Hassan El-Tayyab, an advocacy organiser at the Friends Committee on National Legislation, a Quaker social justice group, described the upcoming vote as “historic”. He said the resolutions send a message to President Joe Biden, his successor-in-waiting Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that the “status quo is unacceptable”.
On Wednesday, were thrilled to have hundreds of Friends and advocates join us as we kicked off our 2024 Quaker Public Policy Institute (QPPI).
Reflecting on our time so far together, two words stand out: inspiration and gratitude.
Yesterday, we were inspired by the courageous advocacy of hundreds of advocates who went to Capitol Hill to stand up against U.S. complicity in the horrors ongoing in the Middle East.
The policy, humanitarian, and faith-based organizations — which include Amnesty International, the Friends Committee on National Legislation, and the Quincy Institute, publisher of Responsible Statecraft — expressed disappointment with Biden’s policy of “unconditional support of Israel paired with empty threats,” saying the policy has not yielded any meaningful results and serves to harm America’s global reputation.
“We are not for names, nor men, nor titles of Government, nor are we for this party or against the other.” Rather, “we are for justice and mercy and truth and peace and true freedom, that these may be exalted in our nation … that these things may abound.”
This week, we were grateful that millions of people participated in our democracy and that the elections were conducted in a broadly fair, free, and peaceful manner.
The 2024 election is officially underway, with millions casting votes this week ahead of Election Day next Tuesday.
With so much at stake, many are feeling anxious, concerned, and overwhelmed. You’re not alone.
We are gravely concerned over the threat of political violence. The threats of white Christian nationalism and authoritarianism. The threats against immigrants and many other marginalized communities.
In August, the Biden Administration approved a series of arms sales to Israel totaling more than $20 bil
In a historic speech today, President Joe Biden offered a formal apology to Native communities for the U.S. government’s Indian Boarding Schools policies.
The apology marked the first time a president has acknowledged the injustice of the assimilation the U.S. government tried to impose through Indian boarding schools. It resulted in widespread, horrific abuses that Native children endured, and the inter-generational harm that continues today.
In August, the Biden Administration approved a series of arms sales to Israel totaling more than $20 billion. Joint Resolutions of Disapproval (JRDs) led by Senators Bernie Sanders (VT), Peter Welch (VT), Jeff Merkley (OR), and Brian Schatz (HI) would block the sale of many offensive weapons that, have been used in strikes that have killed thousands of civilians, including aid workers and journalists, in Gaza over the last year.
FCNL co-led a sign-on letter with CIVIC, joined by over 100 other organizations to Senators urging them to “cosponsor and vote in favor of the four joint resolutions of disapproval introduced by Senators Sanders, Welch, and Merkley regarding several specific major arms sales to the government of Israel.”
This week, FCNL’s Amelia Kegan joined “Nuns on the Bus and Friends” bus tour to mobilize people around the nation to vote for our future and support an inclusive democracy.
The nonpartisan voter education tour was organized by NETWORK Advocates for Catholic Social Justice. “We need everyone, building community, to help build this vision of the country where every person is free to fulfill their potential and truly flourish,” Amelia said.
Stay informed and stay active