Relief for Gaza, federal complaint against DHS, refugees in Kenya

Resources to inform and support your activism [afsc logo](   SATURDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2023 Weekend Reading [Displaced families have received food and other emergency aid from AFSC and partners.]( Photo: Belal Khalili Dear Friend, As the Israeli military carries out new attacks on Gaza, more Palestinians have been forced to flee farther south. But shelter, food, water, and other necessities are in short supply. Many have been forced to sleep in the open air. Thanks to supporters like you, AFSC is providing food and other aid to thousands of displaced people in southern Gaza as conditions allow. This week, we distributed parcels of vegetables to more than 2,500 people. [Read more from AFSC’s Kerri Kennedy.]( Here are this week's picks to inform and support your activism: [AFSC and partners launch federal complaint against Department of Homeland Security over “gross violations of human rights”:]( Along with six other immigrant-rights organizations, AFSC filed an urgent federal complaint against the DHS Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties and its Customs and Border Protection for violating their own custody standards for asylum seekers. For several months, Border Patrol officers have forced asylum seekers to wait in open-air detention sites for hours or days without access to water, food, sanitation, and other basic services. [Tell Congress: Stop funding violence against immigrants:]( Thank you to everyone who contacted Congress last week to protect the rights of migrants! As Congress negotiates new funding bills, we must not put more money into dehumanizing immigrants through detention and deportation. Instead, we should invest in education, health care, and supporting families. If you haven’t already, please send a message today. [Make a gift and receive income for life:]( Good news—charitable gift annuity rates are going up on Jan. 1! A gift annuity pays you reliable income while supporting AFSC’s work for peace and justice. Learn more today. [What does it mean to be an Israeli against apartheid?:]( For most of her adult life, Dov Baum lived in Israel, where she became an anti-occupation activist. Today, she lives in the U.S. and is AFSC’s director of corporate accountability and research. She leads projects to research and target corporations that profit from oppression. In this interview, she discusses Israeli apartheid and successes in the movement to end it. (Sojourners) [How young refugees are transforming lives:]( Dec. 18 marks International Day of the Migrant. In this article, AFSC’s Zaina Kisongoa describes what life is like for refugees living in Dadaab refugee complex in Kenya, where many have fled from violence, drought, and famine. We also hear from young refugees who are working to build a more peaceful future for themselves and others, even amid these challenges. [Your donation makes a difference:]( Your generosity helps communities meet urgent needs and supports transformative work for a more just, peaceful, sustainable future. If you have not contributed, please make your tax-deductible gift by Dec. 31. 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]( [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](