FCNL’s multi-faceted approach draws on the expertise of registered lobbyists in Washington, DC, the commitment and passion of Quakers and friends around the country in our advocacy network, and the relationships we cultivate with elected officials and community leaders.
We seek a world free of war and the threat of war.
We seek a society with equity and justice for all.
We seek a community where every person's potential may be fulfilled.
We seek an earth restored.
![People marching for the Poor Peoples Campaign.](/sites/default/files/styles/square_800/public/2020-10/poor%20peoples%20campaign.jpg?itok=vM2KUuX0)
Economic Justice
By most measures, the United States is a country of wealth and abundance. Yet, for many people, the economy isn’t working. Every day, people in our communities experience the frustration and indignity of struggling to pay rent and put food on the table.
Tell Congress: No Tax Breaks for Corporations Without Relief for Families
![We seek an earth restored](/sites/default/files/styles/square_800/public/image/11311443_1597406707177493_1680627305_n.jpg?itok=-gLDKrF5)
Environment & Energy
The U.S. Congress is pivotal to national and global efforts to meet the challenge of climate disruption. However, for Congress to be part of the solution, leadership is needed from members of both political parties. Our moral obligation to address climate change and protect vulnerable communities transcends partisanship. By changing the dialogue in Congress on climate change, we are paving the way for meaningful legislative solutions to gain bipartisan support and become law.
Tell Congress: Global Climate Assistance Helps Both the United States and the World
![Child holding a sign that says "How many more" at March for our Lives in Washington, D.C.](/sites/default/files/styles/square_800/public/2020-08/39452097100_b2a1157884_k_0.jpg?itok=pT2xXBJX)
Gun Violence Prevention
Gun violence is a public health crisis that our country has been facing for decades. We seek a society where we can feel safe in our communities without the risk of violent death.
Build Safer Communities by Investing in Violence Interrupters
![Group walks through desert with banner.](/sites/default/files/styles/square_800/public/image/migrant_trail_with_banner_christina_felschen.jpg?h=f0392448&itok=JT6xp4GC)
Just Immigration
The immigration policies we envision will allow people to migrate to the United States regardless of their wealth or skill levels, to preserve their families’ unity, to change their places of employment and to apply for lawful permanent status and eventual citizenship.
Tell Congress: Invest in Humane Migration Solutions
![Minneapolis Protests](/sites/default/files/styles/square_800/public/image/800px-protest_against_police_violence_-_justice_for_george_floyd_2c_may_26_2c_2020_11.jpg?itok=swmbSmPg)
Justice Reform
We all lose when we lock people away. Incarceration denies the opportunities for rehabilitation and healing that are necessary for a person to fulfill their potential. This is a loss not only to the individual and his or her family, but to society as a whole. We call for a transformation of our current criminal legal system, which today is used principally as an instrument of retribution — a policy contrary to our Quaker beliefs.
Build Safer Communities by Investing in Violence Interrupters
![Syrian refugee children](/sites/default/files/styles/square_800/public/image/syrian_refugee_children_holding_up_peace_signs_in_lebanon_june_25_2013_2c_source_trocaire-flickr_2c_creative_commons_generic.jpg?itok=1CtQWErq)
Middle East & Iran
Friends are called to help build a foundation for world peace. When crises break out in the Middle East, the United States too often turns to violence first. FCNL lobbies for nonviolent engagement in the Middle East to prevent, de-escalate, and resolve longstanding conflicts. Political grievances contribute to instability and violence, so lasting peace in the region will require engagement with all stakeholders and an end to U.S. complicity in the violence.
The U.S. Must Call for a Ceasefire, De-escalation, and Humanitarian Aid in Gaza
![Woman with red hand print over her mouth at a rally in Rochester, NY. 2019](/sites/default/files/styles/square_800/public/2020-09/31234348878_15875ac93c_k.jpg?h=1c231ade&itok=n4Ta2RuB)
Native Americans
The federal government has a trust responsibility to protect and enhance tribal self-determination and economic prosperity. FCNL works to hold the federal government accountable to tribes and to American Indian and Alaska Native people by advocating for legislation that will protect tribal sovereignty and treaty rights.
Support the Establishment of a Truth and Healing Commission on Indian Boarding Schools
![Hiroshima mushroom cloud.](/sites/default/files/styles/square_800/public/image/atomic_cloud_over_hiroshima__28from_matsuyama_29.jpg?h=7c5afc7d&itok=9WaCa6Hk)
Nuclear Weapons
Decades after the Cold War, the drive to build nuclear weapons continues, energized in no small part by the policies of the U.S. government. The faith of Quakers is grounded in the belief that there is that of God in every person. The awful power of nuclear weapons indiscriminately threatens all people.
Tell Congress: Nukes Make Us Less Safe
![Person carrying peace flag](/sites/default/files/styles/square_800/public/image/planned_giving_image.jpg?h=4db28897&itok=GzZxWhPo)
Peacebuilding
In our pursuit of a world free of war and the threat of war, we are changing U.S. foreign policy from one that is overly militarized to one that prevents, mitigates, and transforms violent conflict.
Letter to the Editor: Urge Congress to Support Peace in Sudan
![Advocates hold letters that spell out "War is Not the Answer" in front of U.S. Capitol](/sites/default/files/styles/square_800/public/image/war_is_not_the_answer.jpg?itok=Lkx8-eOJ)
U.S. Wars & Militarism
FCNL seeks to create a world free from war and the threat of war. Since September 11, Congress has largely ceded its constitutional authority to determine when and where the United States goes to war, and three presidents have expanded our country’s military presence around the world. The result has been a ballooning military budget, a legacy of torture and other unlawful mistreatment, indefinite detention at Guantanamo Bay, the use of drones to kill people far from traditional battlefields, and the deaths of over 335,000 civilians.
Tell Congress: No More Wish Lists for Weapons and War
![Baltimore voters cast their ballots during early voting 2014.](/sites/default/files/styles/square_800/public/2021-04/14432536983_3ff3dca869_k.jpg?h=d31d0416&itok=8CcJ_Wo4)
Voting & Elections
The damaging effects of money on our politics are clear. When money pours into our elections, the voices of average Americans are silenced. And voter suppression, too, continues to threaten our democracy.
This Week in the World: A Step Closer to Truth, Justice, and Healing for Native Communities
Seeking to Build a Just and Resilient Democracy
Quaker Lobby Lauds John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act Introduction to Protect Ballot Access
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