This Week in the World

“We are not for names, nor men, nor titles of Government, nor are we for this party or against the other.” Rather, “we are for justice and mercy and truth and peace and true freedom, that these may be exalted in our nation … that these things may abound.”
 

This week, we were grateful that millions of people participated in our democracy and that the elections were conducted in a broadly fair, free, and peaceful manner.

The 2024 election is officially underway, with millions casting votes this week ahead of Election Day next Tuesday.

With so much at stake, many are feeling anxious, concerned, and overwhelmed. You’re not alone.

We are gravely concerned over the threat of political violence. The threats of white Christian nationalism and authoritarianism. The threats against immigrants and many other marginalized communities.

In a historic speech today, President Joe Biden offered a formal apology to Native communities for the U.S. government’s Indian Boarding Schools policies.

The apology marked the first time a president has acknowledged the injustice of the assimilation the U.S. government tried to impose through Indian boarding schools. It resulted in widespread, horrific abuses that Native children endured, and the inter-generational harm that continues today.

This week, FCNL’s Amelia Kegan joined “Nuns on the Bus and Friends” bus tour to mobilize people around the nation to vote for our future and support an inclusive democracy.

The nonpartisan voter education tour was organized by NETWORK Advocates for Catholic Social Justice. “We need everyone, building community, to help build this vision of the country where every person is free to fulfill their potential and truly flourish,” Amelia said.

On the one-year anniversary of the horrific Oct. 7 Hamas attack in Israel, we took some time this week to reflect and mourn the lives lost and forever changed that day, and in all the days since. As we hold everyone impacted by this horrible violence in the Light, we know that war is not the answer.

We are holding everyone threatened by the escalating violence in Lebanon, Israel, and Gaza in the light. This is a frightening and volatile moment that demands restraint, reflection, and humanity.

They marched to the Capitol in the rain. Many held signs. Some pushed loved ones in wheelchairs. Others carried photos of those they’ve lost. All of them carried pain caused by radiation exposure.

On Thursday, a group of more than 60 legislators introduced critical new legislation to restore U.S. funding for UNRWA – the U.N. agency that’s leading aid operations in Gaza.

Despite the unprecedented humanitarian crisis facing Palestinians, Congress and the Biden administration halted all funding for UNRWA after Israel alleged that a dozen of its 13,000 employees in Gaza may have been involved in Hamas’s October 7 attacks.

The release this week of the U.S. Census Bureau’s annual report on poverty brought alarming news: Child poverty in America has nearly tripled since 2021.

In the wealthiest nation in the world, no person – especially no child - should have to live in poverty. Period.

The dramatic rise in both the number of adults and children living in poverty over the last two years is a direct result of Congress’s failure to renew the expanded Child Tax Credit and other vital programs that support working families.

Last month, FCNL General Secretary Bridget Moix traveled to South Africa for a global gathering of Quakers from more than 50 countries.

It was an opportunity to forge connections, affirm our collective humanity, and discuss how to work in solidarity to tackle our shared challenges.