As the oldest registered religious lobby in Washington, D.C., it would be easy for the Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL) to celebrate its accomplishments and ride off into the sunset. After all, the organization has done a lot in 80 years. But that is not FCNL’s way.
Nancy Milio’s passion for public health and advocacy led her to Quakerism and FCNL
At the 2023 Friends General Conference Gathering, Quakers and friends explored the power of deep listening.
I invite you to join this groundbreaking community of racial justice changemakers. Together, we will continue the vital work of dismantling white supremacy, fostering change from the ground up, and promoting racial justice within the Religious Society of Friends and beyond!
To learn how FCNL can better support communities that depend on the fossil fuel industry in this transition, we traveled to West Virginia, where 96% of all energy consumed or exported is derived from fossil fuels. We met with representatives from grassroots organizations and Quaker groups to hear their stories.
Countercultural Leadership for the World We Seek
Sometimes advocating for preventing gun violence can seem challenging and, frankly, a bit lonely. So, the opportunity to spend time with more than 300 young and motivated people who came to Washington, D.C., to lobby for dedicated funding for Community Violence Interrupters was refreshing.
FCNL is a force for peace and justice. Our power comes from uplifting our prophetic mission and living into the world we seek. We must ask ourselves how Congress fits into our vision. Seeking an answer to that question, FCNL General Secretary Bridget Moix joined Sarah Freeman-Woolpert and me at the One America Movement Conference in Atlanta, GA, last month.
This week, a delegation of leaders from Saudi Arabia and Oman met with Houthi leaders in the Yemeni capital of Sana’a. Their aim is to reinstate the truce in Yemen, which lapsed in October, and pave the way for broader talks to end the conflict entirely.
Amid calls for more weapons to win battlefield victories, we affirm the enduring power of building peace through peaceful means. We urge robust, persistent, and creative diplomacy and peacebuilding to bring about a just and durable solution to the ongoing war in Ukraine.
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