SATURDAY, AUGUST 16, 2025
Weekend Reading
Hi Friend,
AFSC has joined over 100 organizations [link removed] in demanding that Israel stop blocking humanitarian aid to Gaza. The consequences are deadly. Today, Palestinians are dying of starvation just kilometers from trucks full of food. “Israel is instituting as many obstacles as possible to prevent humanitarian workers from saving lives,” says AFSC’s Joyce Ajlouny. “We need the U.S. and all states to leverage their influence to end the weaponization of hunger.” Read more in the Associated Press. [link removed]
Every one of us must also keep pressuring Congress to end this crisis . Tell elected officials: Demand that Israel allow lifesaving aid into Gaza! [[link removed]
CRISIS IN GAZA
On grief and being the only survivor of your family in Gaza [link removed]
By Yousef
AFSC’s Yousef remembers his sister Somaiya; her husband, Anas; and his nieces Hoor, 13, and Sham, 9. They were killed in an Israeli airstrike on Gaza last week. Only 14-year-old Noor survived. Yousef writes: “We don’t want streets or institutions named after our children. We wanted Hoor and Sham to become the young women they wanted to be.” Now Yousef asks the world to remember their names, stories, and hopes. It’s “the least the world can do to keep their memories alive after failing to make their dreams come true.”
AFRICA REGION
In search of work, migrants cross the river to South Africa [link removed]
By Brian Minter
At the Limpopo River between Zimbabwe and South Africa, tens of thousands of migrants cross one of Africa’s busiest borders seeking work. Many face violence, exploitation, and hostility from local communities who see them as threats. AFSC partners with local leaders to provide migrants with aid, legal assistance, and shelter. We also bring people together from both sides of the border, helping reduce tensions. Read more about our efforts. [link removed]
IN THE MEDIA
The history of Central American migration to the U.S. [link removed]
In this podcast episode, AFSC’s Amy Gottlieb interviews New Yorker staff writer Jonathan Blitzer. He is the author of the book “Everyone Who is Gone is Here: The United States, Central America, and the Making of a Crisis.” They discuss how U.S. foreign policy has fueled violence in the region and forced people to flee. They also explore how we can work toward a future where migration is a choice, not a necessity, because all people have what they need to thrive. (Houses on the Moon)
Denver Pride divests from Chevron [link removed]
An LGBTQ+ organization in Colorado has announced it will no longer accept money from Chevron Corporation. Denver Pride cited concerns about Chevron’s role in fueling Israel’s genocide in Gaza. As AFSC has documented, Chevron is the largest producer of energy for Israel. Denver is the fourth Pride festival that has divested from certain companies because of the genocide in Gaza, following Raleigh, North Carolina; Austin, Texas; and Seattle. To learn more, read about our Boycott Chevron campaign. [link removed] (Colorado Public Radio) [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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