Update

Since joining FCNL a month ago, I’ve been blown away by the dedication of our lobbyists and advocates who are working to build the world that we seek. Our experts are willing to get into the weeds to push for the policies we need, while our advocates are tireless in lobbying Congress for important legislation.

With the recent passage of a major funding deal, I wanted to give you an update on some of the issues that we have been working on.

Peacebuilding at the community level helps create sustainable change for a brighter future. 

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.

At recent Senate hearings on the biggest threats threats the U.S. faces, Senators and witnesses were notably silent on ongoing U.S. strikes in Somalia against al-Shabaab. The hearings and threat assessment raise serious questions over why the U.S. continues to carry out military action against groups like al-Shabaab. Why attack groups who pose so little threat that they aren’t even considered worthy of mention in these hearings?

On March 11, President Biden released his proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2025. The president’s budget request provides a roadmap for the administration’s priorities and a framework for Congress as lawmakers get to work on this year’s funding bills.  

The federal budget is a moral document, outlining the priorities of our country. While President Biden’s budget calls for investment in some important areas, it doesn’t meet our needs domestically or around the world.

Below are some top take-aways from FCNL’s policy experts breaking down what you need to know:  

As the war in Gaza continues into its sixth month, the consequences for civilians have been devastating. More than 31,000 Palestinians have been killed, and the United Nations is warning of imminent famine in Gaza if urgent action is not taken to surge aid deliveries.

The “Doomsday Clock” is the closest it has ever been to midnight. Turning back the clock is a real possibility. But to do so, our leaders must abandon the failed militarized security approaches of the past. More weapons and war will only deepen global crises and make us less, not more safe. 

In 2021, the bodies of nine Native American children who died at the Carlisle Indian Industrial School were returned home, more than 100 years after U.S. government policies forcibly separated them from their families and communities. These children were members of the Rosebud Sioux (Sicangu Lakota) Nation in South Dakota.

As extreme weather events and environmental disasters surge around the globe, the role of the climate crisis in driving forced migration is starting to receive growing policy attention.  

At the most recent annual international climate conference in December, governments agreed to some of the strongest-ever global commitments to take action address the climate crisis. The agreement includes commitments to transition away from fossil fuels, triple renewable energy, increase energy efficiency, and end deforestation and land degradation.