Source: The Order of St. Helena

The purpose of this delegation, sponsored by the Fellowship of Reconciliation, is to seek alternatives to the current political standoff between the United States and Iranian governments and to affirm friendship and solidarity between the people of the United States and the people of Iran.  This will be the eighth Iran Peace Delegation to be sponsored by FOR.
 

The Sixth FOR Iran Peace Delegation at Persepolis,
March 2008

These delegations allow a diverse and representative group of Western peace activists to see firsthand the realities of life in today's Iran, to experience the rich and ancient history of Persian culture and art, and to meet with members of Iranian civil society.  Also, they provide a chance for ordinary Iranians to encounter citizens of the United States.

Participants will visit Tehran (the contemporary capital), Qom (the world center of Shi'ite theology), Isfahan (the legendary capital of medieval Persia), and Shiraz (the jewel of classical Islamic culture as well as the seat of Iran's ancient pre-Islamic civilization). The delegations will begin and end in the New York City area.

Trip reports will be published on the FOR website.

Sr. Ellen Francis, OSH lived in Iran for 7 years in the 1960s and 70s, and speaks Farsi.  She has been a co-leader and staff person on three recent delegations to Iran and has been actively working against the threat of a U.S. military attack on Iran.

Her efforts towards peace include this article, "Citizen diplomacy in Iran" which she wrote for the National Catholic Reporter, September 22, 2006. Another article, entitled "Iran is Not the Enemy", was published in April 2008 in the "On Faith" section of the Washington Post/Newsweek online.

Her work for peace with Iran was noted in an article entitled "8 Heros of Nonviolence (you haven't heard of)" Trinity News, November 5, 2007.

She was also featured in an article, "Evangelical Nun works for unity in Iran, Afghanistan" in the Times Herald-Record, July 2, 2007.

Related Article: Jewish rabbi leads historic FOR peace delegation to Iran

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