by Jordanian artist Osama Hajjaj

We are likely continuing to grieve the outcome of the U.S. election and that is important to do -- we need to grieve-- and then as Sara urges in her opening reflection, “we get back to what we were doing before. . . we fight. We resist.” To do that, we must avoid the temptation of sliding into despair. Despair, as some have observed, is “the spirituality of empire.” Empires succeed when people of conscience lose hope, concede their power, stop fighting, and give in. So let our responses be to work even harder and engage in the “radical action” that Natasha Lennard prescribes in a recent Intercept article.  We are not, as she reminds us, “starting from scratch.”

Here are two current issues needing our immediate attention and action:

United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) funding: The Biden Administration suspended all funding of UNRWA in January 2024 and then in March Congress followed suit passing a one-year ban on funds. Now the Israeli Knesset has banned UNRWA from operating within Israel. Take action by demanding Congress condemn Israel's ban on UNRWA and sponsor or support the UNRWA Funding Restoration Act. You can deliver this message (1) through FOSNA here; and (2) through this month’s Global Ministries’ 3^rd Thursday alert coming out soon. Look for that.

The Joint Resolutions for Disapproval (JRD) on US Weapons to Israel: These resolutions, submitted by Senator Bernie Sanders, come up for a Senate vote, mandated this week between Nov. 12-15. Prompted by this schedule for the JRD vote, Peace Action Now has designated Nov. 10-24 National Days of Action, a time to tell Congress and the Administration, “Stop arming genocide.” You can deliver that message to Congress in multiple ways: (1) through Peace Action Now here; (2) through our own Global Ministries alert here; and (3) through the Friends Committee for National Legislation here.

This excerpt is from the UCCPIN November 2024 E-Newsletter. To view the full newsletter, click here: UCCPIN November 2024 E-Newsletter.