Churches for Middle East Peace picks new executive director

Warren Clark, the new Executive Director of Church for a Middle East Peace. Photo: Martin Shupack

February 4, 2008

CWS partner organization, Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP), has selected former Ambassador Warren Clark as its new Executive Director, to succeed Corinne Whitlatch. Ms Whitlatch recently retired after leading CMEP for more than two decades.

CMEP is a coalition of 21 public policy offices of national churches and agencies -- Orthodox, Catholic and Protestant. Church World Service is a CMEP member organization and works closely with CMEP on behalf of a just and peaceful resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Martin Shupack, Associate Director of CWS’ Education & Advocacy Program, serves on CMEP’s board of directors.

Warren Clark is a former Ambassador and U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State. Ambassador Clark began his career in the Foreign Service in Syria and has served in the Middle East, Europe, Africa, Canada, and at the US Mission to the United Nations. Clark also has a Master of Theological Studies degree from the Virginia Theological Seminary. He speaks French and eastern Arabic.

CMEP advocates to members of Congress and the Administration for a Middle East peace in which two viable states, Israel and Palestine, live side-by-side within secure and recognized borders. CMEP also promotes the sharing of an undivided Jerusalem by the two peoples -- Israelis and Palestinians -- and by the three religious communities --Jewish, Christian and Muslim -- that call it sacred.

CMEP’s annual advocacy conference will be held this year on April 20-22. It will focus on the opportunities for Israeli-Palestinian peacemaking in the context of broader regional dynamics, and on the Bush Administration's new initiative to move the peace process forward in 2008.

Highlights of the conference include a worship service and opening plenary on Sunday and plenary policy panels, in-depth workshop presentations and advocacy preparation on Monday, culminating in a Congressional prayer breakfast and lobby day on Tuesday, April 22nd.

For more information on CMEP and its conference, visit www.cmep.org.