It’s been hard for a lot of us to keep track of time over the past year. Sometimes things that happened yesterday can feel like they happened a week ago.
But I do know one thing about the time we’re in today: This is the time to be bold and to hope loudly. It is a time to invest in things that bring life and joy and promote the health and well-being of all—instead of in systems that oppress, kill, and keep us from creating the world we all deserve. This is a time to recognize the many ways our safety depends on caring for each other—not on weapons, prisons, or hoarding resources from those who need them.
All around the world, I see my AFSC colleagues and partners being as bold and hopeful as ever, amid these most difficult times.
It is a privilege to work with people courageously calling for COVID-19 vaccines to be free and available to all, since we cannot overcome the pandemic until all people in the U.S., Palestine, Africa, and all corners of the world can access vaccines and health care. We are also pushing back on restrictions on civil liberties through our Under the Mask project, by helping activists and organizations hold governments accountable for exploiting this crisis to enact authoritarian measures. And, in the U.S., we are mobilizing with communities to demand a moral federal budget—one that strengthens our communities and meets real needs instead of enriching defense contractors.
Thank you for your support of AFSC. Thank you for sharing our dreams for a world free of violence, oppression, and inequality, where all people can thrive. By joining your voice with ours, we are working together to bring these bold hopes to fruition in communities worldwide.
I hope you enjoy this issue of Quaker Action, which shares examples of this work and much more.