Friends,
Today, we launched #GiveRefugeesRest -- a campaign to affirm the humanity of refugees.
We need your help in calling on the 31 governors who supported refugee bans in their states, and the Speaker of the House who advanced federal legislation.
Send your own pillowcase to the nearest governor of the 31, or to the Speaker of the House, with the message #GiveRefugeesRest.
The pillowcases are symbols of both a wake-up call for political leaders to remember our common humanity as well as a demand to provide for the basic needs of suffering people.
Last week with the intention to arrive today, FOR sent 31 pillowcases and accompanying letters to each of the governors.
"We find your refusal to open your state to Syrian refugees an egregious decision that contradicts the best spirit of America, as well as our various faith traditions," FOR wrote. "We oppose this decision in the strongest possible terms, on both moral and political grounds."
But a national organization's position means little compared to residents of a governor's own state, and we need you to add your voice today.
In addition to the pillowcase, we encourage you to send a letter of your own explaining your thoughts on refugees and human rights.
Grounded in FOR history
The #GiveRefugeesRest campaign is inspired by a successful FOR campaign in 1954, in which bags of rice changed the course of history.
On Nov. 3, 1954, in the midst of a severe famine on the Chinese mainland, FOR launched the Food for China campaign.
Members sent small sacks of grain to President Eisenhower's administration with the message, "If thine enemy hunger, feed him. Send surplus food to China."
We now know that the 45,000 bags that were sent, as well as tens of thousands of letters, were mentioned three times in cabinet meetings. The third time, this grassroots pressure led Eisenhower to veto a proposal to bomb China.
Act now to #GiveRefugeesRest
A step-by-step guide:
1. Design your own pillowcase with the hashtag #GiveRefugeesRest. We encourage you to also write a letter to accompany the pillowcase. Here is the full letter that FOR sent to each of the 31 governors along with our pillowcases.
2. Take a selfie with your pillowcase and share it on social media with the hashtag #GiveRefugeesRest. This is critical, because it spreads the message across social media. FOR members are small in number -- powerful! but small -- and we need many more allies in order to make an impact.
3. Mail it to the governor closest to you on the list, or to the Speaker of the House. To get the addresses of where to mail, visit the website and click "Send a Pillowcase."
4. Stay tuned-in to the #GiveRefugeesRest website and watch for the video release on Friday -- then please share the message far and wide!
The time is now
You've no doubt heard on the news of the precarious positions of many refugees from Syria. The refugee resettlement process is already a lengthy one. Please act now to give refugees rest and prevent political leaders from making the situation even worse.
In solidarity,
 Anthony Grimes
Director of Campaigns and Strategy
Fellowship of Reconciliation USA
|
