The Episcopal Peace Fellowship declared in its citation: ?Canon Naim Ateek?s voice is heard around the world as a strong voice of faith and peace. His message of nonviolence states, ?As a Christian, I know that the way of Christ is the way of nonviolence and, therefore, I condemn all forms of violence and terrorism whether coming from the government (of Israel) or from militant (Palestinian) groups.??

Ateek is author of Justice and Only Justice: A Palestinian Theology of Liberation. He has edited Holy Land Common Ground and Challenging Christian Zionism: Theology, Politics and the Israel-Palestine Conflict, compilations of papers from two major international Sabeel conferences held in Jerusalem in 1998 and 2004. He also publishes a quarterly theological journal, Cornerstone, circulated in many countries.

The award will be made at the 75th Annual General Convention of the Episcopal Church, from 12-21 June 2006 in Columbus, Ohio.

Canon Ateek has directed the work of Sabeel for 14 years and in that time the support for his work has grown, with Friends of Sabeel networks established in the US, Canada, the UK, the Netherlands, Ireland, Australia, and elsewhere.

International conferences in Jerusalem bring Christians from around the world for pilgrimage and witness to the lives of Palestinians living under Israeli military occupation. Over 600 people participated in the 2004 conference, Challenging Christian Zionism.

The 6th international Sabeel conference will be on 2-9 November 2006, in Jerusalem. Its theme is ?The Forgotten Faithful: A Window into the Life and Witness of Christians of the Holy Land?. It will focus on the heritage and witness of Palestinian Christians.