Quaker Updates

As the oldest registered religious lobby in Washington, D.C., it would be easy for the Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL) to celebrate its accomplishments and ride off into the sunset. After all, the organization has done a lot in 80 years. But that is not FCNL’s way.

Dr. Hamm is one of the world’s leading experts on Quakers in America. He recently retired from Earlham College, where he taught U.S. and Quaker history and was curator of its collections of Quaker materials. Dr. Hamm is a member of West Richmond Friends Meeting in the New Association of Friends.

As the oldest registered religious lobby in Washington, D.C., it would be easy for the Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL) to celebrate its accomplishments and ride off into the sunset. After all, the organization has done a lot in 80 years. But that is not FCNL’s way.

Nancy Milio’s passion for public health and advocacy led her to Quakerism and FCNL

At the 2023 Friends General Conference Gathering, Quakers and friends explored the power of deep listening.

I invite you to join this groundbreaking community of racial justice changemakers. Together, we will continue the vital work of dismantling white supremacy, fostering change from the ground up, and promoting racial justice within the Religious Society of Friends and beyond!

To learn how FCNL can better support communities that depend on the fossil fuel industry in this transition, we traveled to West Virginia, where 96% of all energy consumed or exported is derived from fossil fuels. We met with representatives from grassroots organizations and Quaker groups to hear their stories.

Countercultural Leadership for the World We Seek

Sometimes advocating for preventing gun violence can seem challenging and, frankly, a bit lonely. So, the opportunity to spend time with more than 300 young and motivated people who came to Washington, D.C., to lobby for dedicated funding for Community Violence Interrupters was refreshing.

FCNL is a force for peace and justice. Our power comes from uplifting our prophetic mission and living into the world we seek. We must ask ourselves how Congress fits into our vision. Seeking an answer to that question, FCNL General Secretary Bridget Moix joined Sarah Freeman-Woolpert and me at the One America Movement Conference in Atlanta, GA, last month.