Dear Friends,
The work of active nonviolence is alive and well on this Valentine's Day, thanks to you.
 Today, an intergenerational delegation of ten U.S. community leaders, led by FOR staffer John Lindsay-Poland, are in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico to challenge a brutal and indifferent U.S. border policy, economic depredation, and massive U.S. gun trafficking that has fed the violence and drug war in Mexico.
Today, 14 youth and young adults are traveling from throughout the United States to Nyack, New York, to attend the launch of Young, Pacifist, and Proud, where FOR staffer Shauen Pearce and FOR interfaith peace walk organizer Lynn Gottlieb will facilitate a four-day "radical interfaith revisioning of the world" retreat.
Today, a peace delegation of five U.S. and U.K. peace activists organized by FOR staffer Leila Zand are in Esfahan, Iran, building the bonds of trust and friendship between westerners and Iranians in the face of increased economic and political sanctions.
Today, we mark the one-year anniversary of a boycott of Starbucks called by FOR, the National Gun Victims Action Council, and the Episcopal Peace Fellowship for the company's refusal to ban firearms from its stores. Our "Brew Not Bullets" campaign has just issued an Open Letter to Starbucks repeating our appeal to Starbucks to help prevent gun violence through such a ban.
Today, a delegation of 11 Austrian FOR members are in Antioquia, Colombia, hosted by FOR staffer Liza Smith and FOR's Colombia peace team, learning about the transformational power of nonviolent accompaniment amidst the longest-running war in the Americas.
Today, FOR members from around the nation are preparing to join the largest climate change mobilization in history. FOR's Mark Johnson will be in the nation's capitol this weekend for the Forward on Climate rally, together with other leaders of the Interfaith Moral Action on Climate.
This Valentine's Day, we thank you and celebrate the love and commitment we all share in our work together for a more just and peaceful world.
A few weeks ago, FOR invited our supporters to respond to our first matching gift challenge, posed by our outgoing executive director, Mark Johnson. Together with his spouse Mary, Mark offered to match every new $100 gift or increased gift of at least $100 more than past donations.
Through your amazing generosity, you met and exceeded that ambitious $10,000 challenge. Thank you so much! We love you!
As part of this growing base of support, you are helping us in this time of organizational transition to strengthen our campaigns for peace and justice and to connect and serve the grassroots work of our chapters, local affiliates, and religious peace fellowships.
In gratitude for our shared love and commitment for peace,
Mark, Jonette, Ethan, Linda, Nathaniel, and the entire FOR team
[Image: "Peace Sketch" by Geoffery Kehrig, Flickr (Creative Commons)] |
