SATURDAY, JULY 8, 2023

Weekend Reading

Dear John,

In 2009, a foreign corporation diverted the river that was a source of life for the Ixil Mayan people in Guatemala. Today, the community is struggling to reclaim their rights, their land, and traditions, writes AFSC’s Kerri Kennedy. Learn more. [link removed]

Here are this week's picks to inform and support your activism:

AFSC succeeds in stopping problematic contract for security firm to run migrant shelters: [link removed] Denver is no longer moving forward with plans to hire a private security company to take over the city’s migrant sheltering efforts. This change comes after just two weeks of research, organizing and advocacy led by AFSC. Advocates called attention to a history of alleged abuses and mistreatment at the hands of the security firm, GardaWorld and mobilized hundreds of emails to City Council. “The real question is, does Denver want to be the guinea pig for sheltering of vulnerable people with a corporation that has no experience doing that, and only experience in policing and military-style operations? And my answer is no,” said AFSC's Jennifer Piper. (The Denver Post) [link removed]

Tell Congress: Don’t send cluster munitions to Ukraine: [link removed] The Biden administration has announced that they intend to transfer cluster munitions to the Ukrainian government. These munitions are incredibly harmful to civilians, and the United States must not be complicit in their use. As AFSC and other groups noted in a letter sent to the Biden Administration on June 14, these munitions are already responsible for hundreds of deaths in Ukraine since the 2022 invasion. We must take action and demand that Congress oppose the administration’s transfer of these weapons. Contact Congress today. [link removed]

Korea Peace Action [link removed]\t%20%22_blank?ms=EMA23WR0708 : Last month, peace advocates across the U.S. met with members of Congress to call for an official end to the Korean War. On July 27, the 70th anniversary of the signing of the Korean War armistice, we will convene in Washington, D.C. to call on President Biden and Congress to officially end the Korean War and replace the armistice with a peace agreement. Join us for a rally, where AFSC General Secretary Joyce Ajlouny will speak, followed by an inter-faith peace vigil. Attend a conference (online option available) at George Washington University, where AFSC’s Jennifer Deibert will moderate a panel on the human costs of unending war. View the full schedule of events and register here. [link removed]\t%20%22_blank?ms=EMA23WR0708

Will you help build an Apartheid-Free world?: [link removed] Earlier this year, AFSC and a coalition of faith groups and secular organizations launched a new initiative to end Israeli apartheid. We’re urging congregations, faith communities, schools, and organizations to take a pledge to work against apartheid in all its forms. More than 100 groups have already signed on. Learn how you can join the movement.

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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