Signs of Hope and New Life for Making Peace – FCNL

Signs of Hope and New Life for Making Peace The headlines from Washington in the last few months have focused on corruption, lies, the divisions among politicians, and the absence of leadership. These headlines reflect real developments, but here at FCNL we also see signs of hope and new life for advocates of peace in other news that haven’t made the headlines: House, Senate act to protect civilians in Darfur House votes to block permanent Iraq bases Senate appropriators cut funds for building long-term bases House budget debate takes an unexpected turn Young adults gather to lobby Congress The Quakers’ Colonel debuts Protecting Civilians, Building Peace in Darfur: In early April, the Senate and the House took important steps toward protecting civilians and promoting a peaceful resolution to the ongoing genocide in Darfur. Following months of lobbying led by FCNL, both the House and the Senate have now voted to increase the funding available to support African Union peacekeepers in Sudan. The House on April 5 also passed the Darfur Peace and Accountability Act (H.R. 3127), legislation that FCNL has been lobbying for since last summer. For more information, read the FCNL Recommendations for U.S. Policy in Sudan. Congress Challenges the Direction of U.S. Policy in Iraq: FCNL’s year-long effort to persuade Congress to pass the Iraq STEP (Sensible Alternative to an Enduring Peace) resolution has become the focus of congressional debate on U.S. policy in Iraq. The House voted in March to restrict negotiations about permanent U.S. military bases in Iraq. In early April, Republicans and Democrats on the Senate Appropriations Committee joined together to insert language into a key Senate report declaring “It is the current policy of the United States to establish no permanent military bases in Iraq.” The full Senate is expected to debate U.S. policy in Iraq at the end of April. We at FCNL are working to persuade the Senate to declare that it is policy of the U.S. to establish no permanent military bases in Iraq. Read more about the STEP Resolution and FCNL's work on Iraq The Power of Peaceful Persuasion: Members of Congress and their staff tell FCNL that the most effective lobbying involves sustained, positive engagement over time. Your work in writing letters, making phone calls, and visiting with elected officials and their staff in your home state provides a model that many other groups are now following. In the last three months participants in the FCNL network have: sent more than 7,000 messages to Congress calling for sensible budget priorities; published letters to the editor calling for a change in U.S. policy in Iraq in newspapers across the country, including five letters in the Des Moines Register; and taken War Is Not the Answer signs to vigils on the anniversary of the Iraq war that resulted in photos of the blue and white signs in the South Marion (Florida) Citizen, the Los Angeles Times, the Memphis Flyer, and the Washington Post web site. House Budget Debate Takes an Unexpected Turn: House leaders were unable to adopt a budget resolution before the spring break because a group of moderate members insisted on more funding for domestic priorities. When told that their amendment would be out of order because it would increase the overall size of the budget, they suggested (as a compromise!) that the new funding should be offset by reductions in military spending. Find out more about FCNL's work on Budget Priorities. The Next Generation of Peace Lobbyists: Young adults from around the country gathered in Washington in early April for two days of workshops on nuclear weapons and Iraq, briefings from congressional staff, and discussion about Quaker faith and action. On Monday, April 3, participants in the FCNL Young Adult Lobby Weekend took their new-found skills to Capitol Hill, making more than 30 visits to congressional offices. Read more about the lobby weekend. What’s The Quakers’ Colonel?: Click here to find out. There’s much work to be done, here in Washington and around the country. But as we work to build the world we seek, we draw inspiration from these signs of hope and new life. ________________________________________ Contact Congress and the Administration Contribute to FCNL. Order FCNL publications and "War is Not the Answer" campaign bumper stickers and yard signs. Subscribe or update your information to this list. To unsubscribe from this list, please see the end of this message. Subscribe to other FCNL legislative, policy, and action alert lists. ________________________________________ Friends Committee on National Legislation 245 Second St. NE, Washington, DC 20002-5795 fcnl@fcnl.org * http://www.fcnl.org phone: (202)547-6000 * toll-free: (800)630-1330 We seek a world free of war and the threat of war We seek a society with equity and justice for all We seek a community where every person's potential may be fulfilled We seek an earth restored.