A recent analysis of some violence interrupter programs that have helped reduce gun violence indicate that these community lifelines are threatened by the expiration of funding provided by the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (Pub. L. 117-159) in 2026.
In Pennsylvania, cities like Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, and Allentown are grappling with a grim reality: gun violence is snuffing out lives at an alarming rate. Roughly 557 Pennsylvanians die in gun homicides each year. Of all homicides statewide, 76% involve a gun (slightly higher than the national average of 74%), highlighting the urgent need for action.
From New York to Los Angeles, to Harrisburg, PA, and an increasing number of cities in between, a new approach to ending gun violence, especially in marginalized communities in urban areas, is starting to bear fruit and save lives. It is called violence interrupter programs.
As U.S. weapons continue to cause catastrophic harm in Gaza, FCNL and 24 partner organizations sent a letter to President Joe Biden this week reiterating our demand for an immediate halt to arms shipments to Israel.
We are seeking a peaceful, equitable, and just world. We bring this vision into reality by working in coalition with like-minded organizations and friends to confront systemic racism in our communities.
FCNL is creating a cadre of grassroot racial justice changemakers through our work with Quaker Coalition to Uproot Racism (QCUR). This is a collaborative project that includes FCNL and five other national Quaker organizations – American Friends Service Committee, Friends Council on Education, Friends General Conference, Pendle Hill, and Quaker Voluntary Service.
I first ran into FCNL when I was head of the fundraising department at AFSC in Philadelphia, and a friend of mine was in the development department at FCNL. When I retired here in Salisbury, Maryland, I became interested in FCNL and started to donate money to support their lobbying efforts. That’s the way I got introduced to the notion of citizen lobbying. I was just so impressed with the thoroughness and the clarity of the work that the staff did at FCNL.
While technological innovation is key to countering the climate crisis, nature plays an equally important, yet often overlooked, role. We should celebrate U.S. leadership in harnessing the power of nature here at home and in developing countries worldwide. We can be proud of our successes. However, let’s also reaffirm our commitment to international climate assistance funding, including support for critical nature-based solutions.
FCNL joined 17 coalition partners to send a letter to Sec. of State Antony Blinken expressing human rights concerns over the armed international intervention launched in Haiti in June.
Stepping into the professional world as a Program Assistant with FCNL this year has been a Spirit-led journey. It’s been an opportunity to embrace growth in unfamiliar territory and discover how interpersonal connections can drive social change. Like many people of faith, I’ve been learning that it isn’t always clear what following the Light will mean at the start of a journey.
People who are new to FCNL often ask me how we decide where to focus. Amid concerns for a wide variety of issues for peace and justice, how does FCNL discern where to concentrate our efforts to impact federal policy?
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