Border closure, Gaza crisis, water rights

Resources to inform and support your activism [afsc logo](   SATURDAY, JUNE 8, 2024 Weekend Reading [AFSC staff and community members provide emergency aid to migrants through the border barriers.]( Photo: Pedro Rios/AFSC Dear Friend, The U.S. should welcome immigrants with dignity, not turn them away. But this week, President Biden signed an executive order to shut down the U.S.-Mexico border. This denial of access to asylum violates international and domestic law, and will only cause further harm and suffering to people who are seeking protection in the U.S. ([read AFSC’s statement](. Thank you to everyone who contacted Congress to oppose the change. If you haven’t already, [please send a message today!]( Here are this week's picks to inform and support your activism: [A look at AFSC’s humanitarian response at the U.S.-Mexico border:]( Since September, Border Patrol has held migrants in open-air detention sites without access to basic services. Nearly every day since then, AFSC has provided migrants with humanitarian aid as we advocate to end this inhumane practice. Through the border barriers, we hand people water, food, and clothing and even tend to their wounds. “We are demonstrating humane alternatives that welcome all people, respect their rights, and treat them with the dignity we all deserve,” writes AFSC’s Pedro Rios. [What you need to know about the crisis in Gaza:]( Looking for updates and perspectives on what’s happening in Gaza and how you can take action? Check out our newly updated Gaza resource page for accounts from AFSC’s team in Gaza, ways to advocate, tools for divestment, and more. [Protecting the right to water:]( Access to safe, clean, affordable water is a human right. But in the U.S. and around the world, people are denied this most basic of rights. Climate change also fuels water scarcity. Here are some ways that communities are working to reclaim the right to water, with support from AFSC. [Seeds of compassion: The legacy of Quaker aid:]( During World War II and its aftermath, millions of German children received much-needed food aid from AFSC and Quakers. Years later, many of those who were assisted would provide for others in need. They became the earliest supporters of Quäker-Hilfe Stiftung, a charitable trust founded by AFSC and German Quakers. [Take our quiz:]( Do you know why so many people across the globe are forced to flee their homes? Take our quiz, then share it with others to help raise awareness. Special thanks to our monthly donors, our Partners for Peace, for their ongoing support to make all our work possible. [DONATE]( American Friends Service Committee 1501 Cherry Street Philadelphia, PA 19102 United States | [Donate]( [Facebook]( [X (Twitter)]( [Instagram |]( [News]( If you believe you received this message in error or wish to no longer receive email from us, please [unsubscribe](. [Update your AFSC email preferences](