HRC Religion and Faith Program: A Tribute to Rev. William Sinkford

The following was sent by the Human Rights Campaign Religion and Faith Program. We thank them for their continued collaboration and for their recognition of a significant partnership at the end of the term of former UUA President Rev. William Sinkford. Dr. Sharon Groves, the Deputy Director of HRC’s Religion and Faith Program, is a member at All Souls Church, Unitarian in Washington, DC.

During his eight years as the president of the Unitarian Universalist Association, Religion Council member Rev. William Sinkford has been a stalwart advocate on all issues affecting our diverse community. In particular, through his leadership, Unitarian Universalists have emerged as some of the most powerful religious advocates for marriage equality throughout the states. Read our tribute here.

International UU Youth Exchange 2009

The Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Briarcliff, Croton & Ossining (UUBCO), in Croton on Hudson, New York and the First Unitarian Society of Westchester in Hastings on Hudson, New York are connecting their youth and families with Unitarian and Freireligioese (free religion group) youth and families in France, Germany and Holland this summer through an international exchange program. The program, now in its second year, began with the help, cooperation and guidance of the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA), the Unitarian Universalist Partner Church Council (UUPCC), the Deutsche Unitarier (DU - German Unitarians) group, the International Council of Unitarian and Universalists (ICUU) and the European Unitarian Universalists (EUU). The UUA, UUPCC, ICUU, EUU and the DU are committed to connecting Unitarians worldwide, recognizing that exchange programs offer youth an opportunity, not only to connect with others in their faith but also to learn about cultures, languages, and life in other countries. Indeed, it is well-known that such programs play a VERY significant, positive role in a participant’s life.

In Summer of 2008, the first year of the program, five youth from Westchester and five from Germany made the trek across the ocean and into each other’s country and region to learn about their life, language, culture, faith, and history and participated in everyday activities with their respective host families. The families took the youth, when possible, to a Unitarian service and to meet other Unitarians. The Westchester youth also committed themselves to a number of hours of the foreign language study prior to departing on their trip.

This summer, the program has expanded beyond USA and Germany as Westchester Unitarian youth are also going to France and Holland. The six youth who are traveling to Europe this summer are:

• Aster Gross (front left): Aster is 16 and has completed her sophomore year at New Rochelle High School. Aster is witty and outgoing and enjoys hanging out with family and friends. She is also an exceptional student, gifted dancer and is enrolled in her high school’s special dance program and plays the drums, guitar and piano very well. Her other interests include photography and art. Aster also enjoys travel and has studied Italian for several years. She will be staying this summer in Mannheim Germany.

• Ariel Islam (front center): Ariel, 16, has completed the eleventh grade at the Camp Hill High School in Camp Hill, PA and splits her time between her mother there and her father in Croton. Ariel is easygoing, performs very well in school and has been inducted into the National Honor Society for academics, Spanish and Latin. Ariel is involved in many youth group activities, wants to go into law or politics; loves swimming, singing, skiing, movies, studying. She is talkative and curious, likes classical and rock music, loves travel, art, literature, history, and would like to learn about French political parties/elections, etc. during her stay in Palau del Vidre, France this summer. Ariel participated in the Exchange last summer and stayed in Friedrichshof, Germany.

• Emma Kates-Shaw (front right): Emma 15, splits her time between her father in Tuckahoe, New York and her mother in Ossining, where she has completed the ninth grade at Ossining High School. Emma is very creative and loves painting, drawing and creating many things. She also loves to read and to write and has varied musical tastes. At her church in Hastings, Emm participates in many youth group and other activities. While she would like to pursue a career in art or education, Emma is interested in politics and world affairs, French art, history and culture which should be quenched during her stay this summer in Palau del Vidre, France.

• Jonathan (“JJ”) Kullberg (back right) : JJ is 15 and speaks a little bit of French. JJ has been to Canada and Puerto Rico and will travel to Kiel, Germany and Amsterdam, Holland this summer and participated in the Exchange last summer in Mannheim, Germany. . JJ is thoughtful, a bit quiet, loves film, plays exceptionally the guitar and enjoys skiing, is skilled in skateboarding and rollerblading and has organized the Frisbee club at school. JJ has completed his Sophomore year at Croton Harmon High School.

• Jake Newman (back left): Jake is 16 years old, has completed his sophomore year at Croton Harmon High School, has traveled to a number of countries, and speaks some Spanish. Jake plays soccer and is a vegetarian. He likes hiking, swimming, camping, reading and writing, and plays bass guitar. He describes himself as talkative and sociable and enjoys video games, being with friends, listening to music. Jake participated in the Exchange last summer in Mannheim, Germany and will return this summer to be with the same family.

• Michael Kullberg (not shown): Michael is 20 and in his second year at the Westchester County Community College. Mike speaks some Spanish and he, along with brother JJ, will be traveling to Kiel, Germany and Amsterdam, Holland this summer. Mike has a love for cooking and is also interested in cycling, frisbee, sailing, German cooking and history.

• Elijah Lewis (back center): Elijah, 16, has completed the 10th grade at Mohopac High School, Mahopac, New York. He enjoys the big three American sports – baseball, basketball (his favorite) and football, as well as lacrosse. He likes pop and classical music, playing video games, and playing the trumpet. His favorite school subjects are math, biology, history, and band. Elijah also speaks Spanish. His hobbies are drawing, bicycle riding, hiking, and camping. Elijah participated in the Exchange in the Summer of 2008 and has been a very helpful resource to the newly participating youth.

Rest in Peace: Hungarian Unitarian Bishop Reverend Csaba Razmany

On Wednesday, July 15th, the Bishop of the Unitarian Church of Hungary, Reverend Csaba Razmany, passed away after a long illness.

Bishop Razmany was born in Kolozsvar in 1946. From 1968-1971 he was a deacon of the Unitarian church in Brasso. From 1971-1995 he served the church in Alsóboldogfalva. In 1995 he moved from Romania to Hungary and served the church in Pestszentlorinc until 2001. In 2001 he was elected the Bishop of the Unitarian Church of Hungary, and also served as the senior Minister of Bela Bartok Unitarian Church in Budapest.

Our caring thoughts and prayers are extended to Bishop Razmany's family and all Hungarian Unitarians.

UUA President, the Reverend Peter Morales, has extended his personal condolences, and those of the UUA, to the Unitarian Church of Hungary.

Call Your Senators in Support of Hate Crimes Legislation

Today and tomorrow, please call you Senators at the Capitol Switchboard (202-224-3121) and urge them to support the Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Prevention Act, which is being offered as the Leahy/Collins/Kennedy/Snowe Hate Crime Amendment to S. 1391, the Department of Defense Authorization bill.

The Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Prevention Act significantly improves our current hate crimes prevention laws. This bill expands the coverage of existing hate crime laws to include crimes based not only on race, color, religion, and national origin, but also crimes based on the victim's actual or perceived sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, or disability.

This bill does not infringe on freedoms of speech and religion, but provides the federal government jurisdiction to prosecute hate crimes where current law or local law enforcement actions are inadequate. The Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Prevention Act will protect people that are subjected to violence and intimidation just for being who they are.

The Senate is likely to vote on this bill before the end of the week. Please call your Senators TODAY and TOMORROW and ask them to pass the Leahy/Collins/Kennedy/Snowe Hate Crime Amendment to the Department of Defense Authorization bill, S. 1391.

Building Strength for Immigration Reform at General Assembly

by Susan Leslie, Director, UUA Office for Congregational Advocacy & Witness

If there was a sub-theme at General Assembly this year it was for immigrant justice and the need for comprehensive, just and humane, family-based immigration reform.

This year’s public witness event on June 26^th was an interfaith rally called Standing on the Side of Love with Immigrant Families. It featured UUA President Rev. William Sinkford, Bishop John Wester, Chair of the Catholic Conference of Bishops Committee on Migration and Refugees (who along with the UUA has called for an end to the ICE raids), Bishop Carolyn Irish Tanner of the Episcopal Diocese of Utah, Cannon Rev. Dr. Pablo Ramos who is the Latino Missioner for the diocese and described what immigrant families are facing daily, and a moving personal testimony from Larry Love, the father of a Mormon family that is being separated because of the current immigration laws (the mother of three US citizen children is under deportation orders). The rally was hosted by Rev. Tom Goldsmith of First Unitarian Church of Salt Lake City, a congregation with an active immigration task force and member of the New Sanctuary Movement. Members of First Unitarian’s choir and musicians provided wonderful music and energy for the event, including a heartfelt rendition of “Standing on the Side of Love” and “We Can Make a Difference.”

Rev. Sinkford led a pledge of commitment by UUs and others to stand on the side of love with immigrant families. New UUA President Rev. Peter Morales and presidential candidate Rev. Laurel Hallman joined him on stage. [Note: Newly elected UUA President Rev. Peter Morales will be attending an interfaith press conference and Capitol Hill lobby visit for immigration reform in Washington, DC on July 27^th.]

The rally was attended by over 1,000 UUs (our largest ever!) who marched over from the convention center, along with many people from the community.

You can read about the event and watch a video of it on our website.

The event was also the first action by the newly UUA-initiated Standing on the Side of Love Campaign. See www.standingonthesideoflove.org for more about the rally, the campaign, and local organizing in support of immigrants.

The witness was particularly timely because a new anti-immigrant law just went into effect in Utah on July 1^st that authorizes all Utah law enforcement personnel to at as immigrant agents in cooperation with ICE (Immigrant Customs and Enforcement). The law is so controversial in Utah that legislators had to add an opt-out clause and the Police Chief of Salt Lake City has already announced that he will not have the SLC police force used as immigration enforcers. He has been joined by the Salt Lake County Sheriff and others.

In addition to the rally, hundreds attended a GA workshop on June 24^th entitled Welcoming Our Neighbors: The Path to Immigration Reform. Rev. Alexia Salvatierra, a Lutheran minister and a national coordinator of the New Sanctuary Movement, gave a cogent analysis and plan for how to achieve reform. She was joined by Rev. Pablo Ramos (who also spoke at the rally), and Rev. Susan Frederick-Gray, the Minister of the UU Congregation of Phoenix AZ, whose congregation received the UUA Congregational Social Justice Bennett Award for their work for immigrant justice in a very polarized situation where Sheriff Joe Arpaio has gained national notoriety for his anti-immigrant practices.

More coverage and a video of the worksh0p can be found on our website.

As part of the UU University Social Justice Track – A People So Bold, Janice Marie Johnson of Community Church UU New York told the story of how her congregation decided to become a New Sanctuary Congregation and the work they have been doing to support immigrant families. They were part of the UU Social Justice Resource Fair (along with the UUA Office for Congregational Advocacy and Witness) to provide information on the New Sanctuary Movement and how UU congregations can participate. (We will be posting more info about this soon!)

There was also an “off the grid” meeting at GA with Rev. Alexia and UUA advocacy and witness staff for about 20 congregational immigrant justice leaders who strategized about ways UUs can make more of an impact and get more of our congregations involved. To get involved, please subscribe to the UUA Immigration Newsletter and let me know if you want to be added to the immigrant justice leaders closed list.

Momentum is truly building for a path to citizenship for the twelve million people in this country caught by a broken system and UUs are helping lead the way.

UU essay contest winner raises awareness about abuses of migrants in southern Mexico

Juliana Morris is a 24 year-old aspiring public health professional and lifelong UU who attends the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship at Stonybrook. For the past year, she has been working as a research assistant on the southern Mexico border, learning about the health and vulnerability of migrants. She won the UUA's "Crash Course for Immigrant Justice" Essay Contest by writing about her experiences there. In the future, Juliana hopes to study medicine and to continue working on health and social justice issues.

Immigrant Justice
Juliana Morris

A loving immigration policy would work to preserve the human rights of migrants in all aspects of the immigration process: in their settlement into their communities in the United States, the journey it takes them to get there, and in their home communities that they leave behind.

I am currently working on the southern border of Mexico with Central American migrants who cross Mexico headed to the United States. Migrants in this region suffer major abuses. Due to their vulnerable situation, many people take advantage of them, discriminate against them, and exploit them for their own interests. Local thieves, police, migration officials, bus drivers, and employers have all been guilty of these types of actions. As a result of this situation, there are appallingly high rates of human rights abuses against migrants. For example, according to the 2008 Migration Forum in Madrid, Spain, eight out of every ten female migrants that enter Mexico through its southern border are raped at some point during their journey through the country.

Even though these events do not take place on U.S. soil, U.S. immigration policy plays a part in creating the dangerous situation in southern Mexico.

Firstly, if it were easier for Central American migrants to enter the United States through legal means, they wouldn’t have to risk an illegal crossing through Mexico because they could obtain a transitory migrant visa. They could cross without having to hide; legally and safely. The U.S. needs to increase the opportunities for legal entry into the country in order to decrease the vulnerability of migrants in transit and to prevent human rights abuses throughout Mexico.

Secondly, in recent years the U.S. has put pressure on Mexico to beef up its immigration control through international forums such as the Regional Conference on Migration. In addition, the U.S. has financially supported various immigration control efforts of Mexico. Many experts believe the U.S. is exerting its influence for its own border-control interests; in order to diminish the number of immigrants reaching and attempting to cross the Mexico/U.S. border. These efforts have led migrants to increasingly hide during their journey and have therefore increased their vulnerability. The U.S. needs to stop pressuring Mexico to enact policies that serve U.S. interests and lead as an example in enacting policies that preserve migrants’ rights.

In order for comprehensive immigration reform to protect the human rights of migrants, it must take into account these two issues. It must increase opportunities and the feasibility of legal entry for migrants. It must involve a true dialogue with Mexico that looks for lasting solutions and does not pressure Mexico to act in U.S. border-control interests. In addition, it must take into account the other aspects of migrants’ experiences, by striving to protect the human rights and dignity of immigrants in the United States and by working to ensure possibilities for development and growth in sending communities. Loving immigration policy must depart from a global perspective and take into account its effects on the well being of migrants throughout their journey.

Coverage of yesterday's FEMA hearing

On Tuesday, we offered a round-up of articles on housing recovery in the Gulf Coast in advance of Wednesday morning's Congressional hearing on FEMA housing. Last night, the Associated Press posted coverage of the hearing, which began with the words: "The government could end up repeating mistakes seen after Hurricane Katrina without a better plan for housing people after a catastrophe . . . ."

One of the main problems that FEMA officials pointed out included that the housing they provide is meant to be temporary-- and without federal or state governments stepping in to facilitate peoples' return to permanent housing, FEMA is having to provide a service it simply isn't equipped to provide.

"Our business is sheltering ... we do not have the solution for how we re-establish housing stock," said Craig Fugate, Director of FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency).

FEMA is also restricted from spending a significant amount to repair permanent housing. According to Richard Skinner, FEMA's Inspector General, FEMA is "hamstrung by federal laws limiting its role in the broader rebuilding effort."

FEMA surely has its share of responsibility in the problems that have followed Katrina and Rita, but their testimony at yesterday's hearing makes it clear that rebuilding and long-term recovery is a greater task than they were ever equipped to handle.

For more details, read Watchdog: FEMA still lacks housing plan.

Massachusetts Sues the Federal Government Over Marriage Discrimination

Today, the State of Massachusetts filed a lawsuit against the Federal Government stating that the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) "constitutes an overreaching and discriminatory federal law."

The lawsuit alleges that by passing legislation which excludes same sex couples from the federal rights and responsibilities of marriage in the United States, the federal government has overstepped its bounds and infringed upon the States' rights to define marriage on their own terms.

All of the same sex couples who have wed in Massachusetts, as well as in the other states that recognize same sex marriages, are denied access to the benefits given to heterosexual married couples, including federal income tax credits, employment benefits, retirement benefits, health insurance coverage and Social Security payments. According to the lawsuit, DOMA requires the state of Massachusetts to treat same sex and heterosexual married couples differently, and is therefore unconstitutional.

The Random House Dictionary defines a patriot as one who regards oneself as a defender of individual rights, especially against presumed interference by the federal government. Thanks to all of the hardworking champions of marriage equality in Massachusetts, many of whom are Unitarian Universalists, for challenging the Defense of Marriage Act in court. You are all truly patriotic.

International Threads at GA

We cannot live only for ourselves. A thousand fibers connect us with our fellow men; and among those fibers, as sympathetic threads, our actions run as causes, and they come back to us as effects.”

- Herman Melville

It was an honor to welcome many guests from around the world to the UUA’s General Assembly in Salt Lake City, USA (June 24-28, 2009). Though many guests attended Ministry Days prior to General Assembly, the first opportunity for us all to gather together was during the International Guests Dinner on Wednesday evening. Breaking bread with guests from eleven countries, and getting to know each other while sharing this meal, was a very appropriate way to set the stage for all that was to come.

The nearly 4,000 GA attendees began to get a taste of the presence of our honored guests during the Opening Worship Service on Wednesday, which began with an introduction of Rev. Mark Kiyimba (UU of Uganda) followed by a presentation of photos of former UUA President William G. Sinkford’s pilgrimage to six African countries last November. As the slide-show commenced, Dr. Ysaye Barnwell was joined by three drummers in providing an incredible musical accompaniment to the photos. Following the last slide, one of the drummers came to the podium and was introduced as Mr. Olufemi Matimoju, the General Secretary of the First Unitarian Church of Nigeria. Thunderous applause echoed through the assembly hall as the GA attendees welcomed our esteemed international guests.

Later in the opening worship service Rev. Endre Nagy and Rev. Helpme Mohrmen, guests from Transylvania and North East India, participated in a beautiful arrangement of the hymn “Spirit of Life” sung in Spanish, Hungarian, and Khasi as well as English.



Throughout the service, experiences and lessons learned through international engagement added a rich texture to worship. It felt good to have our deeply valued international relationships highlighted during opening worship at GA. (Audio)

The following morning, the UUA’s International Office (UUA-IRO) offered a workshop describing its general work and various resources for congregations that are involved in international ministry, including the “Faith Without Borders” program, the “International Engagement” workshop, the “Sharing Global Faith” e-devotional, and many others. Further information about these and other available resources can be found here.

During Friday’s GA Plenary session, all of the guests representing U/U and interfaith partners of the UUA from around the world were formally introduced, including:

• Rev. Petr Samojsky – Religious Society of Czech Unitarians
• Mr. Olufemi Matimoju – First Unitarian Church of Nigeria
• Rev. Mark Kiyimba – UU Association of Uganda
• Rev. Helpme Mohrmen – Unitarian Union of North East India
• Ms. Jennifer Dickson – Canadian Unitarian Council
• Ms. Jian Li – UU Society of Hong Kong
• Rev. Fulgence Ndagijimana – Unitarian Christians Alliance of Burundi
• Ms. Tina Huesing – European Unitarian Universalists
• Rev. Ferenc Balint – Bishop, Transylvania Unitarian Church
• Rev. Koichi Barrish – Tsubaki Grand Shrine
• Rev. Yasutaka Watanabe – Rissho Kosei-kai

On Saturday, the UUA-IRO held two additional workshops. The first was a fascinating theological dialogue about international engagement which included reflections by Rev. Balint, Rev. Mohrmen and Rev. Watanabe. Each representative shared unique perspectives and wisdom, concluding the workshop with a lively question and answer session.

The second workshop was a more detailed overview of President Sinkford’s pilgrimage to Africa, which included presentations by Rev. Kiyimba, Rev. Ndagijimana and Mr. Matimoju.

It would be impossible to describe all of the events at GA that gathered International Threads. But, lunches, dinners, and receptions held by the UU United Nations Office, Project Harvest Hope, the UU Partner Church Council, and IARF-USA all had excellent programs and strong attendance. Workshops offered by the UUPCC, the UU United Nations Office, and the International Convocation of U/U Women were also incredibly informative and inspiring.

Finally, on Sunday morning, our honored guests were invited to join together for an early breakfast with newly elected UUA President, Rev. Peter Morales. It was wonderful that the UUA President’s relationships with all of these honored guests were able to proceed with a personal greeting and discussion.

Other “International Threads” during GA were wound around the “International Booth” in the exhibit hall. For the first time at this GA, seven organizations involved in U/U international engagement shared a large exhibit space in order to provide “one-stop shopping” for attendees interested in international matters. The seven organizations were: Project Harvest Hope, UU Partner Church Council, IARF-USA, UU Global AIDS Coalition, International Council of U/U’s, the UU United Nations Office as well as the UUA’s International Resources Office. This shared space also served as a location for special events, including video presentations by various organizations, a musical presentation by Project Harvest Hope, and public introductions of guests.



For full coverage of UUA General Assembly events, please visit www.uua.org/ga

Gulf Coast news round-up + FEMA hearing

The House Committee on Homeland Security will hold a hearing on FEMA Housing: An Examination of Current Problems and Innovative Solutions tomorrow, Wednesday July 8, at 10 am EST in Washington, D.C. The purpose of the hearing is to receive testimony on FEMA’s strategy and plans to provide displaced individuals interim housing options in the wake of future catastrophes. Footage will be available on the House website, where an icon for live/recorded video of the hearing is located at the bottom of this page.

With regard to housing recovery in the Gulf Coast generally, a coalition partner at the National Low-Income Housing Coalition compiled this list of recent news articles:

Texas:

· FEMA estimates that 1,800 individuals or families in Montgomery County, Texas, with unmet needs after Hurricane Ike just began to provide the needed resources.

· The City of Galveston expects to get the money for its housing recovery plan by August. Unfortunately there are lingering concerns that many people who could have received the assistance already rebuilt their homes, through a variety of resources, and will now not qualify for the funds.

Mississippi:

· A Biloxi news piece talks about the progress of two rebuilding programs, “My Home My Coast’ at Gulf Coast Renaissance Corp and ‘Coming Home Collaborative’ with the Gulf Coast Community Foundation. The two programs combined have already received more than 5,000 applications.

· George County supervisors approved “a comprehensive plan … to guide development for the next two decades” last week. The process to develop the plan began after Katrina when officials learning they could not stop FEMA trailer parks from being located in areas that they or neighbors did not want them.

Louisiana:

· The Louisiana Weekly reports that HANO extended the deadline for people on the pre-Katrina public housing waiting list to respond to requests as to whether they would like to stay on the list. The deadline for such notification had been last Friday, June 26, but has been extended to this Friday, July 3.

· More construction begins on homes to be built on former C.J. Peete site in New Orleans.

· This Times-Picayune piece talks about the progress on the long-delayed Louisiana Katrina cottages.

Alabama:

· Footage of Bill Johnson, ADECA, testifying before the House Financial Services Committee concerning the Economic Disaster Area Act of 2009, which proposes a new set-aside of CDBG funds for states declared economic disaster areas by the President. Around the 59 minute mark, Rep. Waters responds to Johnson’s ask for more disaster CDBG funds agreeably and, though she doesn’t offer anything concrete, suggests that the committee revisit the unmet Gulf Coast housing needs and what has happened with previous funding.

Regional/Miscellaneous:

· USA Today reports on the thousands of families still living in FEMA-provided temporary housing post-Katrina/Rita.

· Recently the UN special rapporteur on racism spoke before the UN Humans Rights Council about recommendations for how the US can tackle ongoing racial discrimination. Discriminatory treatment of people affected by Katrina, especially with regard to permanent housing situations, was included in that testimony. See the UN recommendations.

· An MIT team transformed a FEMA travel trailer into a mobile community garden. The “Armadillo” is now on a cross country trip.

· NAACP urges Congress to pass the Gulf Coast Civic Works Act.

District of Columbia Recognizes Out-of-District Same-Sex Marriages

Today, same sex couples living in the District of Columbia are one huge step closer to enjoying full marriage equality. Those who have gotten married in other states and some foreign countries that have legalized marriage for same sex couples will now have their marriages officially recognized by the District of Columbia.

These couples will receive the rights and responsibilities of civil marriage under D.C. law, but will not, however be granted the 1,100 federal rights and responsibilities that married opposite sex couples enjoy all over the country. Click here for more information about D.C.'s new law.

Unitarian Universalist religious leaders in D.C. have been and will continue to be tireless and outspoken advocates for marriage equality as part of the D.C. Clergy United for Marriage Equality and D.C. For Marriage coalitions.

The Unitarian Universalist Association will also continue to work to end marriage discrimination as we call on the United States Government to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) and to grant full and equal access to the rights and responsibilities of civil marriage for committed and loving same sex couples.

UU Leaders from Uganda, Burundi and Nigeria at General Assembly

It was a great honor to welcome religious leaders from around the world to General Assembly 2009 in Salt Lake City. Three of our U/U international guests were visiting the United States - and General Assembly - for the first time: Reverend Mark Kiyimba (Uganda), Rev. Fulgence Ndagijimana (Burundi) and Mr. Olufemi Matimoju (Nigeria) participated in a workshop about former UUA President William Sinkford's November 2008 pilgrimage to Africa. Please enjoy these video clips of their presentations during the workshop.

Goodbyes of all sorts

Yesterday was the first full day after American Troops had ceded power of urban areas to Iraqi troops. While there was some violence, the day was mostly peaceful. This is an important step in the relationship between Iraq and the United States. I am glad to see this day come.

Today marks another "goodbye" for me. Today is my last day working for the UUA. After two years as the Program Associate for Peacemaking at the UUA, my term of service is coming to an end. I think it is a fitting end to my time here, I leave just as American troops leave Iraqi cities.

I have really valued and appreciated my time at the UUA Washington Office. The people I worked with, both here and in Boston, are dedicated to the faith and are examples of grace and humility under pressure. I have learned lots from them and appreciate their mentorship and friendship.

Some highlights for me in the past two years include:

• Advocacy and Witness' weekly staff meeting and all the fun ways we would decide the agenda
• Theological Reflection with the UUA Staff and our office minister, Alida
• Hearing about all the awesome work people are doing in their congregations
• Working with the Olive Branch Interfaith Peace Partnership to end the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan
• Seeing the Tents of Hope on the National Mall
• Making origami paper cranes with the UUA staff after the Knoxville shooting last year
• Helping people think of new and innovative ways of thinking about peace.

One blog post could never appropriately capture all the thoughts and feelings I have right now. So, I will just leave it with this: my gratitude is unfathomable. I will always love and charish the time I had with the UUA. It helped me grow into the faithfilled leader I am today.

As for what is next with me, I join the mighty ranks of the "underemployed." This gives me an opportunity to find another career that fits my passions and skills. It also frees up some time to work on a project I have started with some friends-- The UU Volunteer Service Core (UUVSC). It is my hope that the UUVSC will allow me to pass on some of the opportunities I had by working at the UUA by supporting UU Young Adults spiritually while they work for change in their communities. For more information on the UUVSC, you can see our facebook page here. And if you a thing or two about starting up a non-profit, you can get in touch with me at UUVSC(dot)Alex(AT)gmail(dot)com.