Save the Date!
2024 SLPN Annual Gathering
SEPTEMBER 17 - 19, 2024
Atlanta, Georgia
WHY: SLPN has the opportunity to work in partnership with the Carter Center in Atlanta to build a broader alliance supporting the lifting of sanctions and the rebuilding of Syria. We also wish to strengthen our partnerships with churches in Syria and Lebanon
WHEN: Noon September 17 to Noon September 19
WHERE: Atlanta, Georgia
Meetings will be held at North Avenue Presbyterian Church, located near the North Avenue MARTA station for trains from the airport. Lodging is being arranged at a nearby hotel within walking distance of the church.
WHO: Members and friends of SLPN who are
1. allies in the movement to lift US sanctions which are so damaging to the Syrian people and
2. interested in strengthening mutual partnerships between American, Lebanese and Syrian congregations
The SLPN 2024 Annual Gathering will be devoted to strengthening our partnerships with congregations in Syria and Lebanon and our partnerships with allies advocating changes in US foreign policy in the Middle East. On Wednesday, September 18, participants are invited on a guided tour of the Jimmy Carter Museum and Library and to an in-depth consultation with Dr. Rana Shabb and Nancy Azar (see their brief bios below). They will speak to us about the Carter Center's commitment to human rights, behind the scenes diplomacy, extensive data collection on the Syrian conflict and the importance of education as an entry point to promote social change in Syria. We expect our advocacy to be much enriched by this meeting.
About the Carter Center Consultants
Rana Shabb, Ph.D. is the associate director for the Middle East in the Carter Center’s Conflict Resolution Program. Her Lebanese Protestant family comes from the south Lebanon town of Hasbaya. Dr. Shabb's work at the Carter Center includes designing, fundraising, managing, and implementing peace-promoting projects in Israel, Palestine, Lebanon, and Syria.
Nancy Azar, Senior Program Associate, supports the implementation activities of the Inclusive Approaches to Preventing Violent Extremism project. She was born and raised in Lebanon in a Maronite family.