Every two years, FCNL, Friends Committee on National Legislation, gives us the opportunity to give input into their legislative priorities discernment for the next two-year session of Congress. It’s a Spirit-led process to help discern what our government should be working on during the current events of our day and how policies might affect our times.
We don’t try to pinpoint every issue because FCNL has resource constraints and expertise constraints. Rather we ask the question: Where is there possibility for change to happen?
This year’s process is a little different. We are asked to submit only five priorities. There is no one manner of joining and participating. Our meeting has mostly chosen business meeting for this discernment but doesn’t have to.
The priorities can be in any order and include up to 30 words per priority, We’re asked to categorize our chosen priorities into the 4 sections of FCNL’s policy statement which is called The World We Seek and basically those are the 4 mission statements:
—We seek a world free of war and the threat of war
—We seek a society with equity and justice for all
—We seek a community where every person’s potential may be fullilled
—We seek an earth restored
The process is meant to be not only political but also deeply faithful. It asks Friends to seek Divine guidance. Should you want to prepare, you can read the 12-page policy statement:
Because there’s a new statement on reproductive health and abortion in the policy statement, it can now be submitted as a priority.
FCNL would also like to know what community connections our meeting has to the priorities that we submit. The deadline for submission is April 15. Please discuss if and in what manner the meeting would like to participate.
Thank you, Friends!
Susan