Many Canadians will remember the name of Jim Manly in the news last October.
Manly was among a crew of prominent internationals on the Freedom Flotilla’s ship, the MV Estelle, approaching Gaza to peacefully challenge the illegal and inhumane Israeli blockade.
Because the state of Israel maintains an blockade of ships entering this area, the Estelle was overtaken in international waters. Detained, Jim spent several days in an Israeli prison before he was sent back to Canada. His participation made headlines across the country.
This Wednesday from 7 to 9:30 p.m., Jim and Eva, his partner of 54 years, will give a public talk at the Comox United Church entitled Palestine is Still the Question.
They will focus on an update on the situation on Israel/Palestine (including the Gaza strip) and how people around the world, especially Canadians, can respond. A question-and-answer period will follow.
Manly is a retired United Church minister who served as a New Democratic Party Member of Parliament from 1980 to 1988, representing Cowichan-Malahat-the Islands.
Eva, a retired video-maker, was for several years the producer of Pressure Point, a weekly cable TV program for Inter-Church Broadcasting focused on social issues. Her independent videos also highlighted social issues.
In Nanaimo, she initiated a sponsorship program for Palestinian refugees, and encouraged other Island communities (including the Comox Valley) to also sponsor Palestinian families. Eva attended the founding meeting of the United Network for Justice and Peace in Palestine/Israel and is a member of the Gaza Ark Steering Committee.
The speaking engagement is being co-sponsored by Mid-Islanders for Justice and Peace in the Middle East, the Comox United Church’s Outreach Committee, the Comox Valley Peace Group and the Comox Unitarian Fellowship.
The public is invited; admission is by donation. Comox United Church is at 250 Beach Dr. in Comox. For more information, contact Judy Goldschmidt at 250-331-9391.
— Comox Valley Peace Group