Joe Volk is an FCNL Executive Secretary Emeritus, having served in that role from 1990 to 2011. Currently, he serves on the General Committee of FCNL, the Corporation Committee of the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC), the Corporation Committee of Haverford College, and is a trustee of the board of Wilmington College (OH).
We’ve seen how creative advocacy like baking peace dove cookies and singing to senators has brought imagination, heart, and humanity to Friends’ advocacy with FCNL—and how it has led to major breakthroughs in relationship-building with members of Congress. FCNL’s July Quaker Changemakers event will elevate creative advocacy in a discussion about music and political change.
The idea that it is necessary to maintain residual forces in Afghanistan to conduct counterterrorism operations is based on the flawed premise that “terrorism” must be fought and can be defeated militarily.
According to David Bucura, coordinator of the African Great Lakes Initiative, “Kenya is in tension and is hot in some places now. There is big tension before the elections.” AGLI is a project of the Friends Peace Teams which supports peace activities in the Great Lakes region of Africa.
Five Quaker organizations recently issued a joint statement on migration. “A Quaker Statement on Migration” draws on foundations the Religious Society of Friends and their work with migrants and on migration.
This morning, I put on my coat and joined FCNL staff on the sidewalk facing the Hart Senate Building. For 17 minutes, we joined the hundreds of thousands of school children, teachers, parents and allies all over the world who walked out of their classrooms and places of work, and with their bodies and voices, said enough is enough.
In war, civilians always pay the highest price. As the crisis in Israel and Palestine deepens following the attack by Hamas on Israel and Israel’s retaliatory violence, our voices are needed.
We are called to act — not just hope — for peace and justice in 2026.
Stand with FCNL for human dignity over corporate profit, compassion over cruelty, and peace over militarism.