SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2024
Weekend Reading
Dear Friend,
Thank you to everyone who took action to demand the restoration of U.S. funding for Palestinian aid! Palestinians in Gaza are facing starvation, disease outbreaks, and displacement amid ongoing bombardment. But the U.S. and other countries have suspended funding to the U.N. Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), the main provider of aid to Gaza. If not reversed, this decision will lead to a collapse of the already restricted humanitarian response in Gaza—costing many more Palestinian lives. If you haven’t already, tell Congress to do everything in their power to restore funding for life-saving Palestinian aid! [link removed]
Here are this week's picks to inform and support your activism:
How we passed a cease-fire resolution in our town: [link removed] In State College, Pennsylvania, a coalition of students and community members organized to pass a city council resolution calling for a cease-fire in Gaza. They won. Their victory is one of a growing number of resolutions passed in big cities and small towns across the United States. That includes a resolution in Chicago, supported by AFSC and partners. Read more about the effort from AFSC partner and activist Roua Daas.
Tell Congress: NO more funding for war and inhumane migration policies: [link removed] President Biden is urging Congress to pass a funding bill that would allow him to shut down the U.S.-Mexico border to people seeking refuge. The legislation would also provide more military funding for the Israeli military and the war in Ukraine. Today, we must remind Congress that peace will never be secured through weapons or walls—and urge them to uphold migrants’ rights to asylum in the U.S. Real peace can only be achieved through diplomacy, engagement, and meeting human needs.
Drawings from North Korea children featured in Northern Ireland: [link removed] For over two decades, children from North Korea and South Korea have been writing and sending drawings to one another, despite living on a divided peninsula. The “Drawing Hope” art exhibit, co-sponsored by AFSC, showcases this artwork shared across borders. Recently, the exhibit traveled to Northern Ireland. Said AFSC's Jennifer Deibert, "I can see the children’s vision for the world they want to live in, and it’s a world I want to see, too." (Shared Future News)
Hazardous county jail conditions spur calls for independent oversight: [link removed] In New Jersey, advocates have warned that state inspections of county jails are failing to provide a true picture of what happens behind bars. In many cases, jails have passed such inspections despite well-documented problems that have led to lawsuits and civil rights investigations. “Counties are their own fiefdoms,” says AFSC’s Bonnie Kerness. “There is nobody to complain to when there are problems in the county jails, no logical chain of command to accept complaints and do something about it.” (New Jersey Monitor)
Gaza war offers the ultimate marketing tool for Israeli arms companies: [link removed] For years, the Israeli military has tested high-tech weapons and surveillance in its attacks on Gaza. That has allowed weapons companies to market their products as “battle-tested” and further profit from human suffering. AFSC is tracking the corporations that are profiting from Israel’s war on Gaza. “Multiple new weapon systems have been tried for the first time now in Gaza,” says AFSC’s Noam Perry. (+972) To learn more, join this Massachusetts Peace Action webinar featuring AFSC staff, “The U.S. Military Industrial Complex and the Assault on Gaza” (Feb. 6, 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT). Register 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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