Joel Gulledge
Joel Gulledge, 27, is a co-coordinator of Voices for Creative Nonviolence, and a member of Christian Peacemaker Teams in Palestine. Joel grew up in Bruce, Mississippi, and was constantly active as a youth with the Southern Baptist Church until college. During that time Joel volunteered in shelters for homeless and battered women, and in the summer of 1999 worked with the North American Mission Board in an outreach program for youth in Northborough, Massachusetts. While studying sociology at the University of Memphis TN, Joel was a regular volunteer with the Mid-South Peace and Justice Center, SUSTAIN, and Food Not Bombs. Joel has organized multiple concerts to benefit local grassroots organizations.
During 2004-2006, Joel traveled around the Occupied Palestinian Territories an opportunity to make an immediate impact on a worsening human rights struggle. While in the West Bank, he helped harvest olives, planted olive trees in demolished groves, confronted military checkpoints, and spent time with ordinary families living an everyday human life under an inhuman military occupation. Joel brings these stories of occupation, nonviolence and dignity in the face of humiliation and violence back to people here in the US.
Joel is founder of Tuwani.org, and has contributed articles to Electronic Intifada and The Peacemaker.
Joel loves music, art, books, and his community. He can be reached at joel@vcnv.org