Dear John,

As Wednesday’s takeover of the U.S. Capitol demonstrated, threats to democracy can take many forms—and a free and active civil society is vitally important both in building a just society and in resisting militarism and violence. 

One trend we are seeing globally is governments exploiting the public health crisis posed by the COVID-19 pandemic to impose dangerous, authoritarian policies—including restricting people’s right to speak out and organize against repression. 

Please join us on January 26 at 11 a.m. ET / 4 p.m. GMT for a special 60-minute online event:

Under the Mask: How communities are resisting authoritarianism during COVID-19 and beyond. [link removed]

The event is hosted by AFSC’s international division, to mark the launch of Under the Mask, a new site that tracks and analyzes government abuses of power globally. We are launching the site to support the work of activists, journalists, and others working to protect our freedoms during the pandemic and beyond.

The keynote will be given by Fionnuala D. Ní Aoláin, the United Nations special rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms. She works closely with governments around the world and United Nations entities to advance human rights protections in some of the most difficult contexts.

I hope you will join AFSC and our global community on Jan. 26  to learn about Under the Mask and hear directly from peacebuilding experts and activists working to protect civil space and bring about a more just and peaceful future. [link removed]

We hope to see you there.

Kerri Kennedy
Associate General Secretary for International Programs

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