This year the MCC Washington Office turned 40. Milestones like that one tend to prompt reflections back on what has been, and dreams about what might be.
For all of those 40 years, the Washington Memo has been one of the main ways we communicate about our work. It’s been ten years since the Memo was redesigned, and as you can see, we decided that our 40 year anniversary was a good time to make some changes.
We want to continue to provide you with a quality print resource that analyzes U.S. public policy from an Anabaptist perspective. But we also wanted to make it more visually appealing, so we added photos and switched to color.
In recent years the internet has also had a huge impact on how we receive information. People now expect instant news on what is happening, and in Congress, the status of bills can change rapidly.
Because of this, we have launched the Washington Memo Blog and will soon be introducing an electronic monthly newsletter. We continue to post information on our website and to send out issue-specific action alerts via e-mail (to sign up, click here). All of these provide ways to get updated information about fast-changing public policy debates and how best to advocate for peace and justice.
Meanwhile, we are shifting from an 8-page newsletter printed bimonthly to 12 pages delivered quarterly. The extra space allows us to provide more indepth public policy analysis, as well as more space for theological reflections. We have also added worship resources to use in your local congregation, highlights from our online resources, and a new Advocates’Corner.
This first issue is dedicated to the global food crisis—a “food crisis that shouldn’t be”—and coincides with World Food Day on October 16. For MCC, whose original work grew out of a response to famine, this is a timely and critical issue. There are many ways to respond to the food crisis— by donating to MCC’s food programs, being aware of our own consumption habits and, as we highlight here, by advocating for just policies. For more on MCC’s response to the global food crisis, visit mcc.org/foodforall.
We hope you find this—and future issues—useful. As always, we look forward to hearing from you.
