SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2021
Weekend Reading

Dear John,

Thank you to everyone who contacted Congress to create a pathway to citizenship for all immigrants! This week, AFSC joined thousands of immigrants and allies to protest in Washington, D.C. and make our demands in person.

We must keep up our call, despite the setback dealt by the recent opinion of the Senate parliamentarian. If you haven’t already, tell Congress we need citizenship for all! [link removed]

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

State Department eases travel restrictions to North Korea for aid workers: [link removed] Humanitarian workers will now be allowed to visit North Korea several times with a single authorization from the U.S. government, instead of just once. AFSC saw the change as a small positive step but reiterated that the State Department should end all the travel restrictions to the country to effectively support humanitarian programs. (National Interest)

Sign our petition: Tell President Biden to halt all deportations to Haiti!: [link removed] Many of us have seen the horrifying photos of Haitian refugees in Del Rio, Texas—living in makeshifts camps and facing racist, brutal treatment by Border Patrol agents on horseback. The Biden administration has deported many of those refugees, sending them back to dangerous conditions. Sign our petition with Daily Kos and partners urging Biden to end “Title 42” expulsions and protect asylum seekers!

Why putting all their eggs in this basket makes good sense: [link removed] A small-scale family farm is now providing eggs to a local food pantry in New Mexico, thanks to AFSC’s Farm to Food Bank program. Since the spring of 2020, the program has supported 30 small scale farms—and facilitated the donations of several tons of produce to food pantries and shelters.

Tell Congress: No more military assistance for Israel: [link removed] This week, the House approved $1 billion in funding for Israel’s missile defense system. That’s in addition to the $3.8 billion in military assistance the U.S. has already sent to Israel this year. But funding militarism does not keep people safe. In fact, military assistance can have the opposite effect by fueling rights violations, violence, and instability. Visit our page to learn more, watch our video explainer, and take action.

Amid pandemic and climate emergency, global peacebuilders call on governments to invest in peace: [link removed] At the opening of the 76th session of the U.N. General Assembly, over 200 peacebuilding organizations—including AFSC—issued a joint statement on International Peace Day. We urged governments to ensure that peace, justice, and inclusion are central in responding to today’s challenges. The Quaker United Nations Office, AFSC’s sister organization, played a key role in drafting and circulating the statement.

Update: How communities are urging Congress to stop funding cruelty against immigrants: [link removed] Over the past three years, the Defund Hate campaign has urged elected officials to cut funding to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP). Learn more about the progress we’ve made and what comes next, writes AFSC’s Peniel Ibe.

Make a gift by Sept. 30: [link removed] Our fiscal year is about to end! If you have not yet given, now is the perfect time to support communities worldwide who are working for a more just, peaceful, and sustainable future.

Be well and take care

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