AJWS Blog
The AJWS community has a lot to say about what's happening in the world. Read our insights about the struggle for justice and human rights around the globe — and meet the activists on the frontlines of the fight to build a better world.
Ms. Hardin Goes (Back) to Washington: A Glimpse of AJWS’s 2026 Leadership Advocacy Convening
Each spring, American Jewish World Service (AJWS) holds a Leadership Advocacy Convening, bringing a national cohort of clergy and influential Jewish leaders to Washington, D.C., to lobby for rights-based U.S. foreign policy. Unlike others seeking the attention of elected officials, AJWS’s faith-based voice opens doors on both sides of the aisle — doors normally closed …
Stories of Hope: April 2026
The last few months have re-invigorated Americans’ ideas about the heroic work of journalists. Linchpins of democracy, reporters who demand the truth work at considerable risk — personal insults, job loss, and the broad brush of “fake news” lobbed at them from politicians with a lot to lose. But systematic attacks on the press, now …
Meet the journalists bravely telling queer stories in Uganda, where same sex relationships are illegal
When Uganda passed its Anti-Homosexuality Act (AHA) in 2023, countless headlines around the world denigrated the archaic law for its extreme punishment — including the death penalty — for same-sex relationships. But for many queer Ugandans inside the country, a less obvious impact was nearly as devastating: the law meant that safety required silence. That …
Peace on the airwaves: How Senegalese radio is helping to end an armed conflict
By now, we all know how social media has sown division in societies around the world — creating echo chambers that elevate tensions and give platforms to those spouting hate speech. In areas of extreme political division, these echo chambers have led to violence: from the January 6 insurrection in Washington, D.C., to the genocide …