Palestinian activist and writer Ahmed Abu Artema will be on a national AFSC speaking tour in March 2019 discussing the Great March of Return in Gaza. AFSC
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Speaking tour, webinar to focus on Palestinian rights
Starting March 1, AFSC will host a national speaking tour with Palestinian activist and writer Ahmed Abu Artema, who helped inspire the Great March of Return in Gaza.
We hope you join us! Midwestern stops on the tour, “Hashtag to Headlines: How the Gaza Great March of Return Challenged the World,” will include Chicago on March 1 and Madison on March 3. Please visit our tour webpage for more information on all events. If you can’t attend in person, you can watch the livestream of our New York event on March 14 on AFSC’s Facebook page.
Jennifer Bing will co-host a “sold-out” webinar tonight about efforts in Congress to support Palestinian children detained by the Israeli military. Learn more and get involved by visiting No Way to Treat a Child.
Media profile #NoCopAcademy’s work in Chicago
As Chicago approaches a mayoral election, community members are discussing the impacts of policing in their communities – including the planned construction of a new police academy, which is opposed by the AFSC-supported campaign #NoCopAcademy. Check out these articles from the Washington Post, Teen Vogue and In These Times.
Learn more about the Chicago Police Department’s dubious plans for implicit bias training, the push for releasing records, and a profile of #NoCopAcademy coalition member Jewish Voice for Peace Chicago.
Asia Johnson is a returning citizen (i.e. former prisoner) hoping to get into the University of Michigan as a student. She’s also Detroit Client advocate with the Bail Project and the Detroit Justice Center. [From WDET]
Supporting second chances for felons
Natalie Holbrook was a recent guest on this radio show addressing Detroit’s move toward second chances for felons – and the University of Michigan’s distressing move in the opposite direction regarding felony disclosure. “In all reality, none of these policies contribute to public safety, nor do they create a secure campus environment,” Natalie says. “They are discriminatory against people already caught up in the margins.” In January, Natalie also spoke at this MLK Day panel.
The next AFSC Freedom School at the Twin Cities Friends Meeting is set for April 4-7.
Twin Cities work focuses on repairing harm
Shanene Herbert reflects here on her first 10 months directing AFSC’s Healing Justice Program in the Twin Cities. “We have collectively worked with St. Paul Public Schools, specifically Central High School and Battle Creek Middle, as community partners as each school focuses on repairing harm to relationships instead of assigning blame and dispensing punishment between students and teachers,” Shanene writes.
Earlier this month, AFSC co-sponsored a screening and panel discussion on the film “(T)ERROR.” We invite you to connect with St. Paul Youth Undoing Institutional Racism (YUIR) on Twittter.
St. Louis youth discuss police brutality, accountability and school policing
The next AFSC Freedom School in St. Louis is set for March 25-28, and state legislators will be invited to hear demands from the students. Staffer Jonathan Pulphus recently led a screening and discussion of the film Fruitvale Station upon the 10th anniversary of the police murder of Oscar Grant. Joshua Saleem joined Jonathan for a discussion of school policing and a Black Jeopardy game with students involved in Game Changers at Ritenour High School.
AFSC Indiana fellows, from left: Raheema Chachouai, Aml Alkhatib, Amina Dalal, Nouha Mitiche and Bushra Rashrash
Indiana welcomes inspiring group of Fellows
“We are so excited to have welcomed five Fellows to our program to expand Communities Against Islamophobia in Indianapolis and support the growth of the Muslim Youth Collective that has been born out of this work,” writes Erin Polley of AFSC. “These five women will be implementing AFSC curriculum in and outside the Muslim community and will build connections with others working to end racism, Islamophobia and xenophobia over the next eight months.”
If you’re near Indy, join us on March 1 in “Celebrating Solidarity and Courage,” featuring a keynote by Elle Roberts. And if you’ve ever wondered about the politics of hummus, check out this article.
Iowans advocate for immigrant rights at the statehouse
AFSC’s second annual Immigrant Advocacy Day at the Iowa Capitol included information about pending legislation and role-playing – followed by real – lobbying of legislators. (Click for shorter and longer videos.) The next day, Jody Mashek, who directs AFSC Iowa’s Legal Services Program, met with 30 lawmakers and staff during a "lunch and learn.” Erica Johnson, who directs AFSC’s work in Iowa, said she was “grateful for this opportunity to inform policymakers on such a complex, mess of a system – and that we’re hopeful that we can work together for significant systemic changes!”
This coming weekend, Erica will lead a workshop on The State of Immigrants Rights and Advocacy in Iowa at a Theologian in Residence program in Ames. The next weekend, she’ll be sharing about AFSC’s work in Iowa at the West Branch Friends Church.
Bits and Peaces
Rabbi Brant Rosen, Regional Director of AFSC’s Midwest Region, blogs about Shabbat and Gaza and the politics of BDS….Read AFSC’s statement about Trump’s phony National Emergency and take action now to support people with TPS….Learn about these steps the US can take to pursue peace with North Korea….Congrats to Eloise Cranke, who retired in 2001 as Regional Director of AFSC’s Central Region. She was recently honored by WILPF Des Moines as a “Strong Feisty Woman Powering Change.”
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