FCNL's Letter to Friends United Meeting - 1/4/2008

Issues: Building Structures for Peace

FCNL's Letter to Friends United Meeting, Africa Ministries in Kenya
1/4/2008

Dear Friends of Friends United Meeting, Africa Ministries in Kenya,

During this time of crisis we write to share our thoughts and prayers for peace with you. As a Quaker lobby for peace and social justice headquartered in Washington, DC, we have written to Secretary of State Rice asking that the US become actively engaged in supporting a peaceful resolution to the conflict. Importantly, we have asked Secretary Rice to fund longer-term efforts to build peace within Kenya by increasing funding for programs that promote peaceful reconciliation of conflict. Please be assured that we will continue to lobby our legislative and executive branches about the importance of improving US policy towards Africa and expanding programs that support peaceful prevention of deadly conflict.

We understand that this must be a trying time for Friends in Kenya, but we urge you to maintain hope and faith in the Light. Additionally, if you are active in or aware of programs that you believe support conflict prevention or are beneficial to Kenyans and are in need of resources, we would encourage you to think about applying for funding from the US Embassy or the US Agency for International Development. Specifically, there is a small program called the Ambassador’s “Self-Help Fund” which provides small grants to local organizations and may be worth investigating as a source of funding for programs that promote conflict prevention.

Please share this letter with local meetings, as you are led, and be assured that we will continue to keep Kenya in our thoughts and prayers and work to improve our own country’s assistance programs so that they promote peace and long-term stability for all of humanity.

In Peace,

Joe Volk and the Friends Committee on National Legislation
Reviewed: 1/8/2008
Posted at:
http://www.fcnl.org/issues/item_print.php?item_id=3088&issue_id=130