American Friends Service Committee

AFSC welcomes the signing of a new U.S.-Iran ceasefire deal—a step toward what we hope is lasting peace between the two countries.   
 
As negotiations continue over the next 60 days, both countries must act in good faith to keep the fighting from resuming. Congress and the Trump administration should also commit to a new era of diplomacy with Iran and move toward ending sanctions as part of a path to permanent peace.  
 
The same commitment to diplomacy must extend to Israel’s attacks on Lebanon and Gaza. For more than three years, the U.S. has failed to hold Israel accountable for its actions—with devastating consequences throughout the region. Israel can’t be allowed to act as a spoiler for this new agreement. U.S. policy must change. That means calling for an end to Israeli attacks and for full withdrawal from both Lebanon and Gaza.   
 
Now is the time for a reset in U.S. policy towards the Middle East. We must shift away from war, militarization, and apartheid—and toward freedom, justice, and equality for all people.

For over 150 years, people have celebrated Juneteenth as the end of slavery in the United States. But today, the U.S. is keeping nearly 2 million people in cages in jails, prisons, and immigration detention centers across the country. https://bit.ly/3S8xIqO

On Juneteenth, we must honor the unfinished work of abolition On June 19, 1865 – more than two years after President Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation – word finally reached Galveston, Texas that slavery had been abolished. For more than a century, people have celebrated “Juneteenth” as the end of slavery in the U.S.

During a vote on the National Defense Authorization Act last week, Rep. Seth Moulton tried to cut $150 billion from the Pentagon budget. AFSC’s Mike Merryman-Lotze explains why this sign of resistance is a big deal. https://bit.ly/4asyoh0

Finally, Someone in Congress Is Listening to Our Pleas for Military Budget Cuts | Common Dreams ​While congressional efforts to reign in military spending face steep odds of passing, growing pushback shows us that a different path is possible.

The Trump administration's proposals would gut vital programs for millions of people. It would also pour an unprecedented $1.5 trillion into the military. Tell Congress to reject funding for war and invest in the communities they were elected to serve! https://bit.ly/43e5uNN

Tell Congress to fund human needs, not war All people should have access to food, healthcare, and the resources they need to thrive, especially in a country as wealthy as the United States. But the president’s budget does the opposite. It would gut programs millions of people depend on while pouring an unprecedented $1.5 trillion into the ...