Every two years, members of the International Human Rights Funders Group and the Peace and Security Funders Group meet in Washington DC for a Federal Policy Briefing. This short conference is designed to help donors discuss how their funding priorities are affected by changes in federal government and allow them to speak directly with members of Congress who are supportive of human rights and peace and security issues.

This April, donors met to gain a deeper understanding of how the political context of their work has changed as a result of the outcomes of 2010 mid-term elections in the US, and to strategize around responses to new challenges such as the nuclear situation in Japan and the popular uprisings in the Middle East. Specific session topics included: confronting violent extremism; ending military involvement in Afghanistan; promoting peace-building and military withdrawal; unpacking budget reform and national security; and ensuring government accountability in national security and human rights policy-making.