Social Justice Corner Newsletter December 6, 2024

The Episcopal Church is thankful for the release of Layan Nasir, a 23-year-old Anglican Palestinian woman, who has been in Israeli custody since April 6. We give thanks to God for answered prayers and to the advocates who have worked tirelessly to secure her freedom. Thank you for your advocacy and prayers: https://www.episcopalchurch.org/ogr/the-episcopal-church-celebrates-the-release-of-layan-nasir/?mc_cid=81a85d9839

Tell Congress to Help Welcome our Afghan Allies

Call for Congress to support the passage of the “Afghan Adjustment Act” either as a standalone bill or as an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 to create a dedicated path to permanent status for Afghans in the United States. The bipartisan bill also creates an interagency task force to coordinate efforts to support Afghan allies or those who remain at risk in Afghanistan.

Urge Congress to Protect Children’s Safety Online

Several bipartisan pieces of legislation have been introduced in Congress that would help protect children from a variety of online harms. In 2022, General Convention directed the Office of Government Relations to “regulate technology companies to protect consumers, especially children and youth, from unreasonable surveillance, personal data collection, addictive features, and harmful content bullying and abuse. These pieces of legislation would take important steps in moving forward on these policy objectives, and we urge your support.

Urge Congress to Combat HIV/AIDS Globally

The current congressional authorization for PEPFAR expires on March 25, 2025. Congress needs to pass legislation to reauthorize the continuation of the bipartisan program. The U.S. government must uphold its commitment to combat HIV by extending PEPFAR’s mandate so that those currently receiving care will continue to receive support, and to enable PEPFAR to build on its great success and expand access to others who still lack access to care and treatment.