As FCNL celebrates the tenth anniversary of the Advocacy Teams and the Advocacy Corps, we also embarked on two new innovative programs to widen and strengthen our lobbying network.
Two years ago, we started a program to train activists from communities with origins outside the U.S. (Diaspora Organizing Program). Last year, we began to formally organize campus chapters around the country (FCNL Campus Chapters).
Unlike other advocates, the diaspora organizers are recruited directly from leaders in communities most impacted by harmful foreign policy. The program strengthens their advocacy skills, helps them lobby Congress directly, and provides ongoing support after a four-day training in Washington, DC. To date, 31 activists from diaspora communities around the country have participated.
Activists represent the diaspora communities of Bhutan, Burma/Myanmar, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, Haiti, Iran, Niger, Rwanda, South Korea, Venezuela, Yemen, and the Rohingyas of Bangladesh.
“What emerged from our 2023 gathering was a strong sense of connection,” wrote Hadiya Afzal, former FCNL diaspora engagement and partnership organizer. “People who have been oppressed and exploited, who have experienced violence and occupation, will never fail to realize the connections between their struggles.”
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