Stories of Grassroots Advocacy

As the sun set on Sunday, April 7, the Triad Muslims Center in High Point, North Carolina was packed. FCNL Diaspora Organizers Ghaisha Yahaya-Mohamed and her daughter, Zainab Adamou-Mohamed, worked with the Triad Muslim Center’s Aalia Shahzadi to host over 60 members of the local community. They gathered not just to share an iftar meal during the month of Ramadan, but to take action for Palestinians in Gaza undergoing a forced famine.

​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.

There are programs to prevent conflicts, repair and stabilize disrupted communities, and demonstrate cost-effective positive change in troubled areas.

Representing diverse backgrounds—from Egypt to Niger, Bhutan to the Democratic Republic of Congo—these organizers spent four days engaged in deep discussions, advocacy training, and meeting with Hill staff.

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.

On the 18th anniversary of the invasion of Iraq, twenty people gathered in front of the White House. Together they called on Congress and President Biden to repeal the 2002 Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF), the law that enabled the invasion in the first place.

The first teams were launched in 2015. Today, we have more than 120 teams stretching across 42 states, engaging Congress to end endless wars.