SOUTH AFRICA Welcome Deon Snyman Over the past 9 years Deon Snyman has developed and 2015 International Peacemakers implemented a community-led restitution model, the Worcester Hope and Reconciliation Project (WHRP) with the Restitution Foundation in Cape Town. He is a member of the Uniting Reformed Church in Southern Africa (URCSA) and previously worked with the Diakonia Council of Churches managing their social justice programs. He has been minister to rural Zulu speaking congregations of the Uniting Reformed Church in Southern Africa. His topics include the status of peace and reconciliation in South Africa, the ongoing injustices in post- apartheid South Africa and the impact and origins of the Belhar Confession.

SRI LANKA Saman Perera Saman Perera is minister-in-charge of Scot's Kirk in Kandy, with the Presbyterian Church of Sri Lanka . He is secretary of the Presbytery of Lanka and a visiting lecturer at colleges and seminaries. He describes himself as a peace educator, change agent and an activist focused on those who are ethnically, socially and religiously marginalized. He is the founder of ‘Samadana/m’, an organization that fosters justice and peace This year we welcome 10 peacemakers who will be visiting 43 presbyteries, through nonviolent action. Their work has been to help post-war 3 colleges and 2 mission network meetings. Sri Lankan society heal and move beyond the wounds of the past. He is speaking on post civil war issues in Sri Lanka, reconciliation efforts between ethnic and religious communities, peace building THE ARMENIAN DIASPORA and non-violent conflict resolution. Vartkes “Kass” Kassouni Born on the island of Cyprus and taught in the academy of the American Reformed Presbyterian Mission, Kass came to the United States in 1949 to study for the ministry. He has served a number of Armenian congregations and been active in the Armenian Evangelical Union of North America. His presentation as an International Peacemaker is Armenian Christianity in the Middle East for 1500 years: Their suffering and their witness to Jesus Christ.

THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO Nzeba Berthe Believed to be the first ordained woman in the DRC, Maman Nzeba serves as the General Secretary of the Women and Families Department of the Church of Chris in Congo (ECC). She coordinates national and international efforts to support women and children impacted by the protracted conflict in Eastern Congo. Her greatest concern has been women who have fallen victim to sexual violence. Her work also includes helping women fight poverty. She is The International Peacemaker Program is made possible by your generous gifts to the speaking about sexual violence in conflict, poverty and mineral Peace and Global Witness Offering. Make your gift as part of the Offering on World wealth, gender equality and peace and security in daily life. She is Communion Sunday or visit www.pcusa.org/peace-global accompanied by mission coworker Christi Boyd.

THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO the Armenian people on this 100th commemoration of the genocide Christi Boyd, Mission Coworker of Armenians by Ottoman Turks. Christi serves alongside her husband Jeff as a mission co-worker and as the Facilitator for Women and Children’s Interests. They have IRAQ served in Africa since 1990 in Tanzania, Cameroon and now in Rami Al Maqdasi Congo for the second time. She also works in three other French- An ordained pastor in the Evangelical Presbyterian Church of speaking African countries: Madagascar, Niger, and Rwanda, and Syria and Lebanon, Rami Al Maqdasi’s s ministry has included one non-French-speaking country, South Sudan. Christi serving as the Director of Syrian Refugees Ministry with accompanies global partners as they seek to remedy the Samaritans Purse, overseeing the distribution of food and marginalization of women and children in their communities, and clothing to refugees of war in Erbil, Iraq. For 10 years Rami engages with Presbyterian constituencies in the U.S. that wish to worked with Operation Blessing, the Alliance Church in Syria come alongside and promote those efforts. and Iraq and Crisis Response International to provide translation services for refugees and people displaced by war and unrest in CUBA the region. He currently serves as Pastoral Assistant at Wayside Edelberto Valdés Fleites Presbyterian Church in Hamburg, NY. He is speaking about the realities of Christian life in the midst of violence in Iraq and Syria A lifelong Presbyterian in Cuba, Edelberto Valdés Fleites has served as the Pastoral Elder/Minister at the Presbyterian-Reformed Church and about his work with refugees. in Caibarién Cuba since 2008. Prior to that he served a congregation in Camajuan for 17 years as a lay elder while working as a PALESTINE biologist. He has long been active in his presbytery and synod, Ashraf Tannous serving as stated clerk of Central Presbytery and as Vice-Moderator Ashraf Tannous serves as the parish pastor and religion teacher of of the synod. He will be sharing the work and role of the church in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Beit Sahour, not far from Cuban society as well as the impact of recent political changes and Bethlehem. He is active in youth ministry with his denomination the thawing of US/Cuba relations. and the youth Ecumenical movement in Palestine, and serves as the chairperson of the Local Committee of the Evangelical INDIA Lutheran School. He has traveled extensively in the Middle East Sushma Ramswami and Europe with organizations including the School of Hope in Since 1995 Sushma Ramswami has served as the Communications Ramallah, the World Student Christian Federation and the World Secretary of the Church of North India. She is based in New Delhi Council of Churches. He is speaking about the current challenges of Palestinian Christians and the work of our partner where she leads an Ecumenical Communications Network. She has also served as the denomination’s Secretary of National Issues, denomination, the (ELCJHL) Evangelical Lutheran Church in organizing rallies, walks and dharnas with partner organizations, Jordan and the Holy Land. including the Christian Conference of Asia. She has been leading movements for the empowerment of women, children and youth RWANDA and, in the aftermath of hate crimes against minorities, she has Jérôme Bizimana organized training programs to provide counseling and healing to Currently serving as President of Remera Presbytery in the victims of riots. She is speaking about the causes and alleviation of Presbyterian Church in Rwanda (EPR), Jérôme Bizimana also poverty, minority rights, healing and reconciliation, especially for pastors a congregation in Ramera and serves as chaplain at women, and human trafficking. Remera Rukoma Secondary School. He has initiated and trained peacemaking groups to help overcome the hatred and IRAN and ARMENIA divisiveness that followed the Rwandan genocide and to mitigate Hendrik Shanazarian other forms of conflict. He has also provided training to a group Born in Tehran and active in the Armenian Evangelical Church, composed of local genocide perpetrators released from prison, he served for 7 years as the executive secretary of the Synod of the and people whose family members were slaughtered in the genocide. He has taken his peacemaking work to the western Evangelical Church in Iran and as pastor of the Armenian Evangelical Congregation in Tehran. He currently resides in the Rwanda border to help address issues of hate and distrust United States where he serves two Armenian congregations and between eastern Congolese and Rwandans. Pastor Jérôme has a riveting witness to share with our American congregations. holds a part time position at the Armenian Evangelical Union of North America. He is speaking about the plight of the Christian church in Iran, especially over the past 10 years when churches have been closed and house church leaders have been arrested, imprisoned and tortured. As an Armenian he will speak about