Apartheid-Free Communities

Roots, Theology & a Path Forward

Thursday, June 4, 2026

10am to 2 pm, includes lunch, free of charge

Kamloops united church

In person or online

At the June 2025 AGM, the Pacific Mountain Regional Council of the United Church of Canada took the Apartheid-Free Communities Pledge, to further bolster our commitment to solidarity with the people of Palestine.

What is an Apartheid-Free Community, and where does this movement come from? What does it mean to take the pledge, and why did our regional council do so? How can we embody the pledge in our own communities?

Join in person or online, to hear the experiences of those resisting the occupation of Palestine and working for justice and true peace.

Workshop Overview

10:00 am   Gathering

10:20 am the Apartheid-Free Communities movement (with Shadia Qubti)

10:40 am Theological principles, Christian teachings, Kairos reflections, Q & A (with Allison Tanner)

12:00 pm Lunch (included)

12:30 pm Solidarity, liberation work and anti-zionism (with Maxine Kaufman-Lacusta)

1:15 pm Animating the pledge in your own community (with Shadia Qubti, Kendra Mitchell-Foster)

1:45 pm Large group sharing

1:55 pm Closing prayer

Shadia Qubti

“I'm a Palestinian lived theologian exploring how different communities understand land, identity, and faith. Born and raised in Nazareth, I've had the privilege of learning from both my Palestinian Christian heritage and my studies in Indigenous and Inter-Religious Studies at Vancouver School of Theology. My work focuses on creating conversations between Palestinian and North American Indigenous perspectives, using approaches like contrapuntal reading to help marginalized voices speak with rather than about each other. Through my research and upcoming book, I hope to contribute to more inclusive theological conversations that honor the wisdom found in both Palestinian and Indigenous traditions. I'm grateful for opportunities to share this work through speaking engagements and to continue learning from the communities and scholars who have shaped my understanding.”

Allison tanner

Allison is a pastor, educator and organizer working for justice and healing in her multiple communities. She is the Lead Organizer of the Apartheid-Free Communities initiative, convened by AFSC. She also serves as the Pastor of Public Witness at Lakeshore Avenue Baptist Church in Oakland, California. She travels the country educating and empowering faith communities to engage in costly solidarity in partnership with Palestinians, and other marginalized groups. Allison has a passion for uniting spirituality and social justice, building relationships across difference, creating beloved community, and motivating congregations to incarnate their faith. 

Allison convenes the Palestine Justice Network of American Baptists and the Alliance of Baptists' Community for Justice in Palestine and Israel. She is a local interfaith leader for Interfaith 4 Palestine in the Bay Area. While her advocacy keeps her busy in the community, her work is grounded in her doctoral research on the power of religion to impact social change. 

maxine kaufman-lacusta

Maxine Kaufman-Lacusta is a Quaker Jew and a long-time member of Independent Jewish Voices (IJV) , the Vancouver Quaker Meeting, and Or Shalom Synagogue in Vancouver.  Prior to settling in Burnaby, she lived in Jerusalem for seven years, where she was active in Israeli and joint Israeli-Palestinian groups working against the abuses of the Israeli Occupation. She is the principal author – with Palestinian and Israeli editorial partners, Ghassan Andoni and Jeff Halper – of the interview-based book, Refusing to be Enemies: Palestinian and Israeli Nonviolent Resistance to the Israeli Occupation.