FCNL and anti-war activists have advocated against the Saudi-led war on Yemen since it began seven years ago. With critical support from the United States, the Saudi-led coalition’s war and blockade have helped create the worst humanitarian crisis in the world, pushing more than 16 million people to the brink of famine.
During FCNL’s April Quaker Changemaker event, we’ll attempt to understand the war in Yemen from different advocacy perspectives with insights from Capitol Hill, local activists, and FCNL’s Advocacy Teams, who are focusing on this issue. We will invite you to consider how your commitment to peace might lead you to act on the humanitarian crisis in Yemen.
FCNL’s Legislative Director for Middle East Policy Hassan El-Tayyab and local Yemeni activist Iman Saleh will discuss their advocacy. FCNL’s Sarah Freeman-Woolpert will moderate the conversation.
Speakers
Hassan El-Tayyab
Hassan El-Tayyab is FCNL’s legislative director for Middle East policy. His passion for foreign affairs is rooted in his desire to make life better for people in the Middle East, including his extended family in Jordan. He is convinced that advancing a more peaceful and diplomacy-based foreign policy in the Middle East is critical for the family he loves and for peace and stability worldwide. Before joining FCNL in August 2019, he was co-director of the national advocacy group Just Foreign Policy. He led their lobbying work to advance a more progressive foreign policy in the Middle East and Latin America. His writings and commentaries have been featured in numerous news outlets, including CNN, BBC World News, Politico, The Hill, Al Jazeera, The Huffington Post, The Intercept, and more.
Iman Salah
Iman Saleh is the general coordinator of the Yemeni Liberation Movement, a grassroots volunteer-led organization working to end the war in Yemen. She was on a 24-day hunger strike in Washington DC during April in solidarity with the people of Yemen.
Her demand for an end to the blockade on Yemen has brought international and legislative attention to the war.
Sarah Freeman-Woolpert
Sarah Freeman-Woolpert will moderate this panel discussion. As FCNL’s Advocacy Teams Manager, Sarah is responsible for deepening and expanding our Advocacy Teams program, a network of hundreds of Quakers and friends lobbying to build congressional champions for peace and justice. Since 2018, Sarah has trained and organized FCNL’s grassroots network and has contributed to the broader base-building work of the Strategic Advocacy Team. Sarah has trained hundreds of people to lobby, strengthened FCNL’s intersectional approach to grassroots advocacy, and mobilized new constituencies to take action with FCNL.