SATURDAY, JUNE 24, 2023
Weekend Reading
Dear Friend,
Last week, the United Nations Refugee Agency reported that 108.4 million people were forced to flee their homes in 2022 due to war, persecution, human rights abuses, and other events. That is the highest number on record, and more than double the number from a decade ago.
At a time when so many people are seeking safety, we are especially grateful to everyone who has donated to our Refugee Response Fund to help bring critical relief and support. If you have not yet given, gifts are being matched up to $100,000 now through 6/30. [link removed]
Here are this week's picks to inform and support your activism:
Fostering peace and understanding in South Africa and Zimbabwe: [link removed] In South Africa, migrants from Zimbabwe have faced discrimination, violence, and even killings. Today, communities are working to overcome xenophobia and build inclusive communities, with support from AFSC.
Quakers Today podcast: [link removed] Are you seeking wisdom and understanding in a rapidly changing world? AFSC is sponsoring season 2 of Quakers Today, a project of Friends Publishing Corporation. Episode one asks, “What do you expect and need from a leader?” Kat Griffith talks about stepping out of her comfort zone and running for local office. Windy Cooler reflects on the award winner film, "Women Talking." And Jean Parvin Bordewich discusses Bayard Rustin and other pacifists who revolutionized resistance. (Friends Journal)
Reimagining Independence Day (June 29, 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT): [link removed] Join AFSC and the Interfaith Immigration Coalition for a conversation on the meaning of Independence Day in the context of global migration today. Who is Independence Day for? How has the United States lived—and not lived—into the values of liberty and equality in its approach to migration? What is our vision for a U.S. immigration system that truly embodies these values? Together, we’ll discuss ways that we can work toward that vision today.
Protesting jail expansion: [link removed] Members of the Care First Community Coalition rallied last week to oppose a plan to expand Santa Rita Jail, a facility in Alameda, California with a history of negligence and abuse. AFSC’s John Lindsay-Poland was among them, saying “the $27 million that the County will use to front the cost of construction would be better spent on building permanent supportive housing." (KTVU)
Special thanks to our monthly donors, our Partners for Peace, for their ongoing support to make all our work possible.
American Friends Service Committee
1501 Cherry Street
Philadelphia, PA 19102
United States
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