SATURDAY, AUGUST 21, 2021
Weekend Reading

Dear John,

Thank you to everyone who contacted U.S. policymakers this week, urging assistance to Afghan people seeking safety. The U.S. has a responsibility to support people trying to leave the country—and to support humanitarian efforts and protection of human rights for those who remain.

If you haven’t already, please tell President Biden and Congress today: Grant asylum to Afghan refugees and ensure as many people as possible can seek safety in the U.S.! [link removed]

Here are this week's picks to inform and support your activism:

The U.S. must invest in diplomacy in Afghanistan: [link removed] It’s time for the United States to grapple with the real costs of war and stop using the same militarized approaches that have failed us time and again.

AFSC stands with people in Haiti: [link removed] For far too long, Haiti has experienced the ravages of militarism, colonialism, and disaster after disaster. We hold communities in Haiti in the Light in the wake of last Saturday’s magnitude-7.2 earthquake.

The federal government will oversee changes to protect women in New Jersey prison: [link removed] Earlier this year, women incarcerated at the Edna Mahan Correctional Facility courageously spoke out against brutal beatings by officers. After months of public pressure, the state has agreed to strict federal oversight to implement new safety measures. It’s a step in the right direction, says AFSC’s Bonnie Kerness. (NJ Spotlight)

Sign the petition: Tell the White House COVID czar to put people over pharma profits: [link removed] U.S. inaction is enabling COVID variants to develop and spread. Join AFSC, Rethink Trade, and partners in urging the U.S. to do more to ensure all people worldwide have access to the vaccine! That includes pushing for a waiver of intellectual property rights to allow more companies to manufacture doses to meet global demand.

It’s time to end the Selective Service System: [link removed] Congress is considering a measure to require women to register for the military draft. Instead of expanding registration, the U.S. must end the Selective Service requirement for everyone, writes AFSC’s Tori Bateman.

Advocates urge Biden administration to invest in community-based alternatives to immigrant detention: [link removed] Providing social services, legal representation, and other supports allows migrants to live with the dignity and safety we all deserve as they await their court hearings, says AFSC's Grace Kindeke. (Newsweek)

Become a Partner for Peace monthly donor today!: [link removed] We are looking for 147 donors to make new or increased monthly gifts by Aug. 31 to help sustain our work all year. Could you be one? Thank you to all who have already joined!

Be well and take care

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