SATURDAY, MAY 4, 2024
Weekend Reading
Dear John,
Last Sunday, AFSC’s team in Gaza organized a youth soccer tournament in Rafah. Solidarity games also took place in cities around the United States. As in many countries, soccer has long been a beloved sport in Gaza. The tournament was one way to help young players and spectators find joy amid Israel's ongoing bombings and attacks. It was also an act of resistance. Read more in The Nation. [link removed] To see footage from Gaza, watch this video from Al Jazeera. [link removed]
We also want to thank everyone who started monthly donations in response to our call for new Partners for Peace! We are so grateful to you and to all who support our work for peace and justice throughout the year.
Here are this week's picks to inform and support your activism:
8 ways to support student protesters: [link removed] Across the country, thousands of students are demanding their universities divest from companies profiting from Israel’s attacks on Gaza. But instead of respecting students’ right to peacefully assemble, many universities have responded with brutal force and called in police. AFSC joins in solidarity [link removed] with students and their powerful nonviolent protest. Here are some ways you can show your support.
Tell Congress to abolish the death penalty: [link removed] Since the start of 2024, executions have been carried out in five states. At least eight more executions are scheduled before the end of this year. The death penalty flies in the face of moral values, common sense, and history. It’s long past time for the federal government and all states to abolish capital punishment once and for all.
Building skills for police alternatives (May 8, 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT): [link removed] Join us for the final webinar in our “Think Twice” webinar series. You’ll learn concrete skills from activists who are leading transformative work to build community safety beyond policing. If you missed any of our previous webinars, recordings are now available online. [link removed]
Exposing violence of militarized weapons in California prisons: [link removed] AFSC has released a new report revealing the widespread use of militarized weapons on people in California prisons and jails. Over three years, state prison staff documented 22,315 uses of force against incarcerated people. That includes rubber bullets, pepper spray, and tear gas. “The massive use of militarized weaponry against people with mental illness, hidden behind prison walls, cries out for attention and action,” says AFSC’s John Lindsay-Poland.
Helping people keep their homes in North Carolina: [link removed] Last year, over 16,000 people in Guilford County faced eviction. Many of them didn’t know about a legal resource program that could help them stay in their homes. That’s why AFSC North Carolina [link removed] and volunteers launched the campaign “Keep Gate City Housed.” Our efforts will connect more residents with free legal representation, mediation services, and help with rental assistance applications. (Triad City Beat)
Apartheid-Free webinar: The Palestinian experience in Israel (May 9, 12 noon ET / 9 a.m. PT): [link removed] This month, we’ll hear from Mohammed Zeidan who will discuss the realities of apartheid in occupied Palestine and the discrimination faced by the Arab minority within Israel. Mohammed is the former director of the Arab Association for Human Rights. Join us to learn more and explore avenues for meaningful solidarity and action.
Special thanks to our monthly donors, our Partners for Peace, for their ongoing support to make all our work possible.
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