Whether you live in D.C. or halfway across the country, we invite you to participate in the programs of the Quaker Welcome Center. In addition to these events, Witness Wednesdays provide lobbying training for visiting Friends as well as a time for silent meditation. The Quaker Welcome Center at 245 2nd Street NE, Washington, DC 20002, is your home in D.C.
We recently hosted two events to bear witness in the creation of a world free of war and the threat of war.
August 9, “Nagasaki Remembrance: Stories that Stir”
Friend in Washington Diana Roose shared the stories of survivors of the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, many of which are in her book, Teach Us to Live: Stories from Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The survivors are teachers, artists, poets, doctors, researchers — and committed advocates for nuclear disarmament. Only four of the 11 survivors she featured are still alive today. Watch her read some of their stories here.
Anthony Wier, FCNL’s lead lobbyist on nuclear weapons policy, shared what is happening in Congress on militarism, national defense spending, and the latest issues regarding nuclear disarmament.
Our hearts joined the world in a call for peace and nuclear disarmament during silent reflection.
August 29, “Gaza in Context” and “Gaza: A Gaping Wound”
FCNL kicked off the 2018 Friends-DC film series, “Voices from the Holy Land”, by showing two films. The series was presented in partnership with the Friends Meeting of Washington and the William Penn House.
“Gaza in Context” is an educational film that re-frames the Palestine-Israel issue in the context of a settler-colonial framework. The short, four-part film can be viewed at https://bit.ly/2a6lqdu
“Gaza: A Gaping Wound” documents the impact of the 51-day Israeli military offensive in Gaza 2014. More than 2,000 people died, 11,000 injured, and 100,000 homeless. The short film can be viewed online.
Kate Gould, FCNL’s lead lobbyist on Middle East policy, shared the latest issues regarding peacebuilding in Palestine and Israel.
We began the program in silent reflection and held the space for peace and justice in Israel and Palestine.
Recordings of these two events are available via FCNL’s Facebook page.
To know more about upcoming FCNL events, visit fcnl.org/qwc