France Remy is a local peace network coordinator and training facilitator in AFSC's Haiti office. 

Mel Duncan with David Hartsough are the co-founders of the Nonviolent Peaceforce. Mel continues as staff of NP and David is Director of Peaceworkers and is a member of San Francisco Friends Meeting and the author of Waging Peace: Global Adventures of a Lifelong Activist.

A few picks from AFSC staff this week:

“Meet the Guatemalan refugees who’ve been hiding in an Austin church to escape deportation,” by Casey Tolan, Fusion

Congregations across the country are taking action to stop deportations and keep families together.

Mati Gomis-Perez, AFSC's country representative for Israel and Palestine, on why we're failing to build peace in the region.   

It’s been 10 years since the victory of Hamas in the legislative elections that were held in the occupied Palestinian territory in 2006. Since then, many things have happened.

Jerry Elster is the Healing Justice Coordinator for American Friends Service Committee (AFSC). He is also a formerly incarcerated person currently pursuing a MA in forensic psychology. He has worked in the field of Mentoring, Substance Abuse Counseling, Restorative Justice, and Advocacy. He serves on the advisory board for Oakland & the World, a venture to aid formerly incarcerated people and those facing employment challenges to gain cooperative economic advancement by becoming owners of their own businesses.