SATURDAY, JANUARY 27, 2024
Weekend Reading
Dear Friend,
The right to vote is fundamental to our democracy and should never be taken away. With primary elections underway, it’s important to remember that 4.6 million people are denied their right to vote because they have felony convictions. They are disproportionately Black, Brown, and low-income people. In fact, all but two states—Maine and Vermont—and the District of Columbia limit access to the polls for people with criminal records. Tell your governor today: Restore voting rights for all! [link removed]
Here are this week's picks to inform and support your activism:
International Court of Justice says Israel’s actions are plausibly genocidal. What are we going to do about it?: [link removed] Yesterday, the court issued an order that calls on Israel to take all measures within its power to prevent genocide. It also called for immediate measures to ensure humanitarian aid is reaching people in Gaza. This is a historic decision that should serve as a call to action for all those who have stayed silent in the face of these atrocities. Read AFSC’s full statement and share these graphics on social media (Instagram) [link removed] .
Immigrants are human beings, not political punchlines: [link removed] AFSC's Maggie Fogarty and Grace Kindeke are New Hampshire residents who took part in the recent primaries. "This year all the candidates, including both our current and former president, are vying for who can appear most anti-immigrant," they write. That needs to change. It's time for candidates to stop wielding immigration as a political issue and start treating it as an issue of humanity and care for our neighbors. (Concord Monitor)
Apartheid-Free Cities: Mobilize Municipalities to Become Apartheid-Free in 2024 (Jan. 30, 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT): [link removed] Across the globe, communities are speaking out loud and clear for Palestinian rights. Join our webinar to hear from U.S. and European activists who are leading campaigns to get their cities to cut ties with Israeli apartheid. Learn from their successes and challenges. Then, consider ways you can mobilize your community to become apartheid-free. Register today.
Protesting the corporations behind Cop City: [link removed] Last week, community members in California, Colorado, Georgia, and other states took part in our Stop Cop City week of action. We held actions to pressure corporations like Home Depot and UPS to end their involvement with Cop City—and stay out of policing in our communities. Thank you to all who joined! See photos from events on Instagram.
Celebrating our second class of Emerging Leaders for Liberation: [link removed] In November, AFSC concluded the second year of our ELL program. ELL helps young people strengthen their social justice and leadership skills and apply what they learned to organize and advocate in their communities. Read more from AFSC’s Julián Andaya. [link removed] We’re now accepting applications for our 2024 cohort. If you know a young leader who is affiliated with an AFSC program, a Quaker meeting, or a Quaker college, please spread the word! [link removed]
New podcast episode: Supporting artists working for social change: [link removed] Last year, AFSC brought together activists, activists, and cultural practitioners from the Middle East and North Africa to share their knowledge and experiences in using art for social change. Our limited podcast series, “Assembly,” [link removed] features the stories and perspectives of some of our participants. In this episode, we hear from Hatem Salama of the Ford Foundation.
Join our supporter drive: [link removed] We are looking for 500 people to donate by February 15 as part of our annual supporter drive. If you have not yet made your gift for 2024, now is the perfect time to join. Help meet urgent community needs and support worldwide work for peace, justice, and human dignity with your gift today! [link removed]
Special thanks to our monthly donors, our Partners for Peace, for their ongoing support to make all our work possible.
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