The Advocacy Teams Network is made up of more than 1,500 Quakers and friends from across the country who use their power as constituents to make change in Washington.
Tomorrow, January 11, 2002, 23 years ago, Guantánamo was opened as a prison for the War on Terror. Its history has been marked by abuse, torture, and indefinite detention.
This year, 675 Advocacy Team members lobbied 342 times and published 103 times in the media, urging Congress to rein in wasteful Pentagon spending. We also launched new Advocacy Teams in Maryland, Virginia, and Oklahoma, expanding our power to 48 states plus D.C.
Recently, I interviewed grassroots activists from organizations that work to deliver transformational advocacy to their members. Lisa Jordan, an associate teaching professor at Drew University, joined her local chapter of the Friends Committee on National Legislation during Covid. After numerous Zoom meetings with congressional offices, she went to D.C. for the first time. “That was a total thrill,” she told me.
From April 11 to April 13, we had the privilege of immersing ourselves in the Oklahoma City metro area, thanks to the warm welcome extended by the members of the Norman Friends Meeting. This journey to Oklahoma was an incredible collaborative experience that filled both of us with inspiration and hope. We traveled to talk with the people of Oklahoma and explore how we could work together on the many intersecting issues we face.
These dedicated efforts from FCNL advocates were crucial in protecting funding for peacebuilding programs that prevent conflict and atrocities worldwide. They worked together to educate Congress on the cost-effectiveness of peacebuilding, share the stories of peacebuilders working around the world, and amplify the impact of critical programs that prevent violence and heal communities.
Use the bingo card and accompanying descriptions will guide your Advocacy Team through 24 powerful ways to create a more peaceful and just world.
There are programs to prevent conflicts, repair and stabilize disrupted communities, and demonstrate cost-effective positive change in troubled areas.
In the past few weeks, Advocacy Teams in Iowa and Utah seized this key window for action. Their stories of meaningful relationship-building with members of Congress are inspiring examples of the power of constituent-led advocacy.
“FCNL is one of the most well-organized and strategic advocacy teams in Washington,” Rep. Barbara Lee told RNS. “Their advocates always speak with detailed knowledge and moral clarity. I have found them to be an invaluable ally in our shared efforts to end war and advance human rights and needs.”
How one reluctant advocate became a grassroots champion for peace in foreign policy.
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