Olive Branch Interfaith Peace Partnership

Below please find a brief report from a member of the Network of Spiritual Progressives about last week's events.

The rally was powerful from beginning to end, with all the speakers and then the prayer circle, first outside and ultimately inside the Hart Senate Building. I've participated in several peace rallies but this was the first one I felt really reached some of the key people that need to hear our pleas, our songs and prayers.

Here are some photos from last Thursday and Friday. Most are by me, but other folks can tag their pictures OBIPP in Flickr to be added to thhis slideshow. You can also browse the images here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/tags/obipp/

Here are some articles about last week's events in DC:

• South Bend Tribune: Local peace witnesses headed to Washington
  
• Examiner.com: Baltimoreans go to D.C. to call for end to Iraq war
  
• Richmond Times-Dispatch: Activists fighting for peace
  
• Tennesseean: Vigil calls for prayers to end war in Iraq

Following is the final program for the event that will begin shortly in Upper Senate Park, near the U.S.Capitol.

2:15 - Musical call to intention

Sharon Abreu & Mike Hurwicz, One Common Unity/HawaH, Native Deen, and Mary Shapiro

2:30 - Why we are here

Welcoming Invocation - Rev. Dr. Michael Kinnamon

Rabbi Michael Namath
Reverend James Forbes
Asma Mirza
Father Loius Vitale (letter from prison read by Father Joe Nangle)

3:00 - Lifting up our spirits to the work and its success

Leading through prayer and comment - Rev. Diana Gibson and David Hart

Messages from: Dr. Sayyid Syeed, Rev. Bill Sinkford, Rev. Bob Edgar, Sammie Moshenberg, Chris Montone, Anas (Andy) Shallal, Pundit Sharma

3:30 - Parting belssings

Commissioning a delegation - a ritual of bread and lamps

Rabbi Arthur Waskow, Samina Faheem Sundas, Rev. Sam Nixon, Bishop Roy Sano, Rick Ufford-Chase

4:00 - Musical closure and send off

Sharon Abreu & Mike Hurwicz, One Common Unity/HawaH, Native Deen, and Mary Shapiro