Held in Stow Parish Church on Friday 8th August 2025
Stow Parish Church hosted a Vigil for peace on Friday the 8th of August organised by local volunteers. The vigil sought to bring the community together to reflect on the appalling suffering in Gaza and beyond. The contributors gave moving testimonies to the experiences of the Palestinian people.
This page has information about practical things you can do to help people in Gaza and other war zones. It also has includes some of the contributions – poetry and reading – from the vigil itself. Further material will be added over coming days.
Contributions to the Vigil
Mike Mineter gave a moving account of his association with the West Bank and the struggles endured by the friends he had made there. Here is a pdf of his notes of the talk he gave.
Donations
All for August – Kat from Stow and a small group of friends are fundraising throughout August to raise money for Palestinians living in desperate situations of danger and starvation. 6 friends running 600k plus additional activities throughout the month – head over to their JustGiving page to donate and offer support: https://www.justgiving.com/page/august-gaza
You can also donate to via these organisations:
- EMBRACE: Tackling poverty and injustice in the Middle East
- Rescue.org: Gaza Crisis – what to know and how to help
- Rescue.org: Help for Ukraine
- Disasters and emergency Committee: Middle East Humanitarian appeal
- Unicef: Yemen appeal for children in crisis
- Unicef: Donate to Protect Children in Sudan
Campaigns
A grass roots movement campaigning for Palestinian human rights and freedom with a local branch in the Borders.
The Borders Branch meets fortnightly in Innerleithen @StJamesChurch on Mondays from 6:00-7:30. The next meeting is on the 11th of August. For more information, call Kim Davidson on 07958002591
Campaign to relieve the inhumanity being shown towards the ordinary people in Gaza
Oxfam Red Line For Gaza
Poetry
This poem was one of the pieces read at the vigil.
I’M NOT WAITING FOR THE WAR TO END
~Mohammed Mousa
I’m not waiting for the war to end,
I’m waiting for death to halt its relentless march,
waiting for the kids to sleep well, dine heartily,
and embrace mothers who do not grieve.
I’m not waiting for the war to end,
I’m waiting for the end of funerals, the reunion of lovers,
the resurrection of shattered dreams in the hearts of the young.
I’m not waiting for the war to end,
I’m waiting for the golden hues to embrace the bleeding shore,
for laughter to echo through the streets.
I’m waiting for the world to stand up and apologise
for what it has done and what it has not,
for what it has started and finished
and left unending.