In photos: Showing love and solidarity with migrants: Last week, AFSC joined people online and in cities around the U.S. to urge elected officials to end immigrant detention—and uphold the right to asylum. See photos and videos from “Love Knows No Borders, No Walls, No Cages” actions in California, Colorado, New Hampshire, New Jersey, and Florida.
Announcing our nominees for the 2023 Nobel Peace Prize: AFSC and Quaker Peace & Social Witness have nominated the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition (FRRC) and National Council of Churches of Kenya (NCCK) for the 2023 Nobel Peace Prize. FRRC is a grassroots organization that has helped create a movement to end the disenfranchisement of people with criminal convictions. NCCK, which is made up of Christian churches and organizations, has long worked for the civil rights of Kenyans through broadening democratic space, access to education, rehabilitation of soldiers into civil society, and speaking up against state violence.
Journalists honor AFSC for work to expose police militarization: AFSC was named one of the recipients of the James Madison Freedom of Information Award by the Society of Professional Journalists – Northern California. The association lauded AFSC’s “Equipped for War” report, which showed how California law enforcement agencies have amassed military-grade weapons and used them in communities. The report relied on information from 351 public records requests filed by AFSC.
Today at 1 p.m. ET/ 10 a.m. PT: Black Quaker Lives Matter Film Festival. Join AFSC for today’s screening as part of this special online series celebrating Quakers of color. Today we’ll screen “The Prep School Negro.” The film honors Joan Countryman—the first African-American graduate of Germantown Friends School in Philadelphia, and longtime educator. Stay tuned after to watch a recorded discussion between Joan, film director-producer André Robert Lee, and Westtown School teacher-graduate Mauricio Torres.
Register for our next “Light in Gaza” webinar (Feb. 21, 12 p.m. ET/9 a.m. PT): Join us for “Don’t Step on My Feet Again: A Poetic Exploration of Life in Gaza,” featuring two contributors to our anthology, Basman al-Dirawi and Tariq Luthun. We’ll discuss the challenges faced by Palestinians living under Israeli blockade and occupation—and explore the richness and resistance in the poetry, culture, and everyday life in Gaza.
New Hampshire’s law stifles teaching about racism in the U.S.: In 2021, despite overwhelming public opposition, the state legislature passed a law limiting what public school teachers could teach or discuss about race, gender, and other protected classes. Now, many advocates and community members, including AFSC, are pushing to repeal it. “We’ve created an environment where hate is able to flourish,” says AFSC’s Grace Kindeke. “Despite what the bill claims that it does, what it actually does is it really helps to nourish that kind of hateful environment.” (Public News Service)
How a giant of responsible investing agreed to an Israel exception: Morningstar, a major financial firm, recently agreed to stop reporting on Israeli violations of Palestinian rights in its human rights products for investors. The decision came after a multi-year effort by the Jewish investing group JLens to pressure the firm. Morningstar “is investing in spaces to silence speech on Palestinian human rights, block companies from providing information about Palestinian human rights to investors, and prevent investors from taking a socially responsible approach,” says AFSC’s Dov Baum. (Jewish Currents)
Sign up for “A Friend’s Call to a Farm Bill for All” (Feb. 22, 7 p.m. / 4 p.m.): Our food system is failing to address hunger in the United States. Nearly 38 million people—including 12 million children—are food insecure. The U.S. 2023 Farm Bill can help alleviate hunger in the U.S. and ensure that no one ever has to go without food. Join AFSC staff and partners for our second roundtable discussion on the U.S. Farm Bill and how it can help us build a more just, equitable, and sustainable food system.
