Church of the Brethren Office of Peacebuilding and Policy

Any plans for September 21? We do!

Mark your calendars to celebrate the International Day of Peace with several outstanding local artists from DC and New York City.

Gallery doors open @ 4PM followed by an event from 6PM - 8PM with insights from the artists and curator.

Location: Washington City Church of the Brethren, 337 North Carolina Avenue SE, Red Door X6 Entrance on 4th Street SE

RSVP link will follow soon!

Nate published his first piece with Sojourners in which he depicts the use and implications of Artificial Intelligence (AI) targeting in Gaza.

AI and Drones Have Made Killing Easier, Not Less Sinful The development of the capacity of lethal drones and AI targeting, along with the expansion of legal and policy parameters to permit this with little restraint, have been pioneered by the U.S. and Israel.

"I hope that one day we can all sit on the beach in Gaza watching the sunset and listening to the sound of children splashing into the water." - Linda Sursour

Souleymane Diori (left in first picture), whom we're happy to welcome as a new addition to our office, and Cornelius joined the united call for a ceasefire in the Holy Land today as war crimes accused Benjamin Netanyahu visits Washington DC.

What's happening in the Holy Land? Nathan joined Rev. Mae Elise Cannon from Churches for Middle East Peace as a panelist to reflect on their recent trip to the Holy Land and equip congregations on how to take action in addressing the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza.
Thanks again to the wonderful Manassas Church of the Brethren for hosting the event!

Watch the full recording here:
https://www.youtube.com/live/hnCtQnFvb0s

Today we joined 63 organizations in calling on Senate Appropriation leaders to reject House cuts to critical humanitarian aid & development assistance accounts. US leadership must help prevent international crises & human suffering & protect people & the planet.
Read the full press release and letter here:
https://www.fcnl.org/updates/2024-07/coalition-letter-department-state-foreign-operations-and-related-programs-sfops

As the Church of the Brethren affirms "we must seek and support solutions that restore dignity to the underprivileged, promote peace, and protect God’s earth.", we fundamentally acknowledge our historic and moral responsibility as one of the wealthiest nations in the world to support vulnerable countries and communities around the world that are disproportionally affected by our nation's heavy contribution to climate change.

Coalition Letter on Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs (SFOPs) Appropriations Bill | Friends Committee On National Legislation FCNL led 63 organization in a letter urging the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs (SFOPs) leadership to safeguard and invest in critical funding for peacebuilding, human rights, humanitarian aid, migration, foreign climate aid, po...

On Sunday, July 21st, join our partners from Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) to call upon congregations in the U.S. and worldwide to pray for peace in Gaza and the broader Middle East as part of Solidarity Sunday. In early July, CMEP will provide resources to shape Sunday prayers, worship, liturgy, and other aspects of Solidarity Sunday services, including videos from Palestinian Christian voices in the region. Resources will be ecumenically and politically diverse, allowing each community to shape their own traditions and commitments.

More information here: https://cmep.org/event/solidarity-sunday/

Today on World Refugee Day, we again celebrate the resilience, talents and gifts of those who are forcibly fleeing their homelands around the globe. In 2023, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reported that more than 117 million people worldwide were forcibly displaced marking an increase by 7.6 per cent from 2022. As this is part of a continuing trend of the increase in refugee persons in our world of emerging crises, our response as people of faith and as a nation that was historically built on immigration should be one of love and compassion.

At the Church of the Brethren, we affirm that “In the biblical tradition the alien is under the special protection of God. The alien is among those who receive the special protection because they do not have land. This means that the alien is to be dealt with in the same manner as the native. “We therefore call on the U.S. government and Congress to support “legislation and public policies which welcome and promote the welfare of immigrants and refugees and accord immigrants and refugees proper legislation to assure full and equal protection of their human rights”

Read our 1982 statement on Undocumented Persons and Refugees in the United States here.
https://www.brethren.org/ac/statements/1982-refugees/

However, in recent years and especially in recent weeks, we have seen nothing but continuing anti-refugee rhetoric that resulted in harmful and inhumane policies putting people seeking refuge further at risk. We are especially dissatisfied with the ambiguity of President Biden’s newly issued Executive Orders to on the one hand unlawfully shut down our border with Mexico to prohibit credible asylum seekers from entering the country while on the other hand expanding the rights and eligibilities of undocumented persons married to US citizens who've on average been living in the US for over 23 years.

We encourage you to check out the latest resolution by our partners at CWS to urge Congress to celebrate World Refugee Day and support refugees and other displaced people.

https://cwsglobal.org/action-alerts/take-action-urge-congress-to-celebrate-world-refugee-day-support-refugees-other-displaced-people/

TAKE ACTION: Urge Congress to Celebrate World Refugee Day & Support Refugees & Other Displaced People | CWS TAKE ACTION: Urge Congress to Celebrate World Refugee Day & Support Refugees & Other Displaced People June 3, 2024 World Refugee Day—held annually on June 20th—is an opportunity to recognize and celebrate the resilience and courage of those fleeing violence and persecution globally. It serves as...

Check out the new podcast series from our Death Row Support Project, featuring the voices of pen pals as they share their stories from their relationships with people on death row. These will be released each week as 20-30 minute episodes, and are also the fruits of the wonderful work that Rachel Gross has been doing for decades, as we celebrate her 45th anniversary this year.

🚨URGENT🚨

Check out the latest action alert from our wonderful partners at CWS to denounce the Biden Administration's inhumane and unlawful restriction on asylum and instead support positive measures to uphold human dignity and human rights at our southern border.

Click the link below to contact your members of Congress, express your concerns to President Biden or use the social media messaging included in the action alert.

TAKE ACTION: Tell President Biden and Congress to Reject Inhumane, Unlawful Asylum Restrictions, Stand By Commitments to the Persecuted | CWS TAKE ACTION: Tell President Biden and Congress to Reject Inhumane, Unlawful Asylum Restrictions, Stand By Commitments to the Persecuted June 5, 2024 On June 4th, the Biden administration proclaimed its intention to publish a rule that would allow the president to almost completely shut down access t...

Yesterday, President Biden issued an Executive Order to prevent actual refugees from entering our country and restricting access to asylum and putting innocent people at risk and further fostering harm and violence. Instead of abiding by his promise to enact immigrant-friendly policies, President Biden gave in to the increasing anti-asylum and disgraceful rhetoric against asylum seekers. With this response to our broken asylum system that is in contradiction to US and international law, the Administration will in fact not keep people who are forcibly fleeing their homes from seeking humanitarian assistance and asylum. In reality, this action of capping the amount of border crossing arbitrarily determines who is human and who is not and turns the southern border into a lottery with horrific implications for its participants.
We joined a rally at the House Triangle along with fellow justice seekers, faith-based advocates and members of Congress to express our disappointment of this action and solidarity with the people at the border.

Interfaith Immigration Coalition

Register by Monday, June 3 to join us at Continuing Revolution 2024: Restorative Justice as Spiritual Practice! This hybrid retreat will feature some amazing panelists, art and movement activities, and interactive workshops on restorative practices and organizing for justice in DC and beyond. Sessions are available both in-person at our guesthouse in Washington, DC and online. If you're based near Philadelphia or Boston, you can also participate by joining from Pendle Hill and Beacon Hill Friends House!

The event is perfect for young adults interested in deepening their social justice learning and connecting with others in the region. We hope to see you there for a powerful weekend of learning, reflection, and community building. You can register and learn more here: https://pendlehill.org/events/continuing-revolution-2024-restorative-justice-as-spiritual-practice/

“As a denomination with a long standing history of welcoming the stranger, we urge Congress to adequately provide funding for our asylum system in the Fiscal Year 2025, support shelter programs and those who tirelessly put their efforts into upholding human dignity of people fleeing violence and persecution at the border.”
This week, as part of the Interfaith Immigration Coalition, we added to the public statement on federal funding priorities for our asylum system in the next Fiscal Year.
Read the full press release below.

Interfaith Immigration Coalition Announces Fiscal Year 2025 Funding Priorities - Interfaith Immigration Coalition Ahead of the fiscal year 2025 appropriations cycle, a coalition of interfaith groups has announced priorities to strengthen welcome.

As we celebrate International Worker’s Day, we also celebrate the gifts, sacrifices and hard work our farmworkers perform each day to keep our domestic food system running and to feed the American people.
Check out and share this new educational video, created by the National Farm Workers Ministry to raise awareness about farm worker issues and initiatives of the National Farm Worker Ministry to promote social, economic, and racial justice for farmworkers.

Harvesting Justice With Farm Workers There are over two million farm workers in the U.S.; without farm workers our multi-billion dollar agricultural industry would not survive. Yet they labor lo...

We are less than a month away from the Ecumenical Advocacy Days 2024 Spring Summit! The May 17-19 schedule features a great set of speakers and workshops.
Learn about the connection between your Christian faith and international policy as well as human rights and participate in interactive workshops.
Check out the schedule page to learn more and register today!

Schedule - Ecumenical Advocacy Days for Global Peace with Justice "Faith in Action: Advancing Human Rights and Peace for All" event taking place in Washington, D.C., May 17-19, 2024.

We were very proud to host this year's Christian Citizenship Seminar "And They Fled" with a wonderful group of people.
This year, our Brethren youth learned from faith-based advocates on immigration and asylum issues and ultimately went to meetings with their congressional offices.
As part of learning how to advocate for just immigration policies, our group also attended the critically acclaimed "Message in a Bottle" dance performance at the Kennedy Center, met with the White House, visited a number of museums, and especially enjoyed the rich and diverse food culture that Washington DC has to offer.
We were so pleased to see our already well-informed group engage in important political issues while enjoying their time in a culturally rich Washington DC with many places to explore.
Thanks to our partnership with the Church of the Brethren Youth and Young Adult Ministries, respectively Becky for helping to organize this event and the Washington City Church of the Brethren for hosting us in your space.

This past Tuesday, our General Secretary David Steele, on behalf of the Church of the Brethren, signed a letter facilitated by our wonderful partner Churches for Middle East Peace, along with more than 140 global faith leaders, including denominational and congregational leaders, and Rev. Nathan Hosler, director of our Office of Peacebuilding and Policy.
In the statement, we call for a permanent and comprehensive cease-fire in Palestine, with the release of Israeli hostages and Palestinian political prisoners held without due process of law.
As part of this, we urge the U.S. and other world powers to stop additional arms sales to Israel and make clear that Israel, the U.S. and all countries must abide by the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide.
Immediate and adequate humanitarian assistance must be provided to the more than two million Palestinians in Gaza who are in desperate need.
We support efforts to reach a negotiated settlement that addresses the root causes of the current crisis and ends decades of violations of the rights of the Palestinian people under international law; such solutions must promote security and self-determination for Israelis and Palestinians.
As we prepare for Holy Week, we mourn and pray for comfort for all who have lost loved ones in Gaza, East Jerusalem, the West Bank and Israel in recent months. We know that Jesus himself was among those who suffered and comforted the brokenhearted. We say, "Enough atrocities in Gaza; enough violence, death and destruction! May love triumph over hate." We hold on to the hope that peace is possible even in the midst of this dark hour.
Check out the full statement here:
https://cmep.org/march-2024-international-letter/

March 2024 Global Christian Leaders Call for Permanent Gaza Ceasefire - Churches for Middle East Peace FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:March 26, 2024 CONTACT:Logan Bayroff, West End Strategy [email protected] 516-965-5159 In New Letter, 140+ Global Christian Leaders Call for Permanent Gaza Ceasefire, Halt of Arms Sales to Israel ... Read More

Creation Justice Ministries, one of our year long partners is hiring a new Policy Advocate, a great opportunity for early-career faith-based policy advocates.
Check out the full description and details:
https://www.creationjustice.org/policyadvocate.html

Annual Salary: $55,000-$65,000, commensurate with experience

Job Type: Full Time, Monday-Friday 9:00 am-5:00 pm EST

Start Date: June 1, 2024 (flexible)

Location: Candidates should be able to commute to Washington, DC within a reasonable time.

This position is hybrid, with flexible remote work options.

Hiring: Creation Justice Ministries Policy Advocate We're seeking a passionate Policy Advocate to spearhead our mission at Creation Justice Ministries. As the anchor of our policy initiatives, you'll collaborate with our Co-Executive Directors to craft strategic priorities, advocate for impactful policies

Past Monday the Washington Interfaith Staff Community (WISC) gathered for our annual retreat. It was a great opportunity to reconnect with our partners and think through the challenges and opportunities of the coming year.
The Washington City Church of the Brethren and our office were honored to host the first in person annual retreat since 2020. Thanks to Lauren Reliford, MSW, Leslie Copeland-Tune from the National Council of Churches, Michael Neuroth from the United Church of Christ Washington D.C. Office, and Representative Jamie Raskin (MD) who among many others were part of the speaker lineup.

Nate joined a delegation from Churches for Middle East Peace to meet again with the White House last Friday to reiterate the need for a lasting ceasefire and serious humanitarian access.
Many in the group recently returned from a visit and reported that the gravity of the situation goes far beyond what is portrayed in the media here. We were grateful to join our faith partners in sending clear and strong words, as we will not stop our call until the atrocities in Gaza come to an end.

Join Muslim-Christian-Jewish leaders, including CMEP, organizing and participating in a faith-rooted action on Wed. March 6th at Lafayette Park next to the White House. We will begin with a 12pm vigil led by the multi-faith "Stones Cry Out" delegation returning from Palestine calling for a ceasefire. Register here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfwgi60_mxegoVnx-yUuD8OZCaSV52eG14fsFYMxugjJD9J5A/viewform

This event is part of the Christians for Ceasefire Lenten Campaign. Speakers do not speak directly on behalf of Churches for Middle East Peace.

A great webinar series from our partner Creation Justice Ministries to explore tools and resources for building faithful resilience to the physical, social, and spiritual challenges of climate change.
Starting this Thursday, February 29 at 6 PM EST.

Find more information here and click the link below to register.
https://secure.everyaction.com/v5CxWI4bZEOA-n5uixPymA2

“We will not stop to call out the atrocities in Gaza, this is just the beginning of our movement ”
A diverse group of faith leaders and activists completed an eight-day pilgrimage from Philadelphia to Washington, DC. This act of solidarity with the Palestinian people culminated in a rally at the White House to urge the Biden Administration to call for a lasting ceasefire in Gaza. “The death toll in Palestine has today exceeded 29,000, and the daily mortality rate is higher than in any other major 21st-century conflict. “ Rejecting the idea of responding to violence with further violence, we call on President Biden and Congress to stop funding weapons to Israel and prioritize humanitarian aid to Palestine instead.
Churches for Middle East Peace National Council of Churches

Reflecting our commitment to peace in our world and specifically in the Holy Land, we invite you to join the “Pilgrimage for Peace" along with our wonderful partners from various faith backgrounds as it arrives in DC.
There will be a rally at the White House at 1 PM to call for a lasting ceasefire in Palestine.
Hope to see many of you tomorrow!
National Council of Churches

We signed on a letter with 662 faith leaders and 155 faith-based organizations and congregations urging Congress to uphold our moral and legal responsibility to welcome people seeking safety as the Senate prepares to vote on a bill that would drastically change the U.S. immigration and asylum systems.
As stated in our 1982 statement, the Church of the Brethren affirms legislation and public policies which welcome and promote the welfare of immigrants and refugees.
https://www.brethren.org/ac/statements/1982-refugees/
Interfaith Immigration Coalition

815+ Faith Leaders & Groups Reject Anti-Asylum Deal & Call for Welcome - Interfaith Immigration Coalition As the Senate prepares to vote on a bill that would drastically change the U.S. immigration and asylum systems, 662 faith leaders and 155 faith-based organizations and congregations have sent a letter urging Congress to uphold our moral and legal responsibility to welcome people seeking safety.

We are happy to share some impactful moments from the recent meeting with the Ambassador of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, Dina Kawar. As a board member of our wonderful partner Churches for Middle East Peace Nathan Hosler joined a delegation to the Jordanian Embassy led by Rev. Dr. Mae Elise Cannon, Executive Director of CMEP to discuss critical issues in the Middle East such as ongoing escalations in Gaza, the threat of displacement of Palestinians in the South Gaza strip, and the urgent need for increased aid to civilians. We’re continuing to stand united in our responsibility as Christian leaders to actively support and advocate for peace in Palestine.

A Statement on the Recent Events in Alabama:

We are profoundly disturbed and dismayed over the recent ex*****on of Kenneth Smith in Alabama as the State claims the assertion of nitrogen gas as "perhaps the most humane method of ex*****on ever devised”. This deeply troubling event unfolded through the use of the newly adopted and highly criticized method of nitrogen gas.
The reported details of Smith's ex*****on are deeply distressing. Witnesses confirmed his conscious state for several minutes into the ex*****on, followed by “shaking and writhing on the gurney.”. Kenneth Smith, convicted for his role in a 1988 murder-for-hire, faced a harrowing end as the first death row inmate in the United States known to be executed using nitrogen gas. His case had already garnered attention in 2022 when the state's initial attempt to execute him by lethal injection proved unsuccessful. Despite this, the recent ex*****on proceeded after the U.S. Supreme Court denied Smith's last appeal to halt the process.
The Church of the Brethren has always been opposed to the death penalty in all forms. We categorically denounce the ex*****on of Kenneth Smith and, any method that inflicts such unbearable suffering on individuals facing the ultimate penalty. As defenders of human rights and advocates for a compassionate society, we must unite against state-sponsored killing. Let Kenneth Smith's death serve as a rallying cry for the abolition of the inhumane practice of capital punishment
As part of our office the Death Row Support Project has been supporting persons on death row and tirelessly advocated for abolishment of the cruel practice of capital punishment.

Alabama executes a man with nitrogen gas, the first time the new method has been used Kenneth Eugene Smith, a 58-year-old convicted killer, has become the first person in the U.S. to be executed with nitrogen gas at a South Alabama prison.