SATURDAY, AUGUST 1, 2026

Weekend Reading

Hi Friend,
Every child deserves to live in peace and safety. But for Palestinian children in Gaza, this is an unrealized right. Since the start of Israel’s genocide, children have lost family members, homes, and schools.

In the midst of this, AFSC is finding ways to support children facing the unimaginable. Recently, we worked with partners to rehabilitate a severely damaged family home into a learning center for kids. This center is one of five that AFSC supports in Gaza, serving about 1,500 children.

Thanks to supporters like you, these children are getting the chance to learn, play, and enjoy time with friends again. And they get an opportunity every child should have—the opportunity to just be a kid. Watch this video to see the building’s transformation. [link removed]

VICTORY

Exposing the hazards faced by detained immigrant children [link removed]

After years of delay, the federal government will be held accountable for withholding records confirming that immigrant children were put in danger while detained next to a Superfund site. This marks the culmination of an AFSC lawsuit against federal agencies that had withheld documents about environmental hazards at the Homestead detention center in Florida. “We were determined to expose the real story about how the federal government treated children at the Homestead detention center and to hold the government accountable so that children are not exposed to hazards like these again,” says AFSC’s Guadalupe De La Cruz. Read more about the victory. [link removed]

TAKE ACTION

Tell your representative to support the Peace on the Korean Peninsula Act [link removed]

The Korean War never officially ended, but was merely suspended by an armistice. This past week marked 73 years since that armistice. AFSC is one of 73 organizations releasing a statement calling for real diplomacy. [link removed] A majority of Americans support ending the war. We need a path to lasting peace. Join us in calling on our representatives to co-sponsor the Peace on the Korean Peninsula Act. Send a message now! [link removed]

IN THE NEWS

Court approves end of monitoring at women’s prison [link removed]

In 2021, women incarcerated at Edna Mahan Correctional Facility in New Jersey bravely spoke out against brutal beatings by officers. AFSC helped them share their stories and advocate for reforms. That led to a consent decree with the U.S. Department of Justice. It also led to the creation of a community oversight board, which includes AFSC’s Bonnie Kerness. Over the past five years, New Jersey has made major changes. And this month, a judge approved ending federal monitoring. “It’s almost as if the overarching philosophy of running a facility like this has undergone a 100% change,” Bonnie says. (NJ Spotlight News)

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

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