FCNL’s Hassan El-Tayyab speaks with Al Jazeera on August 28, 2024, about a pending agreement with the Houthis to recover an oil tanker, avoiding ecological catastrophe. El-Tayyab also speaks of the urgency for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza to relieve the humanitarian crisis and de-escalate tensions across the region.
Recently, I interviewed grassroots activists from organizations that work to deliver transformational advocacy to their members. Lisa Jordan, an associate teaching professor at Drew University, joined her local chapter of the Friends Committee on National Legislation during Covid. After numerous Zoom meetings with congressional offices, she went to D.C. for the first time. “That was a total thrill,” she told me.
Therefore, in the delicate work of building peace and reconciliation, one critical thread often overlooked is the representation of disabled individuals. Their voices, their experiences, their needs — all are integral components to weaving a lasting peace.
Congress must stop doubling down on militarism and get serious about investing in tools that can effectively reduce violence, prevent war and promote sustainable peace.
These lists contribute to ballooning military spending and compound an already dysfunctional Congressional budget process.
As militarism increasingly demonstrates that it is incapable of resolving conflict with non-state armed groups, the need to reevaluate the approach to such violence is as pressing as ever.
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 percent involve a gun (slightly higher than the national average of 74 percent), highlighting the urgent need for action.
Meanwhile, outside the offices of the Friends Committee on National Legislation, a Quaker group, a cadre of interfaith demonstrators gathered holding signs that read “ceasefire now” and “no more arms to Israel.”
Faith leaders are making plans to provide a de-escalating presence at the polls months ahead of another deeply contested presidential election in an increasingly polarized country.
Communities around the world are feeling the impacts of climate change. The coming summer heat is a stark reminder that our planet is in peril, urging us to invest in mitigation to curb climate change’s relentless advance and adaptation to safeguard our communities against its inevitable impacts.
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