It was special to be recognized in FCNL's online article.
This was the submission to FCNL's priorities process which they will use to discern where to focus their work with the 119th Congress (2025-2026):
Priority A: Promote Diplomacy to Prevent War - is crucial for fostering peaceful relations and minimizing conflict's devastating consequences. Diplomacy offers a platform for dialogue, negotiation, and compromise, facilitating peaceful resolutions to disputes.
Priority B: Promote Universal Health Care + Protect Gender-Affirming Care - Promoting universal health care and protecting gender-affirming care are essential for ensuring equitable access to healthcare and affirming the dignity and rights of all individuals.
Priority C: Ending the over-policing of marginalized communities is crucial for fostering trust, justice, and equality within society. This issue resonates deeply with Quaker values of peace, equality, and nonviolence, as Quakers advocate for the fair and compassionate treatment of all individuals.
Priority D: End Poverty + Hunger and Work Toward Economic Equity. We are appalled that we live in a country of such economic abundance and such poverty with so many children like us living with no home.
Priority E: Increasing funding to mental health services and raising awareness about mental health are essential for promoting well-being, reducing stigma, and providing support to those in need. Mental health is a fundamental aspect of human flourishing, and prioritizing mental health care reflects Quaker values of compassion, empathy, and care for the whole person.
Additional Comments: The adults who helped us with this were surprised that no concern for our Climate Crisis made our student Meeting for Business top five. We do worry mightily about the climate and know that climate justice dovetails with our own worries for social justice. Please know that our sixth priority was to always prioritize social justice in making any choices in respect to lessening human impact on the natural world.
How FCNL Decides Priorities and What's Next
By Alicia McBride | August 15, 2024
People who are new to FCNL often ask me how we decide where to focus. Amid concerns for a wide variety of issues for peace and justice, how does FCNL discern where to concentrate our efforts to impact federal policy?
Decisions about FCNL’s legislative positions, and our priorities for each session of Congress, begin with discernment in hundreds of Friends meetings, churches, schools, and retirement homes around the country. For the upcoming 119th Congress (2025-2026) we received more than 1,300 recommendations from 274 groups and individuals, representing 28 yearly meetings and 42 states plus Washington, D.C.
What now, that Friends have shared their discernment? As of summer 2024, the members of FCNL’s Policy Committee are reviewing Friends’ responses. They will bring their sense of where FCNL is led to work to our Annual Meeting in November, where our General Committee will approve priorities for the 119th Congress.
So many Friends shared how valuable the process has been for them: how it has brought their community together, focused their attention, and given new experiences of group discernment. Here is a sample of what Friends shared along with their submissions:
"We learned a great deal about discernment, discussion, listening, prioritizing, and letting our values have a voice."
"It is a great way for our meeting to coalesce our energies and attention and focus our faith into action."
"The process was fruitful…by helping us articulate and honor the deep concerns of our Meeting’s members and attenders…Surely Spirit is alive among us."
Keep your momentum going by learning more and acting with others in your community on the issues you have identified. Consider adopting a minute and sharing it with your members of Congress using the cover letter on our website. For ideas on how to advocate on your concern, join our upcoming Intro to Advocacy call on September 26, and see our website for many more resources.
We also encourage sharing your community’s priorities with candidates and elected officials. This sharing can establish or build on a connection with the people who represent you. From that introduction, you can follow up with more specific requests. FCNL has a sample cover letter you can adapt to fit your needs. Please be in touch if you share your priorities and let us know what response you receive.
What questions do you have? What ideas are being sparked on how your meeting or church can take the next steps on the concerns you’ve identified? Let us know by emailing the Quaker Engagement team!