International Day of Peace - Empower CfP
Today is the International Day of Peace, a moment when the world stops to reflect on what true peace requires: both an end to violence and a commitment to justice among all peoples. At Combatants for Peace, these are not just ideals. They are the realities the movement struggles for every day.
In this moment, Gazan CfP members are grieving the loss of loved ones killed in the genocide. West Bank Palestinian CfP members are living under occupation, enduring water shutoffs, military violence at checkpoints, and the pain of family members held in arbitrary detention. And Israeli CfP members are living through grief and loss, with loved ones killed or taken hostage, and the daily weight of a society fractured by fear and militarization.
Yet CfP members continue choosing nonviolent resistance: Mai Shahin recently completed an 85-day hunger strike demanding freedom and dignity for all. Iris, an Israeli activist, travels each week to the Jordan Valley to sleep overnight, providing protective presence for Palestinian families.
CfP’s impact is being felt far beyond Israel and Palestine. Just this week, Senator Welch spoke on the floor of Congress and cited CfP as an expert voice for nonviolence in the region. CfP’s example is inspiring leaders at the highest levels of U.S. government. The toll of peace work is immense. It can be isolating. It puts members in physical danger. And sometimes, it feels like too much to carry.
That’s why, on this International Day of Peace, we call on you to take action in two ways:
1. 🌍 Send a message of solidarity to the CfP peacemakers who choose, again and again, the path of nonviolence
We will share your words with the activists directly, reminding them:
You are not alone. We see you. We are with you.
2. For those who want to take your solidarity a step further, let’s honor this day through advocacy. True peace is more than the absence of violence: what scholars call “negative peace.” It’s the presence of justice, dignity, and safety for all: “positive peace.” One way to live out that commitment is to urge your U.S. Senators to sign the West Bank Violence Prevention Act of 2025, a vital step toward ending systemic violence against Palestinian communities.
👉 Tell Your Senators: Sign the West Bank Violence Prevention Act
This International Day of Peace, let us remind our beloved activists to keep going. Both your messages to CfP and your advocacy are reminders that we carry this work TOGETHER.
Until all are safe and free,
American Friends of Combatants for Peace