Salem Clergy, Peace Groups Plan Syria Prayer Vigil

The Prayer Vigil for Syria will be held Wednesday evening, August 1, from 7:00 to 8:00 p.m. outdoors at Salem Peace Plaza, located between City Hall and the Public Library.

(SALEM) - A group of local citizens, deeply concerned about the strife that has been occurring in Syria for more than a year, invites our community together to pray for the people of Syria.

We will pay homage to the thousands of innocent persons that have been slain, and we will pray for a just, non-violent solution to the conflict. Our coming together will demonstrate that people of various faith traditions share this compassion. We are not proposing a solution to the conflict – or supporting any of the parties against others. Our emphasis is that peace and justice are possible, and that killing each other is not the answer.

We also share our concern for the people of our community who have come from various countries in the Middle East, and for those whose loved ones are suffering from the conflicts and unjust conditions in those lands.

The event is convened by the Salem Area Chapter of the Fellowship of Reconciliation, and co-sponsored by Salem Peace Plaza and the Salem Chapter of the United Nations Association. We are also supported by Salem Peace Festival and the Oneness Coalition.

The Prayer Vigil for Syria will be held Wednesday evening, August 1, from 7:00 to 8:00 p.m. outdoors at Salem Peace Plaza, located between City Hall and the Public Library at 555 Liberty St. SE. Parking is available in the garages at each of these buildings. Please bring outdoor chairs if you want to be seated during the hour-long event.

Questions?  contact: Paul LaRue  < paullarue@q.com>  503-585-0805 or Barry Lee Coyne, whose information is below.

Salem-News.com Community Writer Barry Lee Coyne brings to our readers stories from his combined career of journalism and gerontology, and explains that these paths shaped his values. Lee Coyne once worked for The Civil Service Leader in NY State and covered the Legislature. He has also done features on mediation and arbitration, and believes in healthy skepticism. This writer-therapist often views the world as the masks of comedy and tragedy placed upon the scales of justice. For him, optimism inevitably wins. "Lyrical Lee" has traveled to 30 nations aboard and was once a press intern at the UN. His first published article was in The NY Daily News in '59, dealing with the need for integrity in public office.

He also launched the nation's first tele-conference on health education for shut-ins, created the Eldermentors project in VA to pair retirees with immigrant students needing role models, and was the main catalyst behind CCTV's "Public Public" panel show here in Salem. Lee received his BA in International Relations and an MSW in community organization. He currently serves as a member of Salem's Library Advisory Board. To send Lee an email, please write to this address: luckycoyne@yahoo.com