Friends Committee for National Legislation (FCNL), the Quaker organization that advocates on Capital Hill for legislation that reflects our testimonies, is reaching out to Meetings across the country in order to solicit input regarding which national issues Friends see as the most urgent for the 118th Congress, which convenes in January, 2023. In order for Richmond Friends Meeting to participate in this Spirit-led discernment process, please email Barbara Pedrotty by February 24th the issue/s you would like FCNL to focus on. Peace and Social Concerns will develop a plan, given the restraints of the pandemic, to combine and coalesce those suggestions into a draft of the (maximum) seven most urgent legislative issues for RFM. We will present the draft at Meeting for Business in March, in the hope of forwarding RFM’s legislative priorities to FCNL by their deadline of April 12th, 2022.

FCNL suggests issues be grouped into one of the four categories, below, as noted in the brochure “The World We Seek” (available at fcnl.org) which outlines the foundational policies from which legislative priorities can be discerned. Therefore, please indicate in which category you believe your particular issue/s belong:

I. We Seek a World Free of War and the Threat of War

II. We Seek a Society with Equity and Justice for All

III. We Seek A Community Where Every Person’s Potential May Be Fulfilled

IV. We Seek an Earth Restored

Given the challenging times we live in, how are we as Friends called to influence our government today? What issues should be the focus for FCNL’s advocacy efforts? Where is the Spirit leading us? 

Please send your suggestions to Barbara Pedrotty at gracepeds@yahoo.com by 2/24/22