in England and Mexico. Marie heard about the EAPPI programme through former EAs from Norway. She wants to get to know the historical and current situation for the Palestinian and the Israeli peoples, get to know the Palestinian culture, work against the occupation, and get the knowledge to continue with advocacy work when she returns to Norway.

Maria has been placed in Yanoun.

 

Liv Thorsrud (49)

Liv holds a Masters Degree in Public Administration from Karlstad University in Sweden. She has studied physiotherapy, economics, educational sciences and coaching. As a specialist in occupational health, she has worked in different types of businesses offering counselling, preventive healthcare and human resources expertise. The past two years she has worked as an independent consultant in those fields. After completion of the EAPPI programme, she will work for the Norwegian Church Aid in Oslo, mainly recruiting staff for overseas placements.

Liv has been placed in Tulkarem.

 

 

POLAND (1)

Dominik Skorupa (24)
Dominik is a Master of Arts student of International Project Management at Tischner European University in Krakow (2007-09). In 2006, he finished his Bachelor of Arts in International Relations at the same university. He has gained experience in numerous projects and other activities strongly connected with civil society issues. Dominik organised and conducted a "Solidarity Now and Then" project financed by the Polish Foreign Ministry aimed at Belarus and Ukraine.  

Dominik has been placed in Tulkarem.

 

 

SOUTH AFRICA (2)

Mmereki Ezekiel Bodila (46)

Mmereki is a pastor with a senior degree in Theology. He is married and has three children. His hobbies include soccer and politics. He considers himself very quiet and reserved and likes children.

Mmereki has been placed in Yanoun.

 

Justice Ramoba (48)

Justice has been a priest since 1982. He has been the deputy moderator of the Maranatha Reformed Church of Christ. He has also been a statement taker for the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of South Africa. He is the chairperson for the Victims Empowerment Programme for South African police services. He is a moral worker in the Department of correctional services. He is also the electoral educator to Chiefskraals and a member of the Hospital Board. He is the chairperson of the Aganang Council of Churches. He is a lister for Statistics South Africa in the Survey Project and deputy chairperson of Bethesda Circuit in the Maranatha Reformed Church of Christ. He is a preacher on the local radio station and the chairperson of the Moral Regeneration Movement in the Capricorn District Municipality. He is the adviser of the School Governing Body at Seloutjo secondary and the executive member of the South African Council of Churches in Limpopo Province.

Justice has been placed in Bethlehem.

 

 

SWEDEN (8)

Anna-Clara Birgersson (35)

Anna-Clara Birgersson is educated as a physiotherapist and psychotherapist. She believes in the power of prayers and creative arts. Peace building through expressive arts and prayers in action generate change in meetings between people. She joined the EAPPI programme out of solidarity with the people working for peace in Palestine and Israel. She aims to be one of many living stones collecting hope for unity. She is part of Killan, a Christian prayer community in the south of Sweden.

Anna-Clara has been placed in Yanoun.

 

Katarina Carlberg (32)

Katarina lives in Stockholm, Sweden. She has a degree in Middle East Studies. Past professional experience includes working for a language company, the Swedish Board of Migration and as a project manager for a diversity and anti-discrimination project.

Katarina has been placed in Hebron.

 

Karin Haglind (30)

Karin lives in Stockholm, Sweden. She works as the information officer at the Swedish Fellowship of Reconciliation. Having spent many years doing peace and human rights work in Sweden, she is happy to be out in the field and learn more about the situation for Palestinians and Israelis.

Karin has been placed in Jayyous.

 

Paula Löf (26)

Paula holds a Masters Degree in Political Science from Uppsala University, Sweden. She has also studied French and Arabic. Before joining EAPPI, she did an internship at the OSCE.

Paula has been placed in Tulkarem.

 

Johannes Mosskin (25)

Johannes has a Bachelors Degree in Political Science from Stockholm University. He has also done a year of Middle Eastern Studies at Göteborg University. Johannes likes to travel and has spent five months in Beirut (Lebanon) and Damascus (Syria), where he took an intensive course in Arabic.

Johannes has been placed in Hebron.

 

Conny Nylén (56)

Conny lives just outside Göteborg on the island of Björkö. He works as a photographer/journalist. The history of the situation in the Middle East has interested him for a long time. He wants to bring back stories from the people he meets and tell them when he returns to Sweden.

Conny has been placed in Tulkarem.

 

Erik Persson (27)

Erik is currently living in Uppsala and is a student at the Stockholm School of Economics where he studies Management. He is the former chairperson of the Church of Sweden Youth and now a member of the Church of Sweden synod. When not at school, he really likes to cook, taste whisky and watch the West Wing TV-show.

Erik has been placed in Jerusalem.  

 

Anna Åkerlund (37)

Anna holds a Masters Degree in Peace & Conflict Studies and a Bachelor of Divinity. She has worked two years in the Geneva office of the World Council of Churches, two years in development organisations in Sweden and the last six years as the Secretary General of the Swedish Fellowship of Reconciliation.  

Anna has been placed in Bethlehem.

 

 

SWITZERLAND (2)

Jean-Marie Pellaux (28)

Jean-Marie has a Masters Degree in Modern History and Political Sciences from the University of Fribourg. He wrote his Masters thesis on the export of Swiss arms (Pilatus airplanes) in the 1970's and the 1980's. While studying, he worked as a history teacher and a journalist for a local newspaper. 

Jean-Marie has been placed in Hebron.

 

Brigitte Siegenthaler (49)

Brigitte studied Theology in Bern (Switzerland) and Montpellier (France). Before and during her studies, she worked as a business woman with different responsibilities such as trade, bank business and architecture. After her studies, she worked as a pastor and was the president of the consultancy work for young people and their parents. She is still a member of the council of this foundation that is specialised in drug prevention, consultancy work and harm reduction. Brigitte has been placed in Jerusalem.

 

 

UK (2)

Colin Douglas (66)

Colin is a retired Church of Scotland minister living in Edinburgh. He is a member of the Iona Community and worked for nineteen years as a member of the team ministry in Livingston Ecumenical Parish in the new town of Livingston in Scotland.

Colin has been placed in Jayyous.

 

Audrey Gray (73)

Audrey is a retired children’s general and midwifery nurse and social worker. After obtaining a degree in Business Studies, she worked as a Social Work manager with special responsibility for Child Abuse and Protection work in West Sussex. She is currently a Methodist Local Preacher in the Worthing Circuit, West Sussex, England. Audrey is determined to try to make a difference in some small way. In the past 20 years, she has made seven pilgrimages to the region and seen for herself something of the difficulties, conditions and constraints under which people live.

Audrey has been placed in Jerusalem.

 

 

USA (2)

Martin Harms (27)

Martin received his Bachelors Degree in Political Science from the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor. After graduating in 2003, he spent some time interning for a Senator in Washington D.C., and then returned to Ann Arbor to begin work as the research coordinator for the Korean Studies Program at the University of Michigan. His interest in international relations brought him to Korea where he received a scholarship to study the language and continue his research in the region. Upon returning home to Detroit, Michigan, he became actively involved in issues related to the conflict in Israel and Palestine and decided to switch gears and learn more about humanitarian law and work with peace groups in the Middle East. Martin will be attending law school in the fall of 2008.   

Martin has been placed in Jerusalem.

 

Kathryn Taber (23)

Kate has a Bachelors Degree in Psychology and History from Coe College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and has just finished her second year in the Master of Divinity program at Princeton Theological Seminary in Princeton, New Jersey. Kate was motivated to participate in EAPPI after her experience last summer on a two-week delegation with Christian Peacemaker Teams. Kate has been placed in Bethlehem.