From Conscience to Action: How Citizens Become Agents of Change
2026 James Graff Memorial Lecture
What can ordinary people do when conscience demands more than concern?
Canadian Friends of Sabeel invites you to an evening of conversation, music and engagement exploring how individuals and communities can turn conviction into meaningful, practical action for justice in Palestine.
At the centre of the evening is Yara Shoufani, President of Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME), in conversation with the Rev. Dr. Jeff Nowers and the Rev. Gerlyn Henry. Palestinian musician and songwriter Samia Odeh will bring another dimension to the evening through music and conversation.
The gathering will also invite questions from both the in-person and online audiences, creating space not simply to listen, but to wrestle together with the question at the heart of this year's lecture:
How do we move from conscience to action?
How do we move from conscience to action?
Featuring Yara Shoufani
Yara Shoufani is President of Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) and brings more than 12 years of experience in Palestinian advocacy, grassroots organizing and political campaigns.
Her organizing began as President of Solidarity for Palestinian Human Rights at McMaster University, where she led a successful BDS campaign, and later included an international leadership role with the Palestinian Youth Movement. She previously served as Executive Director of Canadian Friends of Sabeel.
Yara holds a Master's degree in Political Science from York University and is a PhD candidate researching the political economy of Israel's occupation. She is also a recipient of the SSHRC CGS Scholarship to Honour Nelson Mandela.
On October 7, Yara brings that experience into a candid conversation about what effective citizen action can actually look like.
In Conversation With
Rev. Gerlyn Henry — priest, podcaster and digital storyteller
Rev. Gerlyn Henry is an Anglican priest and incumbent of the Church of the Holy Wisdom in Scarborough whose ministry extends far beyond the walls of her parish. She has built an online community of more than half a million followers, using social media to engage questions of faith, politics, justice and everyday life.
Her connection to Palestine became particularly personal following a CFOS Come and See, Go and Tell solidarity pilgrimage in December 2025. After returning to Canada, she created a series of videos reflecting on what she had witnessed; CFOS describes her as having produced 15 videos about that experience.
Gerlyn is also a co-host of Two Priests and Palestine, a podcast series examining the reality of Palestine through conversation, witness and faith.
What happens when a priest takes questions of Palestine, faith and justice into the digital public square? Come hear Gerlyn bring that perspective into the conversation.
Rev. Dr. Jeff Nowers — theologian, priest and CFOS board member
Rev. Dr. Jeff Nowers is an Anglican priest, theologian and member of the Board of Directors of Canadian Friends of Sabeel. He serves as incumbent of Christ the King Anglican Church in Etobicoke and teaches theology in the Faculty of Divinity at Trinity College, University of Toronto. CFOS describes him as a longtime advocate of decoloniality whose commitment to Palestinian liberation developed through personal relationships as well as his theological work.
Jeff travelled to Palestine in December 2025 as part of the same solidarity pilgrimage as Gerlyn, writing afterward about encounters with Palestinian Christians and the realities he witnessed in the West Bank.
Together, Jeff and Gerlyn host Two Priests and Palestine — and on October 7 they will bring their questions, experiences and perspectives directly to Yara.
Music & Story — Samia O’Day
The evening will also feature Palestinian-Canadian musician and songwriter Samia O‘Day, whose music has become part of CFOS gatherings across Canada.
Samia has previously provided music for the James Graff Memorial Lecture and has appeared alongside her sister, CFOS Board Chair Rula Odeh, sharing music connected to their Palestinian Christian heritage. Their father was a Palestinian survivor of the 1948 Nakba from Jerusalem.
More recently, Samia participated in CFOS's 2026 Winnipeg conference, sharing her family's Nakba story through music and participating in a conversation on art as resistance.
Samia’s music is not simple entertainment, it is another way of telling the Palestinian story.
About the James Graff Memorial Lecture
The James Graff Memorial Lecture (JGML) is an educational initiative of Canadian Friends of Sabeel honouring the legacy of James Graff, founder of the Near East Cultural and Educational Foundation (NECEF) and a longtime friend and collaborator of CFOS.
The lecture brings voices in theology, human rights and social justice into conversation with Canadian audiences, creating space to learn about Palestine/Israel, ask difficult questions and explore the responsibilities that knowledge places upon us.
This year's lecture asks a particularly practical question:
Once we know, what can we do?
Rather than another evening of simply describing the crisis, From Conscience to Action turns toward the possibilities of citizen engagement, community organizing, advocacy and collective action.
Join Us
Tuesday, October 7, 2026 — 7:00 PM EST
St. Philip's Anglican Church
31 St. Phillips Rd., Etobicoke, Ontario
Attend in person or join the livestream.
The evening will include conversation, live music and an opportunity for both in-person and online participants to submit questions.
For information: info@friendsofsabeel.ca
The date, venue, time, livestream availability and registration invitation are also the practical details currently presented on your poster.
Tickets will also be available at the door (cash only). For those unable to attend in person, the event will be streamed online link will be sent 48h prior to event.
