SATURDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2023

Weekend Reading

Dear Friend,

We are heartbroken by the bombing and siege of Gaza following last weekend’s attack on Israel. So many lives have been lost in Israel and Gaza. We mourn with you and hold in the Light all experiencing violence (read AFSC’s statement [link removed] ). Thank you to the more than 1,000 supporters who have donated to support our future efforts to bring humanitarian relief [link removed] to people in Gaza—and to continue urgent work to build conditions for peace.

We are calling on world leaders to help bring about a ceasefire, safe zones for civilians in Gaza, and guarantees of humanitarian access. It’s basic international law. Please add your voice to this important call. If you haven’t already, tell Congress to act now to save lives. [link removed]

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

Updated resources on what’s happening in Israel and Gaza: [link removed] To address the situation, it’s important to understand the context. We share our experience in “5 things you need to know about what’s happening in Israel and Gaza” as well as action alerts, statements, and a resource on discussing Palestine-Israel issues with friends and family who may disagree with you. All of this can be found on our Gaza and Israel topic page.

How immigrant students campaigned to save their school club—and won: [link removed] At Red Bank Regional High School in New Jersey, the RBR Dreamers Club has served as a safe, welcoming space for immigrant and first-generation students. But the club has also faced discrimination by the local school board and was nearly shut down. Here’s how students organized and advocated to stop that from happening, writes AFSC’s Itzel Hernandez.

‘We’re failing on epic levels’: Solving repeated incarcerations in West Virginia: [link removed] Many factors make it difficult for people to break free from cycles that lead to their incarceration. “We tend to continuously punish those that we’re mad at,” says AFSC’s Kenny Matthews. But that needs to change to allow more support and opportunities for reentry. (WOWK)

Explainer: The impacts of recent changes to DACA: [link removed] Last month, a federal court ruled against the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. This decision leaves nearly 600,000 people with DACA in limbo, writes AFSC’s Imani Cruz. Here’s what you need to know.

Get our free “Stop Cop City” poster: [link removed] AFSC is part of a coalition of organizations working to stop Cop City in Atlanta. If constructed, the $90 million Cop City would be one of the largest militarized policing training facilities in the country. It would also destroy much of the city’s largest forest. Show solidarity and spread the word by downloading our poster today.

Special thanks to our monthly donors, our Partners for Peace, for their ongoing support to make all our work possible.

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American Friends Service Committee
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Philadelphia, PA 19102
United States

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