Though the elections have come to an end, Kenyan Friends remind us that a long road toward peace and social justice lies ahead. A resolution passed the Senate supporting the work of local peacebuilders, and Diane Randall shares some recommendations and potential next steps in her letter to President Obama for U.S.-Kenya policy moving forward.
Through collaboration with Quaker organizations from New York to Nairobi, FCNL is working in solidarity with and learning from Kenyan communities' efforts toward peace. Take a look at this website to find out more about how Kenyan Quakers are working to prevent violence and build peace.
Do you know how many military operations the U.S. currently has underway in African countries? FCNL is concerned about reports of U.S. drone strikes in Somalia, as well as recent military aid packages that include drones for Kenya and elsewhere. If the U.S. doesn't make supporting African efforts toward peace its priority, it will wind up doing more harm than good. Read this letter to the Senate to learn more.
Our most recent update on preventing deadly conflict in Kenya focused on the importance of continued support for post-election peacebuilding. Follow this link to read more.
U.S.-Kenya policy has special significance for the Quaker community, and Friends can use their unique voice in support of Kenyans working toward peace. Take a look at this flyer to learn more about how U.S. Quakers can contact their members of Congress and how the tools of peaceful prevention can be applied to help avert renewed violence.
"Because violence degrades the sacredness of life, we seek alternative forms of conflict resolution. We support active non-violent responses to prevent or transform violent conflict at all levels.
The cycles of violence perpetuated by acts of terror and the armed overthrow of governments serve as warning against the use of force, while the examples of nonviolent movements for change provide concrete alternatives"
Cassidy Regan is FCNL's Kenya Project Associate. She works in partnership with Friends in Kenya to advocate for a U.S. policy that helps support, rather than undermine, Kenyan communities' efforts to prevent renewed violence and build long-term peace. She also advocates for non-violent over militarized solutions in U.S.-Africa policy more broadly.
