Stories of Grassroots Advocacy

Students from New Jersey, a musician from Missouri, a college advisor from North Carolina, and a board member from New York gather on stage with protest posters, baritone ukelele, and microphones in hand. They sing: “Not another penny more, nothing for the Iran war.”  

The testimony from the Oberlin, Ohio, Advocacy Team on how they are engaging in the struggle for justice and peace.

Last week, FCNL hosted a faith leader fly-in in support of the Truth and Healing Commission Bill (HR 7325/S.761).

Sonen Lanbi An — “Sound the Alarm” —is a call for Haitian people to gather, organize, and move toward action. These words have been a guiding principle for me in advocacy, and continue to push me to act even in difficult times.

“Never, ever be afraid to make some noise and get in good trouble, necessary trouble.” Late Congressman John Lewis, a longtime ally of FCNL, used versions of this quote often, sometimes pairing it with the phrase, “…and help redeem the soul of America.”  

This quote is the essence of FCNL’s Advocacy Corps program, which celebrates a decade of organizing this year.

As FCNL celebrates the tenth anniversary of the Advocacy Teams and the Advocacy Corps, we also embarked on two new innovative programs to widen and strengthen our lobbying network.

Two years ago, we started a program to train activists from communities with origins outside the U.S. (Diaspora Organizing Program). Last year, we began to formally organize campus chapters around the country (FCNL Campus Chapters).

What a year 2025 has been! Amid an onslaught of destructive policies that has tested our ability to keep hope alive, I’ve been overjoyed by the resilience and persistence of the Advocacy Teams network.  

While our hope may have wavered at times, our commitment to this work has been constant. A record nearly one thousand Advocacy Team members lobbied this year, 449 times, and published 71 times in the media. Our advocates have given me great hope.  

The Young Adult Program’s Campus Chapters initiative is an opportunity for students to become engaged in advocacy with FCNL on their college campuses. Throughout their school year, students work with staff to receive the most up-to-date policy updates, lobbying strategies, and tools to engage their community in the most effective way. In its second year, the program has grown from four chapters to ten, continuing to develop more advocates.

I first learned about Friends Committee on National Legislation when they led a one-day advocacy workshop for Action for Congo and the DRC Diaspora Desk this past August. I had joined the DRC Diaspora Desk earlier in the year, after the war in the Democratic Republic of the Congo escalated and large parts of the country fell under the control of the M23 rebellion and the Rwanda Defense Forces.

This was the question FCNL faced nearly two decades ago. The “War is Not the Answer” movement had sparked widespread energy, and members of FCNL’s General Committee and staff were ready to build on that momentum.

Among them was Jim Cason, former associate general secretary for policy and advocacy, who came to FCNL with a leading to engage more people in the political process. When Diane Randall became general secretary, she shared a vision to deepen FCNL’s advocacy. By then, Annual Meeting already included lobbying, with many arriving early to participate.