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5 Opportunities for Peace in 2015

Last year was rife with deadly conflict. Rebellions, violent extremism, and state violence killed many and displaced more. However, there are numerous opportunities for peace in 2015. The Obama administration has shown it is willing to pursue diplomacy in some cases and peace-builders are proving that there are alternatives to war. Below are five examples where civil society and governments are working for a more secure and peaceful future.

Money in Politics: What have we learned in the past five years?

Today is the fifth anniversary of the Supreme Court’s 2010 Citizens United vs. FEC; a decision that allowed corporations to spend money to influence elections the same way that individual people can. In the last five years, corporations, SuperPACs, and wealthy individuals have stepped up campaign contributions and further solidified the role of big money in politics. FCNL continues our mission to reduce the role of big money in government, which all too often drowns out the voices of American citizens.

No Place [to Call] Home for the Holidays

Last week, members of Congress finished the pertinent business to avoid a government shutdown, packed their bags and headed home for an extended winter break - but as I prepare to do the same, I am paralyzed by the thought of the refugee women and children who are spending this season unnecessarily locked up in family detention centers.

Greener Pastures in the President's Budget

At FCNL, we seek to protect vulnerable communities and God’s Creation from climate change and environmental degradation. We believe that President Obama’s proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2017 is a very strong step towards achieving these goals.

Hope in Paris

We hold Paris in the Light. Even as the grief of the deaths, injuries and emotional damage perpetrated by the criminal rampages of terror in Paris on November 13 begin healing, millions of people around the globe are sending their prayers and hopes for action on climate as world leaders convene in Paris beginning November 30.

Honoring Berta Cáceres

In early March, we got word of the tragic murder of Berta Cáceres, an environmental and indigenous rights activist from Honduras. Just twelve days later, her colleague Nelson García was also murdered.

How Do We Act Justly

The shocking murder of nine African-American people by a young white man in a Charleston, South Carolina church last week has focused the country on the sad fact that racial hatred leading to deadly violence is alive in our country.

Drone Warfare Is Still War

Yesterday, President Obama delivered a lofty foreign policy speech at West Point in which he announced his vision for American counterterrorism policy post-Afghanistan.