Inspired Faith, Effective Action

Action Alert: Gaza

2010-02-18T10:55:00.008-05:00

Sadly, the dismal conditions in Gaza are causing enormous hardship for the people there, with particularly harsh effects on children. Churches for Middle East Peace, a coalition founded in part by the UUA, has organized a letter to President Obama calling for his leadership. Please join the UUA and Churches for Middle East Peace by taking action!

CMEP Action Alert: One year after the Gaza war thousands of civilians are homeless and forced to rely on tents and mud brick houses for shelter.

Children are among the most vulnerable and worst affected by the blockade policy that greatly restricts goods, people, and commerce from crossing Gaza's borders.

Many children witnessed horrific events during last year's 23-day Israeli military operation. According to a local NGO in Gaza, "73 percent of Gaza children are still suffering from psychological and behavioral disorders, including psychological trauma, nightmares, involuntary urination, high blood pressure and diabetes." The blockade has inhibited access to medical equipment and health professionals. Many children are not getting the help they desperately need.

The dismal conditions in Gaza are counter to American humanitarian values and strategically unsound for Israel's long term security.

Take Action! Sign Churches for Middle East Peace's petition and ask President Obama to urgently address the needs of civilians in Gaza!

Creating Change

2010-02-10T12:28:00.001-05:00

I hadn’t been in 15 years! But last week I packed up and headed for Dallas to the Creating Change Conference, an annual gathering of the glbtq clan.

My 13 year old said, “I don’t get it. What is it, again? It’s some dance and comedy, some classes, some lectures…” I said, “It’s kind of GA for gay people.” “Ohhhh…” she said.

So, how was it? It was much younger, much less white, and much more ‘genderqueer’ than it was 15 years ago. Clearly the margins of the margins are being identified as leaders and visionaries, and they are coming into the center of this movement.

There were moments that I really did feel as if I was at GA. When the youth had a panel, and basically told us oldsters how we had failed them and what we had done wrong, I felt THRILLED. This is how a movement should work! New leadership, new vision , constant evolution.

(How have we failed them, you wonder? Well, they said, focusing on Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell and marriage equality completely overlooks the realities they are living with. GLBT youth are estimated to comprise 25-40% of homeless youth, just for instance. How is the glbt establishment taking leadership in addressing this epidemic?)

Then there were moments I felt like the chaperone at a dance, standing at the edges watching others have a great time, longing to put on my jammies and hunker in for my own more solitary enjoyment.

It was thrilling to see all of the faith based organizing going on. MANY UUs were present, and actually there were a number of workshops led by UUs. The staff from the UU-UNO office led a stellar workshop on their work, and made it very real by introducing two gay men who are refugees from Iraq.

Hated in their own country for their sexual orientation, these two brave souls went to SYRIA—where one spent eight months and the other four years!—waiting to get papers to come to the US. However, once they arrived here, they were put into a housing complex in Houston with the same people who hated them back home. Their only place of support in the US? Catholic Charities!

The UU-UNO folks are focused on creating a registry of gay immigrants so that no one else will be in that kind of situation. Meanwhile, they have paired up these gay men with the leaders of the glbt center in Houston. I’d love to see our churches take the lead on this.

That’s what Creating Change always does for me—it makes me rethink what I’m doing, and refocus on what’s important. To all the UUs who were there, let’s take all that energy to GA in Minneapolis and see what we can build together!

- Meg Riley

American Prayer Hour a Success

2010-02-05T14:37:00.002-05:00

Hundreds of people of faith gathered on Thursday, February 4th in more than 20 cities around the country for the American Prayer Hour, an interfaith response to the National Prayer Breakfast, which also took place on Thursday morning. The National Prayer Breakfast is organized by the conservative and secretive religious group, The Family (also known as The Fellowship).

Members of The Family have been linked to the “Kill the Gays” bill, legislation proposed in Uganda that, if passed, could mean mandatory imprisonment or even the death penalty for anyone accused of being homosexual or protecting someone who is. The organization Full Equality Now, DC sponsored a Wednesday night protest at the Family’s headquarters on Capitol Hill that was covered on The Rachel Maddow Show.

Civil rights advocates had asked the President not to attend the Prayer Breakfast because of the Family's ties the Ugandan legislation. Although President Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton did attend the event, they took the opportunity to speak out against the use of religion to justify violence and cruelty. The President decried the targeting of gays and lesbians anywhere in the world and expressed his disgust for laws that would do so in Uganda and elsewhere.

Back in Washington, D.C. a diverse group of religious leaders and people of faith attended the American Prayer Hour at Calvary Baptist Church. Imam Daayiee Abullah of the Al-Fatiha Foundation, which serves bisexual, gay, lesbian and transgender Muslims, called the event a “rebuttal to cruelty and violence in God’s name,” and Rabbi Elizabeth Richman of Jews United for Justice declared that each one of us will not be safe, secure and valued until we live in a society where everyone is safe, secure and valued.

Rev. Elizabeth Lerner, of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Silver Spring, (pictured above right with Sharon Groves, a member of All Souls Church, Unitarian), said that Thursday’s service reminded us that the only family that truly matters is our human family, and that the gathering made “a powerful statement condemning the strategies and bigotry of ‘The Family,’ and affirming that [the] persistent and triumphant message across the world's religions is always transparent love in service of human dignity and peace.”

May that spirit of peace and dignity accompany all those in Uganda and around the world whose lives and families are endangered by those who would seek to silence and harm them.

From the First Earth Day to the Climate Change Movement Today

2010-02-05T14:18:00.003-05:00

As I’ve been working on the Earth Day Resources for congregations to plan actions around the 40th anniversary of Earth Day this year, I’ve been reminded of the history of Earth Day and the environmental movement in the US. The movement’s start in the late 1960s, early 1970s led to the creation of the first Earth Day, the National Environmental Policy Act, the Clean Water Act, the Clean Air Act, and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Scientists warned that the pollution in the water was killing the lakes and streams; the Cuyahoga River even caught on fire. Air pollution was seriously degrading the environment. Both were impacting public health. But if I have learned anything from that movement, it was the amazing commitment of everyday people all over the country that demanded environmental improvements and made them happen.

One year after that first Earth Day, William D. Ruckelshaus reflected:

"We came to realize the human dimensions of antiseptic statistics.

We came to realize that the more than 1400 pounds of air pollution per person which rides the wind and rain across this continent is a hazard to health and life and the human spirit.

We came to realize that more than 50 trillion gallons of hot water, millions of tons of organic and chemical pollutants, enormous amounts of fertilizers, pesticides, and most of all, sewage every year are spoiling rivers once celebrated in our art and literature and history. The Hudson and the Potomac, the Missouri and the Monongehela, the Snake and the Androscoggin - all rivers rich in history - are today rivers rich in industrial and municipal wastes.

We came to realize that the more than 7 million automobiles, 20 million tons of paper, 48 billion cans and 26 billion bottles a year which litter our landscape means that almost nowhere on this continent can man escape the impact he has had on nature.

We came to realize too that we were not alone in our disregard for the delicate balance of life."

Now is that time for climate change.

In December 2009, the EPA announced an endangerment finding, allowing EPA regulation of greenhouse gas emissions under the Clean Air Act. On January 21st, Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) introduced a disapproval resolution, which is expected to be brought to the Senate floor sometime this month. If passed, it would block the EPA from regulating greenhouse gases and dirty coal, and furthering US contributions to the environmental injustices that contribute to climate change. Supporting the Clean Air Act is the best way we already have under current law to limit the environmental justice impacts of climate change and to help our country shift to a clean energy economy. This is, without a doubt, the way of the future. Please contact your Senators and tell them to support the Clean Air Act.

This is only the first step. Together, we can, and must, work towards a world where the environment is healthy for all who live there. The people who receive the least of society's benefits and have the least power to affect changes are the ones who feel the environmental impacts first and most severely. Climate change is already being witnessed by people who work closely with the land. Together, we must love urgently and work towards climate justice.

What food choices can Unitarian Universalists make to build a planet that is both sustainable and just?

2010-02-03T17:45:00.003-05:00

If you walk into an average supermarket these days, you’ll find thousands of choices of things to eat. Some things may be grown or produced in low-impact ways at a nearby farm, but chances are that many items for sale contain ingredients whose production has negatively impacted the Earth and her people. As Unitarian Universalists, we are committed to living in ways that respect the inherent worth and dignity of all people as well as the interdependent web of life of which we are a part. With so many choices, how can we find ways to eat ethically?

Fortunately, people all over the United States are thinking about just this right now. Several best-selling books have been written about authors’ deliberations about what to eat, and UU congregations have been engaging in the current Congregational Study/Action Issue, "Ethical Eating: Food and Environmental Justice." For the 40th anniversary of Earth Day this year, the UU Ministry For Earth (UUMFE) is asking members of all congregations to think about what they eat and what food choices are available to those in their communities. While Earth Day isn't until Thursday, April 22nd, resources for planning your Earth Day events are already available on the UUMFE website to help you plan both worship and social justice projects. Check them out!

American Prayer Hour - Protesting the National Prayer Breakfast

2010-02-01T16:24:00.001-05:00

This week, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender activists and faith communities are uniting in Washington DC and around the country to protest the involvement of members of the international organization The Family, (also known as the Fellowship) a religious group with disturbing ties to proponents of anti-LGBT legislation in Uganda.

The Anti-Homosexuality Bill 2009 is currently under consideration by the Ugandan parliament. The bill was put forth by parliamentarian David Bahati and initially backed by President Yoweri Museveni. If passed, the new law would unleash a vicious campaign of persecution against LGBT citizens in Uganda. Bahati and President Museveni are key members of The Family in Africa. The Family hosts the annual National Prayer Breakfast, which is scheduled to take place this year on Thursday, February 4th at the Washington D.C. Hilton. President Obama is scheduled to speak at the National Prayer Breakfast.

A coalition including Faith in America, the Human Rights Campaign, the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, and Full Equality Now DC, an organization the emerged from the National Equality March, is responding with the American Prayer Hour. On the morning of February 4th, people of faith across the country will gather at American Prayer Hour events to affirm our inclusive values and show that cruelty and extremism have no place in our communities. A list of events is available at the American Prayer Hour website.

A press conference announcing the National Prayer Hour will take place at the National Press Club on Tuesday, February 2nd. Scheduled speakers include Moses, a gay Ugandan man seeking asylum in the United States, Bishop V. Gene Robinson of the Episocpal Church, and Harry Knox, director of the HRC Religion and Faith Program.

Full Equality Now DC has also organized a protest and rally on Wednsday, February 3rd at 5:30pm at the Family’s “C Street House” headquarters at 133 C Street SE, Washington, DC.

If there is an American Prayer Hour event in your city, please consider attending. If you are in Washington, DC, please come the rally on Wednesday night as well. For more information, see www.americanprayerhour.org.

IARF Chapter Conference Report

2010-01-29T12:26:00.008-05:00

From Doris Hunter, Chair, US Chapter, International Association for Religious Freedom (IARF):

The conference, "Reconciliation with the Earth, Each Other and the Stranger" was held at the Clearwater Unitarian Universalist Church from January 14-17th with over fifty people attending plus speakers and invited guests.

The US Chapter and the World Congress of Faiths sponsored the conference with the assistance of the Clearwater Congregation and its minister, the Rev. Abhi Janamanchi. The conference opened with an interfaith worship service led by Abhi; its message set the tone for the conference.

The next day we had a major address by Dr. Paul Rasor and a panel on “Racial Justice in a Post-Racial Society, Myth or Reality" led by Dr. Roy Kaplan. In the afternoon we had several workshops including "100 Years of Interfaith Work" focusing on the IALRW with Kathy Matsui and Jopie Boeke.

The Rev. Eric Cherry from the UUA also presented a workshop on "Charting the Future of International Relations." Then the conference broke up into its circle groups exchanging introductions and opinions. In the evening we had an Interfaith Music Program that included music from so many different faith traditions.

The next day opened with worship service led by the Rissho Kosei-Kai followed by lecture by Dr. Hal French. Following the lecture, Dr. Thomas Mathew from India, presented a power point about the coming Congress and information about the program of the Congress. In the afternoon, the conference concluded with lectures by Dr. Mozella Mitchell and Dr. William Schulz followed by a panel discussion and response. Sunday morning there was a special worship service honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. with Dr. Schulz giving the sermon.

We were very pleased to have the presence of Dr. Thomas Mathew during the entire conference and also the presence of the Rev. Eric Cherry from the UUA. The Chapter sponsored one young adult, Mr. Sri Kota. We wished that we had more time to arrange a young adult conference at the same time but being such a small board with a limited budget, we felt the need to concentrate on the conference itself. Perhaps in the future this can be planned.

Many participants spoke enthusiastically about the coming Congress, hoping that they might be able to attend. We are so grateful that all went as planned and that the program was appreciated and well attended by the participants.

You can view videos taken during the IARF Chapter Conference online, including:

Urge Debt Relief for Haiti

2010-01-28T16:37:00.003-05:00

We have all watched in horror the images and stories of death and destruction in the wake of Haiti’s January 12 earthquake. And many of us have responded with generosity, giving what we can to the relief efforts: my own UU congregation collected $15,000 in the days after the quake for the UUSC relief efforts. In addition to responding with compassion with relief aid, our Unitarian Universalist faith also demands that we seek justice for the Haitian people in the wake of this tragedy – justice which has been a too small a supply for Haiti for far too long.

A first step toward a just recovery for Haiti is for the international community to cancel Haiti’s debt.

This isn’t just a natural disaster, but a disaster caused by global economics and politics that have resulted in of Haiti’s poverty and environmental damage for years and years. In this small Caribbean country, eighty percent of the population lives in abject poverty. One out of nine children dies before reaching her fifth birthday.

For decades the country was forced to pay out tens of millions of dollars in debt payments, instead of investing the money in building hospitals, schools, or other infrastructure – resources that could have helped in the aftermath of the earthquake.

The debts dated back to 1825, shortly after Haiti won independence from France and abolished slavery. France threatened to reinvade and re-establish slavery unless Haiti paid “reparations” for the loss of the “property”, including slaves, forcing Haiti to pay the equivalent of $21 billion today. This cycle of unjust indebtedness continued through Haiti’s history and included the brutal dictatorships of the Duvaliers. On top of that, harmful economic conditions imposed by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) exacerbated the country’s poverty and path to development.

The Unitarian Universalist Association is member of the Jubilee USA Network, a coalition which worked for years to secure debt cancellation for Haiti. We celebrated last June, when Haiti finally received cancellation of $1.2 billion of its debts owed to the IMF, World Bank, and the US and other governments – a sum equal to about 60% of its total debt.

In the wake of this unimaginable tragedy, one obvious and simple step toward a just recovery is for the international community to cancel Haiti’s $1 billion in remaining debt. And it should go without saying that all of the assistance that Haiti receives should be in the form of grants and not loans. However, yesterday the International Monetary Fund approved an additional $102 million loan to Haiti. While the IMF Managing Director has stated his intention to work for Haiti’s debt to be cancelled, we clearly must keep up the pressure.

Please add your voice to the growing chorus today: Drop Haiti’s Debt Now and No New Debt for Disaster.

In addition, congressional leaders are circulating a letter to Treasury Secretary Geithner with this message. Click here to send a message to your Representative encouraging him/her to sign the letter.

Melinda St. Louis
Deputy Director, Jubilee USA
Congregant All Souls Church Unitarian in Washington, DC

Our Last Chance to Protect Women's Health Coverage

2010-01-21T13:00:00.001-05:00

Senate and House leaders are in the final stages of negotiating the content of the health care reform bill that could be voted on in both houses next week. A new article on UUA.org details the experiences of three Unitarian Universalist religious leaders as advocates for reproductive justice and abortion rights and describes the harmful provisions in the current reform bills:

The Stupak-Pitts amendment in the House health care reform bill prevents women from using their own funds to purchase an insurance plan that includes abortion coverage in the new health insurance exchanges -- taking away essential coverage that most insurance plans provide today.
Senator Ben Nelson's addition to the Senate bill is an unworkable and unfair approach to abortion coverage by imposing arbitrary hurdles to secure coverage for abortion care. Under this provision, women would be forced to write two different checks to their insurance provider – one for abortion coverage and one for the rest of their insurance package.
Nelson’s provision makes it less likely for insurance companies to offer abortion coverage at all and presents a significant security risk to women purchasing this coverage. Both provisions would take away the coverage that most women have today and as such, they violate the very spirit of health care reform – extending comprehensive health insurance coverage to those who are most in need.

You can read the full article on UUA.org.

The UUA believes that we all have the right to make decisions about our own bodies based on our own values. Poor women, immigrant women and women of color are among those who are already disproportionately impacted by lack of access to safe and affordable contraception and abortion care, as well as by current laws restricting the use of public funds for abortion. If either of the current restrictions in the House and Senate bills pass with the final legislation, millions more women could lose the abortion coverage that they have today. Health care reform is about expanding coverage, not taking it away.

January 22nd is the 37th anniversary of the Roe v. Wade court decision, which will be commemorated in Washington, D.C. by a rally sponsored by the D.C. Chapter of the National Organization for Women (NOW). Find out how women's organizations in your area are commemorating this day by searching online or contacting them.

No matter where you live there is still time to raise your voice as a person of faith who supports health care reform. Please call your members of Congress today and urge them to strike the Stupak-Pitts amendment and the Nelson check provision from the final bill.

Fighting the Anti-Homosexuality Bill in Uganda

2010-01-20T16:28:00.005-05:00

The Unitarian Universalist Church of Uganda is preparing to take a strong and courageous stand against the "Anti-Homosexuality Bill of 2009." This hate-filled legislation proposed in the Ugandan Parliament would criminalize homosexuality and enforce penalties of life imprisonment and capital punishment against gays and lesbians. BGLT allies would also face drastic punishments.

The UU congregation in Kampala is one of the few religious organizations in Uganda that is welcoming and supportive of the BGLT community. During a visit with the congregation in 2008 UUA representatives met with both gay and straight Ugandans who witnessed to the terror that the Ugandan BGLT community faces, and the importance of the congregation's support. This visit occurred many months before the current legislation was proposed.

Ugandan UUs plan to hold a conference on February 14, 2010 - with the following goals:

To achieve permanent, fundamental, real equality for lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgender people through affecting fundamental changes in the attitudes of society,
To defeat discriminatory legislation and exclusionary policies and practices,
To build a strong social movement of lesbian, gay and bisexual people with a fully representative and activist Base.

The conference will include programs about Promoting Equality, Access to Justice, Research, and Lobbying/Advocacy. More than 200 Ugandans from various faith traditions are expected to attend.

American UUs have been invited by the leaders of the UU Church of Uganda to spread the word about this important event. And, we are also asked to remember the courageous steps that our Ugandan brothers and sisters in faith are taking. Will you or your congregation "Stand on the Side of Love" - Globally - by supporting this front-line battle against Hate? The International Council of Unitarian Universalists is supporting this important work.

Update: UUA President, the Reverend Peter Morales, signed on to an interfaith letter to Congress that urges US opposition to this terrible law.

Pastoral Prayer after the earthquake in Haiti

2010-01-20T13:33:00.002-05:00

Reverend John Gibbs Millspaugh - minister of the UU Church of Winchester, MA, shares a "Pastoral Prayer after the earthquake in

Haiti

, January 12 2010"

A Haitian prayer book, entitled God Is No Stranger, includes the following words:

“Father, I have learned that one strong in calculation is called a ‘mathematician.’

You are the greatest mathematician

because You can count all the people yet still see each one of us.”

Those words find new poignancy

in the aftermath of the earthquake in Haiti on January 12,

in which tens of thousands of people lost their lives, and many others

lost their homes, their families and loved ones.

We who have watched from afar have felt helpless, powerless,

in the face of this tragedy,

forgetting that we do have the capacity to make a difference, one life at a time.

Let us enter that space of silence and honesty known by many names.

Let us pray.

Spirit of Life; Sacred Web of Life, Death, and Renewal:

Our hearts are open to all who suffer as a result of the earthquake.

We see—on our televisions and computer screens and in our newspapers—

the shattered buildings, the hastily erected shanty towns,

survivors struggling to find their kin, or just food or water or medicine; so many lives in ruins.

We know about the country’s staggering poverty that preceded this most recent disaster;

we are keenly aware of our own privilege.

In these times we stand confused before the global forces

that shape our lives, in awe before the mystery.

Spirit of Life and Love,

even as we have witnessed death sweep the landscape,

we know that life renews itself, and renews itself even now,

as human good springs up in the face of disaster,

and people reach out to one another across neighborhoods, across oceans,

serving one another across every difference.

We pray for the people of Haiti,

that they know the people of the world stand with them as they face the challenges ahead.

We pray for those who work with the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee

and other relief organizations,

that they may act from ongoing wisdom, and courage, and compassion.

We pray for ourselves and other people living in comfort,

that our hearts might be touched yet again to generously support human beings

facing a terrible tragedy we cannot comprehend, but that they must live through.

May we open our hearts and our wallets to them,

as they work to rebuild what they can.

Spirit of Life; Web of Life, Death, and Renewal,

We pray, too, for our personal struggles,

which matter even though others always face greater challenges than ours.

There are those among us in this community who are sick, those of us who are grieving,

Those of us who have not yet discovered our substantial power to bless the world.

We pray for support amidst our struggles,

that we might find the courage and grace to move closer to healing and the sacred potential of our lives.

We pray for strength, and finally we pray for gratitude:

for all that is not lost, for all that can be rebuilt,

for our chance to play our part, for the ever-renewing powers of life.

And we join in this time of silence, in which we lift up the meditations of our hearts.

Shalom, Salaam, Namaste, Blessed Be, and Amen.

Contributions to the UUSC/UUA Haitian Relief Fund may be made by going to the UUSC website.

As of January 19, 1:30 PM:
3,864 donations received
$387,621 raised

Standing on the Side of Love & Dreams with Immigrant Families

2010-01-19T16:14:00.012-05:00

by Bill Lace, Immigration Task Force Chair, Unitarian Universalist Church of Phoenix AZ

It seemed like a mid-January alignment of planets occurred in Phoenix, Arizona with immigration reform events, a human rights march protesting Sheriff Arpaio, and the “Dream Act” play coalescing over a period of a few days surrounding this Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday weekend.

The Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Phoenix (UUCP) and fellow UU congregations from the Valley of the Sun and Tucson, Arizona were busy in planning, participating in, and hosting the activities, along with interfaith allies, immigrant rights groups, and advocacy partners.

The Social Action Committee of UUCP and First Congregational United Church of Christ in Phoenix commissioned New Carpa Theater Company, a Phoenix company focusing on Latino and multicultural theater works, to present the “Dream Act” play at UUCP and First Congregational United Church of Christ of Phoenix on January 15^th and 17^th.“Dream Act,” written by James E. Garcia, tells the story of undocumented student Victoria Nava and her dreams of practicing medicine. In the face of anti-immigrant sentiment, she feels her dreams may be slipping away. The play is based on an National Public Radio interview of an undocumented student in Southern California and brings to life the plight faced by the 65,000 undocumented immigrants who graduate from high school each year.

“Dream Act” was well attended by people from inside and outside the congregations including administrators, teachers, and students from several schools that teach many undocumented youth. Immigration reform activist groups CADENA - DREAM Act Arizona and Reform Immigration for America (RIFA) handed out information at booths. Each performance was followed by an interactive discussion session led by Mr. Garcia with experts on the proposed DREAM Act legislation and members of the cast.

On January 16th, thousands of people, including immigrants and immigrant rights organizations, church groups, advocates and anarchists, filled the streets outside Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio’s jail for the March for Human Rights. The march focused attention to stop human rights violations, racial profiling and use of 287(g) by Sheriff Arpaio and other entities in the State of Arizona. UUCP Minister Reverend Susan Frederick-Gray, several UUCP members and other UU’s from the Phoenix and Tucson area congregations rallied and marched with UU banners and Standing on the Side of Love t-shirts in prominent display. Rev. Frederick-Gray spoke at the rally calling for all to “Stand on the side of love with immigrant families.” Members of UUCP and others worked with local Latino and Indigenous Peoples activist group Puente Arizona in the planning of the march. Marchers can assure you that despite some media stories you may have seen, the vast majority of people involved were peaceful and respectful of police monitoring the march.

UUCP’s Immigration Task Force has partnered with the Arizona Advocacy Network (AAN) and RIFA Arizona in ramping up attention on comprehensive immigration reform and has crafted a presentation to be taken throughout Arizona. The presentation is based on recommendations from RIFA and explains that many present immigration practices are unrealistic—we cannot deport 12 million people even if we wanted to(!) and that through our shared values we can work together to protect and value ALL families, including immigrant families. The task force also participated in a RIFA press conference outside Senator John McCain’s Phoenix office on January 14^th calling upon McCain to continue his support of immigration reform. RIFA Arizona is holding a Town Hall on immigration on January 19^th focusing on the faith and business communities. Members of the task force will participate and some are scheduled to speak. I feel proud to stand up with my faith and interfaith community in partnership with immigrant organizations for human rights and justice. Si Se Puede!

To take action in support of Congressman Gutierrez's Bill for comprehensive immigration reform, go to Reform Immigration for America. (The UUA is a member.)

For more information:

Thousands protest sheriff’s immigration efforts. The Washington Post, 1-17-10
Photos of Rally by Terry Torrey
Play offers look at citizenship issue
Puente Movement
Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Phoenix, AZ
Unitarian Universalist Church of Tucson, AZ
No More Deaths

Looking Back, Looking Forward

2010-01-05T12:15:00.006-05:00

The Advocacy and Witness Team has taken a few minutes to reflect on the highlights of this past year and what we are looking forward to in the year ahead. A number of successes have marked this past year and it is exciting to see what the new year holds. Here are our reflections:

Meg Riley
When I think about high points from 2009, the Inauguration glows in my mind. Yes we did! Elect our first African American president. So much hope, so much energy, a real sense of kinship. When I look forward, I commit myself to creating and sustaining more energy like that. It’s so easy to get cynical watching the sausage-making of change. I have to remember to celebrate the positive, as imperfect as it is, and to keep hope alive!

Eric Cherry
While the international office’s 2009 was full of exciting and inspiring moments, the highlight of the year for me was welcoming a large and multiculturally diverse group of Unitarian, Universalist, and/or Unitarian Universalist leaders from around the world to General Assembly in Salt Lake City. The participation of leaders from Nigeria, Romania, India and Uganda in the Opening Worship service at GA was especially meaningful and symbolic of our faith tradition's future. And, in 2010, I’m looking forward to the increasing collaboration of UU groups focused on international work, particularly promoting “community capacity building” and leadership-training in multiple locations around the world.

Rob Keithan
My highlight from this past year was establishing a partnership between UU Ministry for Earth and the UUA that resulted in a staffperson dedicated to promoting environmental justice. Looking forward, I am excited about working with a huge, diverse assortment of religious and secular groups to pass comprehensive immigration reform.

Orelia Busch
The biggest highlight of the past year for me was attending the signing of the bill legalizing same sex marriage in the District of Columbia, which was held at All Souls Church, Unitarian. In 2010, I am looking forward to organizing clergy and religious leaders to help pass the Employment Non-Discrimination Act and leading youth, young adults and allies in their efforts to advocate for federal support and funding of comprehensive sex education programs in schools.

Rowan Van Ness
Looking back at this past year, one of my highlights was the International Day of Climate Action. It was really inspiring to see how many UUs were involved in the more than 5200 events worldwide. In this year ahead, I am hopeful that we may pass a major piece of climate legislation. The US is still a major emitter and the effects of climate change are global, so changes here could make a positive impact all over the world. I am also excited that more and more people are thinking about the impacts of their food choices and are keeping justice and the environment in mind!

Adam Gerhardstein
The Standing on the Side of Love campaign was born in June of 2009. It has been an exciting journey that has led us through a visceral health care debate, an inspiring march for BGLT equality, successfully booting Lou Dobbs off CNN, marriage equality sorrows in Maine and joys in the District of Columbia. Local communities are where the campaign has really been brought to life. In the year ahead we will celebrate the first National Standing on the Side of Love Day, where we will re-imagine Valentine’s Day. Because this campaign is in the hands of the people who bring it down to earth on the local level, we will pursue new tactics and new partnerships, and do everything we can to support congregations who boldly stand on the side of love.

Season's Greetings from the International Resources Office

2009-12-23T11:11:00.003-05:00

Marriage Equality Day in D.C.!

2009-12-18T15:55:00.003-05:00

This morning, I watched with about 300 other people as Mayor Adrian Fenty signed the bill legalizing same-sex marriage in the District of Columbia. I watched from the pews of my own church, All Souls Church, Unitarian, as D.C. City Council members called the bill a victory for civil rights, human rights, and religious freedom. The ceremony made it abundantly clear that people of faith stand overwhelmingly for marriage equality. This bill does not in any way impede those whose faiths do not solemnize same-sex marriages from practicing their religion, and it allows clergy all over the District of Columbia to solemnize unions for their congregants of all sexual orientations.

For Unitarian Universalists and many others, marriage equality is an expression of our deepest values of fairness and justice for all. Although I have celebrated other victories for equality in the past year, I wasn't prepared for my own emotional reaction to the council's vote and today's bill signing. Something shifted inside of me, and I was in tears. I realized that until this week, I didn't truly believe that I would ever live in a place where I could marry another woman. I had taken for granted that I was in a fight that I could never win. It feels so much more urgent for me now to work for a day when I don't have to worry about losing my rights if and when I move to another city. It seems even more ludicrous to me than it did before that some people have the right to marry and others are still waiting.

I left the ceremony with renewed hope and a renewed commitment to full equality for bisexual, gay, lesbian and transgender people. Of course, equality encompasses so much more than the right to marry - it includes things that many of us take for granted - like being able to use the bathroom safely, the right to comprehensive healthcare, inclusive sexuality education, safe schools, the right to do meaningful work, and so much more. The road ahead of me seems long and full of twists and turns, but if it is paved with victories like today's, I will be blessed indeed. If you are as grateful for this day as I am, please take a moment to send a thank-you note to the D.C. City Council members whose support made this day possible.

(Rev. Rob Hardies holding one of the pens Mayor Fenty used to sign the bill.)

UU's Send Love, Rice, to Filipino UU's Affected by Typhoons

2009-12-18T11:28:00.012-05:00

Thanks to the combined efforts of Unitarians and UU's around the world, members of the UU congregations in The Philippines (Malingin and Doldol) have received generous donations of rice in the wake of food shortages from recent flooding.

In September 2009, two powerful typhoons, "Ketsana" followed by "Parma," swept throught the region. For a week an unprecedented amount of rain pounded the land, flooding and eroding the landscape, displacing 300,000 now-homeless residents and killing over 300 men, women, and children.

Many of the UU's on Negros Island, where most of the Filipino UU's reside in small agricultural/fishing villages, sustained serious damage to their crops from the heavy rains, creating a critical food shortage in the following months.

Moral and financial support were extended by the International Council of Unitarians and Universalists, the UUA, the UU Partner Church Council (UUPCC), partner congregations here in the U.S., individuals around the world, and the Unitarian Church of Transylvania. The combined support of all involved has resulted in several types of assistance, including, most recently, one bag of rice per family affected in both the UU Doldol and UU Malingin congregations. In total, thirteen bags of rice were sent to the Malingin congregants (pictured above); nine were sent to the Doldol members. The 50 kg sacks can each feed a large family for a week and have arrived just in time for the upcoming Christmas holiday.

In a particularly heartwarming gesture, the Unitarian Church of Transylvania provided very generous financial aid to the UU Church of the Philippines in response to the disaster. In recent years, the Unitarian Church of Transylvania has faced its own disasters and challenges; paying forward the kindness they received in their time of need, the Church has empathetically reached out to assist the affected UU Filipino brothers and sisters.

The UU Church of the Philippines expresses incredible thanks for all received assistance. Please enjoy a few pictures (below) of the families receiving, and celebrating, gifts of rice!

Many thanks to Rev. Nihal Attanayake (International Relations Officer, UU Church of the Philippines), Lee Boeke Burke (UU Partner Church Council), and Rev. Szabo Laszlo (Vice President, Board of the Unitarian Church of Transylvania) for contributing details to this update.

2009-12-17T17:37:00.003-05:00

On the eve of the final day of the Climate Negotiations in Copenhagen, I share with you some reflections from Unitarian Universalist Pam Sparr on significant events from the first week and on what the religious community can do.

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I attended the first week of the COP-15 events in a professional capacity as a consultant with another religious organization and have just returned home. As I read accounts of what is happening in week #2, I think my reflections on that first intense week of activities still hold. Here are some of my impressions….

Several events in the first week stand out in my mind as significant:

The rock concert-like climate justice rally in Town Hall Square with the ever-charismatic Archbishop Desmond Tutu. This was the most upbeat of all events I attended. He presented more than a half million signatures from people in two dozen nations (including the U.S.) to the head of the UNFCCC – the man whose job it is to keep the negotiations going. These signatures supported a strong binding agreement. This was a wonderful example of how the religious community can use its moral authority well. It was also a reminder of how well respected and beloved a religious leader can be – even by people who do not consider themselves “religious” – if they are courageous in their faith and take a public stance on justice issues.
The international ecumenical worship service in Copenhagen’s Lutheran cathedral where religious leaders from around the world processed in with poignant, silent symbols of the destruction climate change is already wreaking – bleached coral from the Pacific, shriveled cobs of maize from Africa, stones laid bare from the melting of glaciers in Greenland. A reminder that ritual can be very powerful.
The demonstration last Saturday with 100,000 people in the streets all concerned over the lack of progress in reaching a strong, just, and binding international agreement – the largest such gathering to date on this issue. A peaceful show of concern and an unexpectedly large size group which the Danish police didn’t know how to handle well.
A seminar on the rights of Mother Earth sponsored by the Government of Bolivia – an example of how smaller nations are finding their voice and political strength in interesting ways with respect to climate change. This is also one of the cutting-edge initiatives that UUs interested in rights-based or Earth-care advocacy should investigate.
Two official US government briefings for non-governmental organizations, where, by luck, and possibly by virtue of wearing a highly visible red turtleneck sweater, I had the privilege of asking the first question of the week to our #1 negotiator.

While I am not a regular at major international meetings, I have participated in several historic conferences, including the infamous World Trade Organization ministerial in Seattle. The increasing frustration expressed by delegates from Southern nations in Copenhagen, including tears, tempers flying and threatened walk-outs seems to be much higher here than at any of the other meetings I have attended in the past 17 years. While some of this may be posturing, my sense is that most of the anguish is a legitimate reaction to the fact that the U.S. and other wealthy countries are dragging their feet while the clock is ticking. On the one hand, this first week showed signs that the South is holding together and taking a stronger stand. For me, this was one of the few beams of hope in the proceedings. On the other, the lack of progress left me gloomy about prospects on the official level.

I am most immediately concerned that we have a long way to go before we get international agreement to set a sufficiently strong, binding target to limit greenhouse gas emissions. At this time, the U.S. government is not willing to do what we must to meet our moral and legal responsibilities in this regard. Our government is the biggest stumbling block at this time. There are several policy components to this emissions cap hurdle. The most pressing one now concerns targets for 2020. We need to cut emissions dramatically and fast if we are to have a good chance of preventing a dangerous tipping point – and averting tremendous suffering and hardship on the part of people living in poverty in developing countries.

We have a very intelligent, skillful negotiating team representing the U.S. I would not want to sit across from them at the table in Copenhagen. From my personal advocacy experience, I have come to see more clearly the limits of intellectual engagement with our officials, and even limits to moral or ethical arguments. In a few areas, I have seen humanitarian and faith-based NGOs make a positive impact on the U.S. position on international climate change policy. In those cases, it is apparent that the more technical knowledge one has and the more organizing resources you have, the more effective the organization can be.

Certainly, most NGOs were using a combination of political organizing and intellectual engagement – an “inside” the Bella Center [formal location for the meetings] and an “outside” strategy. Some faith-based groups were using both strategies while others felt an inside strategy was useless.

By the end of the week, I was feeling like the most productive contribution the U.S. religious community could make would be to try to break through to an emotional and spiritual plane with our negotiators in some form of public witness. This is the realm where the religious community has particular expertise and responsibility.

Eco-psychologist Bill Plotkin describes our nation as in an adolescent stage of emotional and spiritual development. This felt true for the U.S. position in Copenhagen, despite the sophisticated economic and political rationale for the official stance. Most of us in the U.S. are comfortable in our privileges and ignorant of the consequences our policies and lifestyles have on the lives of people living in poverty in developing nations. As a nation, we are addicted to fossil fuels, privilege and power. The world sees us as digging in our heels to defend “The American Dream” which is a dream only for some in the U.S. and increasingly becoming a nightmare for many others around the globe.

In his sermon in Copenhagen, the Archbishop of Canterbury reflected that government negotiators from the North and South were operating out of fear. Some of that fear is rational and some of it is not selfish. Nonetheless, he urged the negotiators to detach from the fear and forge an agreement out of love. Certainly this is the mandate for the U.S. religious community -- to shift public attitudes and re-set the tone of Congressional debate on climate change policy. This is a long-term challenge that will remain with us well after the conference ends. UUs have practiced Standing on the Side of Love before. Now we must do it again.

Youth and the Future of Climate Change: Notes from Copenhagen

2009-12-14T14:00:00.000-05:00

Lynn Dash, UU-UNO Special Correspondent, has shared more notes with us from her experiences at the Copenhagen Climate Conference. These notes are from side events she attended on Thursday, 12/10, and illustrate both the ways that youth are affected by climate change and what they're already doing to take action.

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Youth have an incredible stake in the negotiations going on right now. Today I attended two “side events” organized by youth (defined as those under 25). Both had a sea of bright orange T-shirts, printed in front with “ How old will YOU be in 2050?” and on the back with “Don’t bracket our future.” Today I learned there are about 2000 youth here. Like the CAN—Climate Action Network—they are asking for an agreement that is FAIR—AMBITIOUS—BINDING. Yes, this sounds pretty elementary but it is very complicated, deciding on “Differentiated responsibility,” whether carbon off-sets should be counted, and a myriad of other technical details. The youth point out that in the end, it is their lives that are being affected more than the present negotiators.

In the workshop “Youth and Student Movements Leading the Way,” we heard about use of social networking technology to bring youth together from all over the world. They are reaching out to younger students, inspiring local actions, and creating innovative energy-saving devices. They are promoting intergenerational and inter-institutional cooperation. They are presenting their concerns to the powers that be in their towns, countries, and at the UN. Their careful study results in articulate presentations whether to peers, at a plenary session here with thousands of observers, or at a special briefing. Two young women, one from San Francisco and one from India, joined the environmental writer Bill McKibben to co-found the 350.org movement. Scientists say we need to reduce our greenhouse gases to 350 parts per million from our present 389 ppm to maintain our environment as we know it.

Another workshop focused on “Intergenerational Equity” and noted the growing number of young people around the world who are working on climate change. I am bringing back a little book entitled Climate Legacy Initiative: A New Legal Perspective on an Unprecedented Crisis, by one of the speakers, Tracy Bach from Vermont Law School. The responsibility the older generations have, to pass on a world as intact as the one they received, may be codified into law in some ways, but we know it is already a moral and ethical obligation. This reflects the wisdom of the Iroquois Nation Seventh Generation—whatever we do, let us think how it will affect our progeny unto the seventh generation.

Some interesting web sites:

www.sustainus.org

www.350.org This past weekend some activities are being planned such as candlelight vigils to encourage an equitable Copenhagen agreement—the heads of state are coming this week)

www.studentsummit2010 world student summit for sustainability tomorrow—looking into Climate Action Network

Cheers to you all Stateside,

Lynn

Pictures from a Hiroshima Schoolyard

2009-12-14T11:30:00.007-05:00

"In 1996, a box was uncovered at the home of a parishioner of All Souls Unitarian Church in Washington D.C. In that box were nearly 50 colorful drawings made by children as thanks for gifts received from the church fifty years earlier.

Not many people in the church knew the story behind these pictures, they only knew they were made by school children in Japan after World War II."

You may remember an April 2009 blogpost about the Hiroshima Children's Drawings that All Souls Church in Washington DC had recently restored. These incredible works of art - which are part of an equally incredible story - were also on display at General Assembly last summer.

A film about the Drawings and their story is now in production, and a website about the film - Pictures from a Hiroshima Schooyard - has recently been updated. Have a look, and enjoy the film's promo:

Parliament of World Religions

2009-12-10T09:14:00.005-05:00

The 2009 Parliament of World Religions recently concluded in Melbourne, Australia. More than 220 faith traditions were represented at this global event by 6000 people from 80 nationalities.

Unitarians were key organizers of the first Parliament held in Chicago in 1893. On the 100th anniversary of that momentous gathering a second World Parliament was held in Chicago, and further Parliaments have taken place every 5 years since. In 2009 the global Unitarian/Universalist movement was represented at the Parliament by the International Council of Unitarians and Universalists (ICUU). ICUU representatives provided a workshop on congregational interfaith work, and staffed a booth in the Exhibit Hall. We look forward to a report.

Much of the Parliament was covered online. Get a taste of it from the Australian Broadcasting Company's "Talking of Faith" blog, from photo streams, and from video.

Notes from COP 15 Copenhagen Climate Change Conference

2009-12-09T09:48:00.006-05:00

After much preparation and anticipation, the COP15 United Nations Climate Change Conference began on Monday, December 7th. Several congregations, including The First Unitarian Society of Schenectady in NY and the UU Fellowship of the Peninsula in Newport News, VA, are planning candlelight vigils around climate justice, to show their support halfway through the climate negotiations. More information is available on the UU Ministry for Earth website.

Lynn Dash, a special correspondent for the UU-United Nations Office, is currently in Copenhagen and has kindly shared some of her reflections with us.

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Dec. 8, 2009, Copenhagen

If you’ve been to General Assembly you know how intense the experience can be. The Copenhagen conference has the flavor of a giant GA with several times the number of participants. As of this writing, about 15,000 people from 200 countries are here. It is wonderful to see the faces of so many different people from around the world.

The logo is a sphere with thickly interconnecting lines, a web held together in a big blue ball. What a graphic reminder that we are all in this together, in our interconnected web on our one precious planet. So among the multiple offerings on many topics at any given hour, I am reminded that it is all about environmental and social justice for all of us on Earth.

COP is “Conference of Parties” and this is the 15th, and largest, such conference since international negotiations began in 1992 with the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

There is an undercurrent of tension between the developed and the developing countries. The major issue seems to be that the developed countries have already put a disproportionate amount of Greenhouse gas Emissions into the atmosphere, while the developing countries have yet to develop infrastructure that would help lift them out of poverty. (The U.S., with 5% of the world’s population, emits 20% of GHG). The “Side Event” panel I attended on the first full day of the conference, “What the Copenhagen Conference must deliver for climate justice,” included speakers from Africa and the Philippines. It was pointed out that developing countries are already dealing with adverse effects of climate change.

“Climate injustice means ignoring that some people somewhere are exposed to danger and yoked to suffering due to climate change.”

There is some fear that the North-South divide that permeates the negotiations may threaten to retard the gains so far achieved ahead of COP15.
Let’s keep posted…and hopeful for a just solution.

And speaking of hope—there is a growing international youth climate movement. Over 1000 youth from 100 countries are here at COP 15 and I’ve been talking with some of them. A young Australian stated simply: “It’s our future.” The Australian Youth Climate coalition sent 20 youth through an application process. They raised their own funds to be able to come here, and to be able to support youth from developing nations. They are peer-organized and meet every morning for strategy sessions. Today they drew a large crowd around them as they sang “Give Peace a Chance” with some added lyrics about climate justice.

Youth from all across the U.S. have come together as SustainUS. They are under 25 years old and were chosen through a competitive application process. There are 1600 members of SustainUS in the US—and their chair is a UU, Kyle Gracey! They trained together in August on how to make presentations, take action, talk with the media and other ways to make a difference. They are expected to go back into their communities and raise awareness of climate change and encourage actions for sustainability. We will be hearing more from these inspiring young people.

If you’re interested in reading the Daily Programme, it’s available at http://unfccc.int/items.

We are grateful to be here at this exciting time.

Lynn Dash

Speaking out Against Stupak - Important Vote Today in the Senate

2009-12-07T14:20:00.001-05:00

Author and sociology professor Carol Joffe's blog post on Beacon Broadside shares the stories of three women who found out, late in their pregnancies, that their babies were unlikely to live past birth. Joffe poignantly illustrates the complexities surrounding a woman's decision to have an abortion. These stories show one more reason why the UUA opposes the Stupak Amendment, and the similar Nelson-Hatch Amendment in the Senate, which could take that decision away from millions of women and their physicians.

The UUA is among 13 religious organizations calling on the Senate to preserve the insurance coverage that most women have today by placing NO further restrictions on abortion coverage in health care reform legislation. You can read the full story and the letter that was sent to all 100 U.S. Senators on the RH RealityCheck blog.

The Senate is expected to hold a procedural vote on the Nelson-Hatch Amendment today. Please contact your Senators and ask them to defeat this amendment. Learn more here.

Today is International Day of Persons with Disabilities

2009-12-03T14:01:00.007-05:00

Today is International Day of Persons with Disabilities. So it was fitting that I started off the day attending the first meeting of the Interfaith Disability Advocacy Coalition (IDAC), organized by the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD). As participants got to know each other, discussed legislative priorities, and talked about accessibility as a matter of human rights, I was thankful for this interfaith group, and thankful for the community of Unitarian Universalists - who I had the honor to represent - who are striving to make our congregations and communities ever more accessible to all. Having just visited one such congregation this weekend and seen first hand the love that went into making the sanctuary accessible to everyone, I am very pleased to present the following guest post:

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Kevin McGown, a member of the First Unitarian Church of Oakland (in California), shares his perspective on his church's commitment to accessibility.

I love my church, First Unitarian Church of Oakland. It is a community that encourages its members to grow in awareness, and as a community we work to lead by example. Right actions often teach more than good sermons. We just had a wonderful example of this.

For several months we have been moved out of our sanctuary, instead celebrating worship in the big adjoining social space. This was necessitated by the long-delayed earthquake retrofit of our lovely, but previously unreinforced, masonry sanctuary. The work was finished just before Thanksgiving and we moved back in. There were many reasons for gratitude. First, of course, was the simple fact of being back in our spiritual home. We were also very grateful that so much thought and effort went into making our space as accessible as it can be.

Although we had long had some ramp access and some improvised solutions to make almost all of our space accessible, the solutions weren't all good ones and could sometimes be difficult to manage, or could make one feel like a limited participant. During the design phase interested persons, including wheelchair riders and other experts, were consulted in efforts to improve access. Ramps were redesigned, an entrance was completely redone with a lift installed, and lighting was added for those like me who have low vision issues. One of the last steps was that before the seats were reinstalled and bolted down, they were arranged and then one of our wheelchair riding members went all around the room, checking out all of the corners, the space between rows, and so on, to make sure that the room was all readily maneuverable.

For me the coolest part came from a change that wasn't actually intended just as an access fix. Part of the floor in the front of the sanctuary was raised for several reasons. One effect was to decrease the grade of the aisle as it climbs toward the back of the room. As I walked it the first time I thought to myself how much easier it will now be for those with mobility limitations of any kind to move up and down that aisle. And the cool part is not just the fix, but the fact that I thought about that. By thinking and talking about access issues, my community instilled this thinking in me. Many of us have a new awareness of the importance of thinking about, and planning for, the details of access in a community and a facility that we want to be open and welcoming to everyone.

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Pass Health Care and Stop Stupak!

2009-12-03T13:02:00.005-05:00

Over 500 people from 30 states attended yesterday's rally on Capitol Hill, which was planned by the Coalition to Pass Health Care and Stop Stupak. Speakers from national women's health and reproductive rights organizations, Members of Congress, and religious leaders took the podium to stand up for reproductive justice. All day long, delegations visited their House Representatives and Senators asking them to ensure that the language of the Stupak Amendment is not included in the final health care reform bill.

Read Rev. Meg Riley's statement from the rally and her call to action on UUA.org.

And check out http://www.stopstupak.com to learn how you and others in your community can get involved.

Climate Change Update

2009-12-02T18:33:00.004-05:00

A lot has happened this past month on climate change. The Kerry-Boxer Bill (Clean Energy Jobs and American Power Act of 2009) was voted out of the Environment and Public Works committee. Senators Kerry, Graham, and Lieberman started a tri-partisan "dual track" of negotiations on a climate bill, working with the White House to craft legislation that would be likely to get the necessary 60 votes. President Obama agreed to attend the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen, which many of us and our allies have been and announced that he will negotiate to reduce US global warming emissions "in the range of 17%" by 2020. We need stronger climate action to really protect our planet and prevent further climate catastrophes from happening.

With the start of the United Nations Climate Change Conference next Monday, December 7th, we'll all have to keep tuned to the direction the climate talks go. A number of UUs will be in Copenhagen and may contribute to this blog while they are there. In other news, information on the Dial Down Climate Change campaign should be on the Climate Change pages of the UUA website soon and the Unitarian Universalist Ministry for Earth website has information about other ways of getting involved.

UUs Support CIW for Justice in the Tomato Fields

2009-12-02T14:09:00.003-05:00

by Rev. Allison Farnum of the Unitarian Universalist Church in Ft. Myers, FL

Unitarian Universalist congregations all along in Florida have been picketing with the CIW at Publix Supermarkets, delivering letters to the Publix managers that ask for Publix to come to the Coalition of Immokalee Workers' table to talk about the tomatoes they buy. Documented cases of slavery have occurred in the fields of two large Florida tomato growers, 6Ls and Pacific. Publix continues to buy from both growers. Publix cites a policy that states they do not get involved in labor issues between those from whom they purchase and their employees. Since when is slavery a labor dispute?

Folks in our southwest Florida cluster congregations share that, when speaking with Publix employees, the managers themselves are disappointed that the corporate level will not cooperate. Even Publix employees on the front lines expect better of this corporation (the 4th largest privately-owned company in the United States, recently reported in Forbes Magazine) that claims it cares about its local community. As far as I can tell, Publix officials turning their backs on slavery in Florida tomato fields is far from caring.

Money talks. As Publix buys from growers that condone slavery in their fields, this giant supermarket chain is participating in a harvest of shame. This Sunday people of faith from Florida, Unitarian Universalists and all kinds, will gather in Lakeland, FL, home of the corporate headquarters, to send prayers of courage and caring to Publix. We will make our presence known as allies and supporters of the tomato pickers and stand on the side of love.

Uganda’s Proposed Anti-Gay Legislation

2009-12-01T14:11:00.004-05:00

Crossposted from Standing on the Side of Love

When I was 18 years old I spent three months in Kenya for a service learning opportunity. During one long weekend we traveled across the border to Kampala, Uganda. I was blown away. Our hosts were incredibly hospitable, the streets felt safe, and the city was rich in culture and well developed. I have nothing but positive memories of my time in Uganda.

Then, during the past four years, I spent a lot of time working on HIV/AIDS policy and came to admire Uganda’s success in addressing HIV/AIDS with their innovative ABC method (Abstain, Be Faithful, Use Condoms). Although in recent years their success has slipped, I was inspired by the way Uganda took their HIV/AIDS epidemic seriously and made positive strides to address it.

Perhaps it is these positive experiences that have made the latest news out of Uganda so hard for me to hear. The Ugandan Parliament is considering legislation that would make homosexuality illegal. Anyone caught having homosexual sex would be condemned to life in prison. If HIV positive, they would face a death penalty. Furthermore, any witness of homosexual sex that does not report it within 24 hours would face three years in prison.

Some prominent conservative Christian leaders both inside Uganda and internationally are supporting the bill. I recently signed a petition calling on Pastor Rick Warren to publicly denounce the anti-homosexual legislation. I encourage you to sign it as well as it is the best action I have found so far.

Personally, my spirituality was awakened in East Africa. My encounters with Evangelicals, Pentecostals and Catholics were eye opening. I saw Christians pray with deep conviction. I joined in hymns that stirred my soul. I witnessed a reverence that sustained lives. I was privileged that these faith communities fed my faith.

I imagine there are many gay Ugandans that grew up with and were sustained by Christian communities. I can’t help but feel the isolation and betrayal they must face at this moment. I pray this legislation will not pass and that the intolerance and oppression that has brought the legislation thus far is called out and pushed back. In this dark hour, I stand on the side of love with Ugandans of every sexual orientation.

Adam Gerhardstein protesting an HIV/AIDS press conference
at which Pastor Rick Warren spoke

World AIDS Day 2009

2009-11-30T17:37:00.006-05:00

This year for World AIDS Day, our friends at Advocates for Youth, the Center for Health and Gender Equity (CHANGE), the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, and SIECUS have organized a petition campaign and blog-a-thon on the Amplify website.

From now through December 6th, you can sign the online petition asking President Obama to create an Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief that provide the best and most comprehensive services and information to young people worldwide. Our country’s HIV/AIDS policy must respect the inherent worth and dignity of those who receive our support by giving them the resources they need to lead whole and healthy lives.

Sign the petition, and check out the blog-a-thon today!

There are many ways that you can commemorate World AIDS Day, including learning more about HIV/AIDS issues in your area and around the world. Unitarian Universalists across the United States and Canada are powerful advocates and educators with the UU Global AIDS Coalition. Here in Washington, D.C. there will be a march and rally tomorrow, Tuesday, Dec. 1 at 12:00pm, starting at the White House and ending at 2:00pm at the Wilson Building. RSVP and find more details on Facebook. There will also be a vigil at Dupont Circle at 5:30 pm.

Find out what’s happening in your own community for World AIDS Day here.

STOP STUPAK! National Day of Action

2009-11-24T15:30:00.004-05:00

If you have heard about the Stupak Amendment, which would ban coverage of abortion services for millions of women under health care reform, you might be wondering what else you can do to keep such sweeping restrictions on reproductive health and abortion coverage out of a final health care reform bill. (To learn more, see my blog post from November 12th)

Here’s what you can do:

For those of you within easy traveling distance, please join Rev. Meg Riley, UUA Director of Advocacy and Witness, and I for the National Day of Action in Washington, D.C. on December 2nd. There will be lobby training and a briefing starting at 9:30 AM, a mid-day rally on Capitol Hill, and lobby visits throughout the afternoon. We are coordinating our actions with our friends and colleagues of many faiths from the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice (RCRC), and if you would like to participate in a lobby visit or would like more information about the day’s activities, please contact Ellen Battistelli at RCRC (ebattistelli [at] rcrc [dot] org).

If you’re too far away to come to Washington, D.C, please sign the online petition. We will be delivering the signatures on December 2nd, so we need as many as possible!

December 3rd is National Senate Call-In Day. Call 202-224-3121 and ask for your Senator by name. Please take a few minutes to call both of your Senators. Here’s a sample call script:

"I'm calling as your constituent and a Unitarian Universalist religious person. I believe strongly that all people have the right to comprehensive, high quality health care and that women should be able to make reproductive health decisions based on their own values. Please oppose any amendments to health care reform legislation that would limit a woman's right to purchase private or public health insurance offering comprehensive reproductive health care, including abortion care. Thank you."

You can find more information and talking points in the RCRC toolkit or at the Planned Parenthood Action Center. I hope to see you on Capitol Hill on December 2nd. Please call me with any questions 202-393-2255 x12 or email obusch@uua.org.

Shramajivee Mahila Samity

2009-11-19T13:03:00.000-05:00

As noted in an ealier blogpost, Shramajivee Mahila Samity - a UU Holdeen India Program Partner - was the recipient of the 2009 "Harriet Tubman Freedom Award" from Free The Slaves. Please share this video about the important and inspirational work of SMS.

National Faith Call-In Day for Workplace Equality

2009-11-18T19:00:00.001-05:00

On Thursday, November 19th, please join people of many faiths across the country in calling for an end to workplace discrimination. The House of Representatives could vote soon on the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, also known as ENDA (H.R. 3017/S. 1584). ENDA would protect bisexual, gay, lesbian and transgender workers from discrimination based solely on who they are or who they love.

Everyone has the right to work for a living without facing such discrimination. Call your Representative on Thursday, Nov. 19th by dialing 202-224-3121 and asking for them by name. If you don't know your Represenative's name, the Capitol Switchboard operators can look it up using your zip code. Here is a sample call script:

I am your constituent, and I am also a Unitarian Universalist. I am calling to ask the Senator/Representative to support and co-sponsor the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (H.R. 3017). This bill would guarantee basic protections against workplace discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity. I support fair employment practices for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Americans because I respect the inherent worth and dignity of all persons. Thank You.

You can find more information about ENDA on UUA.org. Our multi-faith campaign also includes a sign on letter for clergy and religious leaders at http://goldenruleatwork.org. Check it out, and please take a few minutes on Thursday to call your Representative and raise your voice for workplace equality!

Border Trip: Tuesday, Nov. 10th

2009-11-13T23:31:00.005-05:00

Part 5 of a series of posts devoted to a trip to the U.S./Mexico border. This was written on the 10th, but, due to lack of internet access while in Mexico, is being published now. Photos can be found here.

Tuesday, November 10^th. We wake to the sound of roosters crowing. In the morning light, I suspect that the floors on which we slept belong to some kind of childrens center – colorful signs are hung here and there. Ricky is there at breakfast and explains that the building is a community center with multiple purposes, one of which is to teach kids catechism.

Our first visit of the morning is to Presbyterian minister Mark Adams, who works for Frontera de Cristo. I am getting a strong impression that the Presbyterians are all over this border/immigration issue. The Frontera de Cristo office is right next to the border crossing, so in the morning light, we get our first view of the wall. At this part of the border, it is a metal fence made from recycled landing strips from the Vietnam and First Gulf wars – a fitting reminder of how our border enforcement policy is essentially a war. Rev. Adams starts off by talking about how at the 100^th anniversary of the Presbyterian Church in Latin America, the Latin Presbyterians kicked out the North American Presbyterians, basically saying don’t come back until you can work with us as partners, not tell us what to do like children. Frontera de Cristo and five other Presbyterian bi-national resource centers arose out of the process of building a true partnership. Like CAME and many other organizations, it provides resources to deported migrants – water, food, first aid, a phone call, and ride home. It also documents human rights abuses. In the last three years, they have served over 47,000 persons.

Rev. Adams then shared his own personal journey that got him there. Growing up in the American South, he resented having to learn Spanish in school. As far as he was concerned, if you’re in the U.S., you should be speaking English. All foreigners were suspect but he had a special antipathy for Mexicans. The road to his transformation started with religious reflection. Reading Galatians 3:28, “And there is neither Jew nor Greek…for you are all one in Christ Jesus,” Adams realized that he wasn’t being a very good Christian. Ironically, he now uses every day the Spanish that he resented learning as a child. When asked by someone in our group about the “coyotes,” Rev. Adams responded that it’s easy to pick a group and blame it all on them. “The coyotes not the problem. Border patrol is not the problem. I am the problem,” he said. That is, the policies of our government, which we are supposed to keep accountable, are causing this misery. Amen.

Our next visit is with Café Justo or Just Coffee. (What a great name!) Just Coffee was started by Daniel Cifuentes, with the help of Mark Adams. Realizing that the bulk of migration from his home state in Mexico, Chiapas, was due to people no longer being able to survive on farming, Mr. Cifuentes reasoned that if he could find a way for farmers to be able to support their families again, they would not need to leave their native land. Coffee “coyotes” had driven down the price of coffee from to. Just Coffee cuts out the middle-man and pays the coffee growers . What’s more, by paying farmers within the cooperative a fair price for their coffee, Just Coffee forces the coffee coyotes to offer higher prices too, thus improving lives of all coffee growers, whether they participate in Just Coffee cooperative or not. But even more than that, most of the price we consumers pay for coffee isn’t for the beans but for the roasting. So even when farmers are paid a fair price, as in “fair-trade” coffee, most of the profit still goes to the American company that is processing the beans. By roasting the beans themselves, Just Coffee retains that added value and at the same time creates jobs on the Mexican side of the border.

After making several u-turns along bumpy roads, we finally arrive at the DouglaPrieta cooperative – Jose meets us at the front door of a building with an inspiring mural - Josefa Ortiz de Dominguez, Gandhi, King, and Ceasar Chavez. The cooperative works on teaching carpentry, sewing, and computer skills. Recently, Jose has added permaculture – permanent culture based on sustainable agriculture – to its repertoire. They have purchased their own land just down the road from the current location (which they rent) and are making their own adobe bricks. Adobe (made of mud, straw, and cow manure) is naturally insulating, blocking outside heat in the summer and retaining inside warmth in the winter. Towards the back is a community garden. While there doesn’t appear to be anything growing now, they’ve built a small damn out of old tires to collect water from the wash and use for irrigation. As Jose explains it, there is no culture without agriculture, so sustainable agriculture must be the basis for everything they do. To be honest, through my American eyes what I saw was a weedy, muddy area next to a gully, but Jose could see a thriving small farm, providing fresh vegetables and greenery for the neighborhood, and I have no doubt that he and the rest of the cooperative will make that vision a reality.

Lunch was at DouglaPrieta. I guess you could say it was catered, as it was served by two women who cooked and served the food as a way to make money. But there was none of the frilliness that we generally associate with catering, instead just steamy hot tortillas, rice, beans, and the best chile rellenos I have ever had in my life (and I’ve had a lot of chile rellenos as they are my favorite Mexican dish).

After lunch, we bid adios to Agua Prieta and headed across the border to Arizona. Even though our destination was Nogales, Mexico, it was far faster to take the U.S. highways than to negotiate the mountain roads in Mexico. This is cattle country, and we pass sign after sign for different ranches. One in particular caught my eye as we zipped by – Starr-King Ranch. I would have thought that maybe I read it wrong but Louise saw it too. We wonder if there is any connection between the ranch and Thomas Starr-King, the Unitarian and Universalist minister after whom our seminary in California is named.

Arriving at La Casa de la Misericordia (House of Mercy) at just about sunset, we are relieved to be shown to dorm rooms with real beds. A separate building houses compost toilets and showers. Compared to the poverty of Agua Prieta, the accommodations seem luxurious. Dinner is rice, refried beans… and potato tacos! Yay! Corn tortillas filled with a spiced potato mixture and then fried until crisp. Kind of a Mexican version of an Indian samosa.

All in all, the day left us inspired and feeling empowered. Whereas the visits to Southside in Tucson and CAME focused on providing assistance to migrants – a much needed yet only temporary fix to the flood of migrants crossing the desert -, the visits today focused on potential solutions. Mark Adams set the tone by talking about how the Mexican Presbyterian Church demanded to be respected as partners. Then Just Coffee and DouglaPrieta showed how individuals and small groups are taking initiative to create jobs here in Mexico, thus reducing the need for migration. And especially in the case of Just Coffee, it was obvious how we could help.

Methinks most everyone of us fell asleep in our dorm rooms content. The sound of kids playing and dogs barking gave way to the sound of music and adults singing and then to quiet. (Until the roosters crowed at dawn, of course.)

The Charter for Compassion is Launched!

2009-11-13T10:12:00.021-05:00

"The principle of compassion lies at the heart of all religious, ethical and spiritual traditions, calling us always to treat all others as we wish to be treated ourselves. Compassion impels us to work tirelessly to alleviate the suffering of our fellow creatures, to dethrone ourselves from the centre of our world and put another there, and to honour the inviolable sanctity of every single human being, treating everybody, without exception, with absolute justice, equity and respect.

It is also necessary in both public and private life to refrain consistently and empathically from inflicting pain. To act or speak violently out of spite, chauvinism, or self-interest, to impoverish, exploit or deny basic rights to anybody, and to incite hatred by denigrating others—even our enemies—is a denial of our common humanity. We acknowledge that we have failed to live compassionately and that some have even increased the sum of human misery in the name of religion.

We therefore call upon all men and women ~ to restore compassion to the centre of morality and religion ~ to return to the ancient principle that any interpretation of scripture that breeds violence, hatred or disdain is illegitimate ~ to ensure that youth are given accurate and respectful information about other traditions, religions and cultures ~ to encourage a positive appreciation of cultural and religious diversity ~ to cultivate an informed empathy with the suffering of all human beings—even those regarded as enemies.

We urgently need to make compassion a clear, luminous and dynamic force in our polarized world. Rooted in a principled determination to transcend selfishness, compassion can break down political, dogmatic, ideological and religious boundaries. Born of our deep interdependence, compassion is essential to human relationships and to a fulfilled humanity. It is the path to enlightenment, and indispensible to the creation of a just economy and a peaceful global community." (pdf)

Interfaith clergy and community leaders in the Philadelphia region gathered on November 12, 2009 at Love Park to publicly affirm the Charter for Compassion. Thanks to Rev. Nate Walker for sharing this video from the event:

Visit the Charter for Compassion website

Border Trip: Monday, Nov. 9th

2009-11-12T23:40:00.006-05:00

Part 4 of a series of posts devoted to a trip to the U.S./Mexico border. This was written on the 9th, but, due to lack of internet access while in Mexico, is being published now. Photos can be found here.

Monday, November 9th. Rising early, we visit Southside Presbyterian Church at 7am. Southside played a pivotal role in the Sanctuary movement of the 1980s and is still deeply involved in border immigration issues. It is early for us but the volunteers there have already been hard at work, cooking and laying out food, coffee, milk and pastries for whoever shows up. It’s quite a spread. In addition to normal breakfast items such as cold cereal and pastries (donated from Starbucks), there is a buffet of hot foods. This morning’s fare included salad, rice and beans, pasta and pork chops. Southside Presbyterian does this twice a week, Mondays and Fridays, while other area congregations provide similar meals on other days. The church also provides clothing for those who need it.

We visit their sanctuary, which has been built in the shape of a kiva. The most obvious difference from a normal church is that there is no “front,” - only the center of a circle. The niches of the walls contain kachinas and other native sacred objects, and the light covers are decorated with petroglyphs. This is (Borderlink instructor) Elsbeth’s home church and her face lights up as she describes the congregation’s call to ministry surrounding the border. Outside the kiva is a memorial to those who have died in the desert. The trees are decorated with bandanas found in the desert and small stones are inscribed with the names of the dead.

For a little while, I help serve milk and cereal alongside Jesse, a regular volunteer at the church. We are told it is a light day - only 75 or so show up, as opposed to the usual 200. As the crowd thins, I wander back over to the memorial. One of the guys who has come here for a meal asks me what our little group is about. I explain that we’re here to learn more about border issues. From the looks of him, I suspect he is a veteran. Many of those seeking aid from Southside are. As the conversation unfolds it becomes clear that we do not share the same views about immigration. In his view, Arizona should be even tougher on illegal aliens than it has been – as they take our jobs and present a threat to homeland security. My pointing out that no suspected terrorists have been caught crossing the U.S./Mexico border (unlike the U.S./Canadian border, yet we’re not building a wall up north) does not move him. Nor does my pointing out that people are dying. I point to the pile of stones in front of us, 209 so far in the Sonoran this year. “We think Bush did a good job. What is your opinion on him?” he asks as he made his way to go. “Not so much,” I replied to his turning back. It was a reminder that just because someone comes to Southside for assistance doesn’t mean that the person agrees with Southside’s views, nor should he have to. And a reminder of how complex these issues are.

Afterwards, we speak with Rev. John Fife. Rev. Fife served Southside Presbyterian for 35 years before retiring 4 years ago to work for the Samaritans and No More Deaths. Much of that time was during the 1980s, when Southside became heavily involved in the Sanctuary movement, in response to the extreme need that they saw from people coming to their doors. U.S. policy was supporting repressive dictators in Central America – mainly El Salvador and Guatemala. People fleeing to the U.S. were clearly political refugees but the U.S. would not recognize them as such (despite evidence of torture) because that would require recognizing that we were supporting oppressive governments. The worldview of President Regan did not allow for anything more nuanced than “us” versus “them.” So Rev. Fife, along with Quaker Jim Corbett, recognized that they were required by conscience to take more active measures – helping refugees cross the border safely and providing sanctuary. He explains to us the difference between "civil disobedience" and "civil initiative." When the government is violating human rights, then it is both the legal right and moral responsibility for citizens to take civil initiative to protect the victims. True then; true today. Rev. Fife thanked the Presbyterian Church of Canada for their part in moving refugees through the U.S. and into Canada at that time, and acknowledged the UU Church of Tucson’s sponsorship of No More Deaths today.

After, we watch documentary on border issues/immigration called, Crossing Arizona. It gave different perspectives, including those of ranchers who are losing thousands of dollars a year due to broken fences, trash clean-up, water left running, cattle being killed for food or accidentally killed when they ingest trash left by migrants. One woman talked of her fear of working her own land in case she ran into trespassing men. My heart went out to the ranchers even as I recognized that migrants are just trying to survive. A particularly interesting point made was that when the U.S. signed trade agreements with European countries, it caused the collapse of local economies that resulted in the mass migration of Irish, Polish, Italians, etc to the U.S. to work as cheap labor. The parallel between that and NAFTA not lost. I had known that it was U.S. economic policy that was causing the current massive immigration of Mexican-Americans. But I did not know that this was just the most recent chapter in our long history of economic refugees. Under NAFTA, U.S. subsidized corn and other crops are sold to Mexico for cheap, forcing Mexican farmers out of business. They could not make enough to support their families, resulting in pressure to migrate to the U.S. for work. NAFTA created a situation where goods move freely across the border but the workforce that creates those goods cannot.

During a brief introduction to the history of the wall, the presenter tells us that the first U.S. law specifically excluding immigrants of a particular origin was the Chinese Exclusion Act. It reminds me of why I've felt this issue so personally.

Finally, in the afternoon, we make the three hour drive – first along highway 10 and then 90 - to Agua Prieta, Mexico, a small border town who’s population exploded after NAFTA. The desert is as beautiful as I remember it. Through the van window, the passing landscape of saguaro and opuntia cacti, ocotillo, and yucca reminds me very much of the Mojave desert in California. By the time we get to Agua Prieta, it is after sunset and we cross the border in darkness. Our host for dinner and lodging is a Catholic organization called CAME (pronounced “kah-may”). CAME provides food and shelter, a shower and change of clothes, and even a phone call for migrants, most of whom have recently been caught in the desert and sent back to Aqua Prieta. But the most important service that CAME provides is that its volunteers listen to the stories of the migrants, all of whom have been traumatized by their experiences in the desert, whether running out of water, being violently assaulted, or stumbling across the dead bodies of fellow migrants. After being deported, CAME is usually the first kind experience the migrants get. Its staff of 56 volunteers is run by a sweet-faced, soft-spoken 20-something named Ricky. He explains that many of the volunteers are young adults, called to service by the suffering they have witnessed. Suffering that is increasing. In 2007, CAME served 1,040 people. So far in 2009, it has served 2,500, and the year is not over yet.

Dinner is rice and refried beans, a delicious spicy potato mixture, and of course, steaming hot corn tortillas. Brian (from Canada) and I sit next to Diego and Jose Luis. Diego speaks some English while (Borderlinks trip-leader) Tracy needs to facilitate the conversation between us and Jose Luis. Both of them are from Sinaloa, the same state that (Borderlinks trip-leader) MaryCruz is from. Jose Luis had been caught and “processed” in front of a judge. If he comes back and is caught again within the next 20 years, he will go to jail for 6 months. But he will try again, because there is no other way to put his two children through school. Diego had been picked up by border patrol trying to cross and dumped via bus in Agua Prieta. He has a girlfriend in Dallas and three teen-aged children in Mexico. He’s already made the crossing several times and knows the way by now. No need for “coyotes” (who take you over the border for a price). He tells us that tomorrow he will try again, walking four days in the desert (assuming that he isn’t picked up by Border Patrol), which means that he will be walking on his birthday on Friday. No one should have to walk through the desert on their birthday just for the opportunity to earn a living. Diego has worked as kitchen staff in a Chinese restaurant in Dallas. We joke that he probably cooks better Chinese food than I do. Then I ask him, “You’ll be turning 44. How many more years do you think you will be doing this?” He shrugs off the question with a sad, resigned smile. At that point, Jose Luis asks us a question, “Why does the United States want to keep us out?” The question breaks my heart. Through Tracy, I tell him it’s because the U.S. still sees itself as a white European nation with a few “minorities.” It is afraid of losing that status. Brian and Tracy also talk of economics and other factors. But really, no answer seemed adequate to explain the pain we were causing him and thousands of others.

When Health Reform Hurts

2009-11-12T15:45:00.002-05:00

From what I understand of legal and judicial precedent, the Federal government is not supposed to interfere with a woman's right to choose when, how and under what circumstances to have or not have a child. This includes the right to a safe and legal abortion as under the conditions of the Roe v. Wade United States Supreme Court decision of 1973.

Late last Saturday night, this right began unraveling in the House of Representatives. When the vote was over, the House had passed a comprehensive health care reform bill that essentially eliminates a woman's right to choose abortion. The Stupak-Pitts amendment, which was included in the House bill, makes it illegal for any provider in the proposed health care exchange, the marketplace created for individuals and businesses, or in any public option, to provide abortion coverage.

Women would instead be able to purchase an abortion rider, additional coverage for abortion services. Anti-choice groups would have us believe that this is a reasonable compromise, but who would choose to pay extra for a service that they don't ever expect to use? Women cannot anticipate unintended or untenable pregnancies. Furthermore, in the five states that have abortion rider requirements already, there is no evidence that such riders have ever been made available. Losing the right to purchase abortion coverage with their own funds puts women at risk. Low and middle income women who will need subsidies to purchase insurance, those who are in the greatest need of comprehensive and high quality health care, are left without options. The lives of women and their families literally hang in the balance.

The decision to have or not have an abortion should remain between a woman and her doctor; this amendment threatens to revoke the right to that decision and violates the very spirit of health care reform. Health care reform isn't about promoting one ideology over another, it's about the legal and moral rights of people to receive the comprehensive health care that they need and deserve - and not to be denied coverage of services that are currently covered by most insurance companies.

It's extremely difficult for me to be happy about reform that doesn't provide access to comprehensive reproductive health care for millions of women - so I'm not going to be. A health system that doesnt give us access to care we need is inherently unjust and unacceptable. So I'm going to believe that it will not be codified. I'm going to put my faith in the Unitarian Universalists and other champions of reproductive justice out there, and I'm going to believe in the power of advocacy.

But I need your help. I can't do it without you. Please contact your Senators and the White House with a clear message telling them to enact health care reform that does not eliminate services that women already receive, including comprehensive reproductive care, including abortion.

Please, Take Action Now

Day of Climate Witness

2009-11-11T09:18:00.002-05:00

Having arrived at the capitol building early, I paused in the middle of grass, surrounded by sturdy, welcoming trees. A soft breeze rustled the leaves as I was surprised by the warmth of the sun on that November day. Even in the midst of a busy city, an immense gratitude for the natural world filled me and reminded me of the important work that lies ahead.

Last Thursday, November 5th, was the interfaith Climate Witness, with speakers from various denominations joining together to speak truth to power. Morality and ethics call us to act to curb climate change and alert us to the consequences of not acting. While climate change will impact all of us to some extent, it already is most greatly affecting the poorest peoples. Sea level rise could put entire island nations under water, causing millions of people to become climate refugees. A projected increase in hurricanes and other natural disasters puts more people and ecosystems at risk, as we saw in Hurricane Katrina. Farmland can dry up or be washed away with flooding as a result of changes in rainfall. Part of the injustice of the situation is that these people who are most affected by climate change are not the historical contributors of the greenhouse gases in our atmosphere today. We are asking the U.S. to take a strong leadership role at the Climate Convention in Copenhagen this December to ensure strong and just climate policy for all.

In this global day and age, continuing to emit monstrous quantities of greenhouse gases as a nation hurts all of us. Pollution crosses national boundaries, as does trade. Let's continue to work together and bring more people into the movement for a global climate that is sustainable for everyone.

Health Care Reform Restricts Abortion Coverage

2009-11-09T17:28:00.000-05:00

The House of Representatives passed a comprehensive health care reform bill that takes unprecedented steps towards limiting reproductive health care for women and severely restricting coverage of abortion services.

Read Unitarian Universalist minister and Religious Institute director Rev. Debra Haffner's reaction to Saturday night's vote on her blog, Sexuality and Religion

"Angry But Not Surprised About Stupak"

Border Trip: Sunday, Nov. 8th

2009-11-08T23:54:00.006-05:00

Part 3 of a series of posts devoted to a trip to the U.S./Mexico border. Photos can be found here.

Sunday, November 8th. Spent the morning attending service at the UU Church of Tucson and speaking with volunteers at No More Deaths (NMD) afterwards. The people there were a mixture of NMD activists who know of the church through the partnership and/or congregants who got involved with NMD as the church did. When I asked how it is that UUCT chose to sponsor No More Deaths, everyone agreed that while the exact organization wasn’t decided upon until relatively recently (when Walt Staton brought it to the congregation), the church had known for years that it wanted a social justice ministry around which to coalesce and was pretty sure that it would be around immigration and the Border. As congregant Helen O’Brian put it, “When you live in Tucson, people turn up in your backyard who need water.” On this particular day, the congregation just happened to be assembling food and first aid packs. People had donated items such as sports drinks, socks, aspirin and then children and adult members put them together into 123 packs that will be taken to the desert. It was clear that support for No More Deaths came from the entire congregation. As we talked about the need for volunteers, a vision emerged of UU service groups coming from all over the country to volunteer in the desert the way that we do in New Orleans. I haven’t even started our Border trip yet and already I’m thinking of coming back for more.

After the meeting, Helen and her daughter were kind enough to give me a ride over to Borderlinks, the organization that will be facilitating our journey. I am the first to arrive. Our small group from All Souls DC initially had a problem. There were not enough of us to meet the required minimum number of sojourners. However, a group from the Presbyterian Church of Canada were in the same boat so we decided to join forces. The American Unitarian contingent consists of Rev. Louise Green, Jeff, Ron, and myself. The Canadian Presbyterian contingent consists of Stephen, who serves the Presbyterian Church, Mary, Joan, Christine, and Greg. Gary, a researcher from the University of Arizona who is studying religious experiential learning trips, fills us out to ten. When everyone eventually arrives, we are given a brief orientation to both Borderlinks and the trip. We learn how Borderlinks was born out of the Sanctuary movement, a religious movement in the 1980s offering refuge to immigrants fleeing political turmoil and violence in El Salvador and Guatemala. (No More Deaths was also born of the Sanctuary movement.) It exists to facilitate experiential learning through immersion trips to the Border, so that we can better understand the complex issues and bring that new-found understanding back to our communities. Historically associated with the Presbyterian church, Borderlinks is now ecumenical/interfaith. It is also bi-national, with offices in the U.S. (Tucson) and the Mexican side of Nogales. For example, our group will have three trip-leaders, two from the U.S. - Tracy and Elsbeth - and one from Mexico - MaryCruz, who is from Nogales and speaks primarily Spanish.

We've only spent a couple hours together so far, but already I can tell that what we had originally approached as a compromise - the pooling of Americans and Canadians - is truly a gift. We Americans will be able to see the Border/immigration not only from our own eyes, but through Canadian eyes as well. As fellow religious progressives, we share many views in common, but as the Canadians are in many ways a third party to the U.S./Mexican "dispute," their perspective can be quite different at times.

By the time everyone assembles and we go through the logistics of how to share cramped communal space, and the brief introduction to Borderlinks history, and some exercises designed to help us get to know both each other and the issues better, it is already quite late. But we can't miss the Day of the Dead. Dia de Los Muertos is a time to remember and celebrate our ancestors, particularly those who have passed in the last year. A colorful alter is decorated with pictures of the deceased and their favorite foods are laid out. In other parts of the world (particularly Latin America) Dia de Los Muertos was observed last week during All Saints Day and All Souls Day. In fact, last week Taquiena Boston (of the UUA’s Identity-based Ministries) and I had attended a Dia de Los Muertos observance at the National Museum of the American Indian. But in Tucson it is celebrated one week later, today, with a parade - the Alls Souls Procession. Started by a local artist who had lost her father, the community puts together a parade to remember and celebrate those who have passed from us. In this U.S. town close to but not on the Border, the festivities are obviously syncretic. The sound of bagpipes mingles with more traditionally Mexican images of skeletons. I think of how I lost my mother in May. Unfortunately, I think her Chinese sensibilities would not have approved of all the carrying-on, but for me and our group, the atmosphere was intoxicating. At its climax, a giant urn was hoisted up via a crane and set on fire. Trip-leader Elsbeth explains to us that it contains pieces of paper bearing the names of the deceased - names that were written by people in the crowd. While done on a fantastical scale, the ritual is similar to what we’ve done at All Souls DC, similar to what the Chinese do to honor the dead, similar I’m sure to the rituals of so many cultures. Our group stood lost in the crowd and watched the giant urn glow in the night sky, and I felt like all the ancestors in world must have been there watching affectionately too, even Mom.

Border Trip: Saturday, Nov. 7th

2009-11-07T22:02:00.006-05:00

Part 2 of a series of posts devoted to a trip to the U.S./Mexico border.

Saturday, November 7th. It’s the eve of our Border trip. I am flying into Tucson a day early in order to attend service at the UU Church of Tucson and speak with some of the people there who run No More Deaths. Ever since I first heard of the arrest of Walt Staton for leaving bottles of water in the desert, I have been enamored with the organization and its volunteers. It is one of many reasons why I wanted make this journey to the Border. Regardless of one’s feelings about undocumented immigration, the idea that someone could be arrested for humanitarian aid is unfathomable.

But that is tomorrow. Today on the eve, I am excited and also a little apprehensive. It’s not that I think anything will go wrong per se. It’s just that I’ve invested a lot personally into this trip, and I’m worried that it may not be what I expect… although I’m not even sure what it is that I expect. Already I have realized a disconnect between my perspective and the realities of the Border. Being the daughter of non-Euro immigrants myself, I had been approaching the trip as an opportunity to explore identity – the “border” identity of someone who lives in more than one culture. Growing up in California, I have felt some affinity with Mexican-Americans – we are both often overlooked as the national discussion on race focuses on black and white. And when we are noticed, it is often as “foreign invaders.” As a kid and even a few times as an adult I have been told to “go back to where you came from.” I thought this put me in the position to better empathize with people whom our country is rounding up and deporting. That may still be the case. However, in reflections with our group in preparation for the trip, I’m also aware that there are many differences between the experiences of the migrants who cross the Mexico/U.S. border and my Chinese middle-class family.

For one thing, the border is right there, an artificial boundary between two nations sharing the same continent. Mexican immigrants can travel back and forth between their county of origin and their adopted country. In contrast, my parents had only their memories to compare to their new homeland, and I can count on two hands the total number of visits I’ve made to Taiwan and China – a divide so wide that it was another world to me. I’ve been proud to hail from California, a “border state” with a large Mexican-American population. But now I realize that San Francisco is a world away from the border compared to Los Angeles, which is a world away compared to San Diego, which is a world away compared to San Ysidro. I do not know what it’s like to physically live on the Border. How different it must be to see every day the difference in wealth. How could one not wonder why?

Second, while my parents lacked money when they first arrived in the U.S. and some my earliest memories are of Mom calculating how much food we could afford, we were never truly poor nor really desperate. Education is a kind of wealth and my parents had the security of knowing that there would be better days ahead. Of course, I have always known that my family is middle-class while the people who brave the desert are driven, not just by a desire for a better life for their families but often by a dire need. It’s just that, it’s one thing to know this difference intellectually and another to know it experientially. This point was made clear to me while our group read a poem about crossing the desert at night.

I love the desert. To me it is a place of calm and stark yet delicate beauty. Yes, water is scarce and life is fragile, but that only makes more real the sense of being alive. Some of my most spiritual, mystical experiences have been in the desert – watching the lizards sunbathe, staring up at night skies creamy with stars. The quiet. The promise of being in the desert again was yet another enticement for me to make this trip. But I have always been in the desert as a tourist, with plenty of water, and food, access to shade in the day and to warm clothing and shelter at night. A car never far away, and with the security of knowing that I could call for help. Reading the poem, “La Ruta de Mujeres,” by Rev. Delle McCormick, which talked of furtive crossings at night, snakes and coyotes, rape and death… I was reminded of how dangerous and terrifying the desert actually can be. Again, I knew this intellectually – why else would it be necessary for the volunteers of No More Deaths to place water bottles in the desert? Why else is the death count so high? But there was a disconnect between the facts that I have learned and even repeated to others in arguing for more compassionate immigration policies, and my own middle-class sheltered experiences. It was a humbling realization.

And so here I sit on the eve of the trip, excited and yet apprehensive. Did I remember to pack my passport and proof of insurance? Check. Digital camera and cell phone charger? Check. I had been (and still am) excited to blog about our experiences and share them with you. Only a few days ago did it occur to me that we might not have internet access for much of the trip. Another disconnect. Oh well. No matter what I am here to learn and grow. I can already tell that it will be more than I imagined.

Seminarian returns from two week visit to Tsubaki Grand Shrine

2009-11-05T09:35:00.005-05:00

Barbara Prose - currently the ministerial intern with the UU Church of the Monterey Peninsula - was awarded the UUA's 2009 Tsubaki Grand Shrine Scholarship. For two weeks in October she lived and worked at the Shrine, and had a deeply meaningful interfaith experience there.

A wise and dear friend taught me this old German saying, “Barbara, remember,” he said, “The soul travels on foot.” Well, it will be a week tomorrow that I have been back from Japan and I fear my soul is still swimming somewhere far from shore in the depths of the Pacific, unsure if it should follow and try to catch up and into my body. Instead my wandering soul seems to be wondering if it would not be wiser to return to the wakeiseijaku of Japan and lure my body back to the enchanted island shrine called Tsubaki so that body, mind and spirit could wake up together and find themselves again in heaven.

Is it the pickled radish, tempura, fish, squid and seaweed that lure me? I doubt it as I feel my intestines and stomach readjust daily to my Western diet of more water and less tea, more fresh produce and less rice. What sense can I make of the fact that I miss sweeping every morning with the priests? How do I understand the fact that the world I see is now more ravishingly beautiful and that I did not see this Beauty before.

In 200 words I cannot tell you how or why. I can only tell you it is so. And I can recommend that you go and live for yourself the power of the Old Ways as they are carried into our modern world on the backs of priests who stand before us as human bridges across whom the wisdom of the past is carried.

You are welcome to read Barbara's complete report of her experience. And, enjoy the photos that she brought back with her.

UU seminarians attending non-UU theological schools are welcome to apply for the Scholarship in 2010.

Help us End Employment Discrimination

2009-11-04T16:50:00.000-05:00

I have nothing to add to Rev. Meg Riley's poignant words below about the vote in Maine last night. What I can do is assure you that those of us at the Washington Office for Advocacy and the Standing on the Side of Love campaign will continue to do everything in our power to advocate for full equality for bisexual, gay, lesbian and transgender (BGLT) individuals and communities. But we can't do it without you.

Today, the Standing on the Side of Love campaign sent over 8,000 petition signatures to members of the Senate Health, Education Labor and Pensions Committee. Tomorrow morning, these Senators will hear testimony on the Employment Non Discrimination-Act (ENDA) in the first Senate Hearings on the bill since 2002. If passed, ENDA would guarantee basic federal protection from workplace discrimination for BLGT employees.

When so many people are unemployed or fear that they will be lose their jobs due to the current economy, it is unconscionable to think that many workers must also fear being fired, overlooked for promotions or being harassed just because of who they are or who they love.

The House of Representatives could vote on this bill as early as next week. It is critical that your Senators and Representatives hear from you NOW! Ask your members of Congress to stand up for justice and equality, and help us pass the Employment Non-Discrimination Act.

Please Act Today!

Standing on the Side of Love with a Broken Heart

2009-11-04T11:26:00.003-05:00

Cross-posted from the Standing on the Side of Love blog. As many of you may know. our Rev. Meg Riley is director of the UUA's Advocacy & Witness staff group and also director of the Standing on the Side of Love campaign.

It is the morning after election day. I went to sleep early last night, when results were still unclear in all kinds of races around the country, and learned about them as I learn about many things now—on facebook. The first posting I saw was from a ministerial colleague—I am heartbroken for Maine.

My stomach twisted and my heart sank.

We have faced so many of these ‘mornings after.’ The people who live in the states where their full humanity and their equality has been shouted about, argued about, snickered about, and ultimately voted upon, now have to get up and go about their business.

Those I feel most for are the parents, preparing their children to go to school this morning. Kids who see elections pretty much as they see sporting events, who want to be on the winning team, must now go to school to face the gloating that losers always face. We who parent send our hearts out into the world each day, and those hearts are broken today.

And yet, I know from parenting my own daughter, the strength and resilience and vision of the next generation is what pulls us through. In my daughter’s short lifetime already, we have moved quantum leaps towards marriage equality, towards valuing all families.

Part of me is amazed that 47% of the people in Maine voted for the rights of less than 10%. The whole notion of putting the rights of a minority up to a vote of the majority is blatantly undemocratic, completely counter to the notion of the Constitution as I understand it. I am incredibly proud of the work that people of faith did in Maine to present families of all kinds with dignity and love.

So, on this morning after the election, I am mostly grateful to know that I am in the company of other people of all ages, shapes and sizes whose still stand on the side of love, even with broken hearts.

(And even while my heart breaks for Maine, it lifts for the folks in Kalamazoo and Washington State, where love and justice triumphed over fear.)

Dr. Judit Gellérd Visits the UUA

2009-10-30T10:12:00.012-04:00

On Tuesday October 27th, the UUA welcomed Dr. Judit Gellérd, founder and honorary president of the Unitarian Universalist partner church program, to lead the morning chapel service.

With a spirited and lively sermon, Judit explored "Transylvanian Unitarianism's Historic Dilemma," a timely reflection as the twentieth anniversary of the partnership movement approaches:

The Unitarian story in 16th century Transylvania began with a dramatic existential dilemma, solved with a scandalous sacrifice - in order that faith and our institution could survive. A new scholarly work challenges our old understanding of our history's beginnings. It also compels us to reflect on our responsibilities today to protect our institutions of genuine freedom and democracy from erosion - not by muting the prophetic voice but by finding and walking a middle way in our polarized and spirit-eroding world.

A video of the sermon is available online for free viewing.

Physician, musician and Unitarian minister, Judit hails from Transylvania, the daughter of a Hungarian Unitarian minister martyred by Communist persecutions. Graduating from Boston University's School of Theology in 2002, she studied with Nobel Peace laureate Elie Wiese, writing Prisoner of Liberté under his guidance.

In addition to editing the recently released tome "Ferenc Dávid," the 26th and final volume of the series Bibliotheca Dissidentium, Judit has also just completed her memoirs. Visit the Center for Free Religion's website to read some of Judit's papers, articles, and sermons.

October 2009: Transylvanian Unitarianism's Historic Dilemma

International Day of Action Success!

2009-10-28T10:22:00.012-04:00

After months of planning, the International Day of Climate Action finally came with great success. More than 5200 events in 181 countries around the world were registered on 350.org, demonstrating immense worldwide support for reducing the level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere to 350 parts per million (ppm). Many people are calling this event the largest worldwide grassroots mobilization ever.

With the support of the UUA, the UU Ministry for Earth, the UU Service Committee, the UU State Advocacy Networks, the UU-United Nations Organization, we were able to connect with congregations across the US and Canada. Over the course of the past couple of weeks, emails have been pouring in with details of the more than 110 UU-related events. This is so energizing to hear, knowing that the future of our world depends on our ability to effectively curb climate change, and the future of our brothers and sisters all over the world depends on our ability to do this justly.

Here are just a few snippets of stories that inspire me that I wanted to share with you:

The UU Fellowship in Columbia, South Carolina is just starting up their Green Committee. Their 350 event was their first event ever and included collecting 350 Compact Flourcent Lightbulbs (CFLs) and donating them to Habitat For Humanity as well as starting up a new Freecycle Program.
Members of Towson UU Church in Maryland spent four hours caulking and weather-stripping their church, reducing their need for dependence on fossil fuels for heating.

Neighborhood Church in Pasadena, California brought their message to all those driving on the highway.

Members of the UU Congregation of Binghamton, New York held a vigil outside the gates of their local coal-fired power plant.

Members of Edmonds Unitarian Universalist Church in Washington State watched the movie HOME, followed by discussions, sharing of resources, and petition-signing.

Congregations all over the country catalyzed and supported interfaith and community-wide events. This is not only a UU issue, but something that reminds us of the interdependent web of which we are all a part. Dozens of congregations rang their bells 350 times, facilitated conversations in their congregations and communities, wrote letters to governmental officials, watched movies, sang out, and rallied!

For some, these events were a great starting point for discussion, demonstration, and action. And for others, this is just a step on a path they've already been traveling. The press coverage of UU events was great, sharing news of these important events with folks not in attendance. Right now, we should celebrate these great efforts, but let's keep our motivation for these events in sight--a strong and just international agreement on climate change policies.

Standing on the Side of Love by Canvassing for Marriage Equality in Maine

2009-10-27T12:04:00.005-04:00

There were about 80 of us gathered this weekend from Maine and other New England states at a gay bar in Ogunquit to get trained for canvassing in communities for the ‘No on 1” campaign. Question 1 on the ballot would override the state legislature’s vote which was signed in to law by the governor to legalize marriage equality beginning Jan. 1, 2010.

A group from my church—First Parish Cambridge UU—joined the volunteers, wearing our ‘No on 1’ stickers and Standing on the Side of Love pins, and carrying our Standing on the Side of Love signs. The organizers from Maine Equality loved our signs and asked if they could have some for the office along with a stack of buttons.

I canvassed with my husband and my 11 year old son. Most of the people we spoke to were voting No on 1 and so our job was to ask them to vote absentee before Election Day and to recruit them as volunteers for the campaign. We also encountered a few people who are voting against us—although they were very nice as they told us they were voting to take away people’s rights(!). We didn’t meet anyone who is still undecided. The polling, however, shows a dead heat between yes and no voters, with 4% still undecided. It is absolutely critical that we do all we can to defeat this ballot initiative. Along with canvassing, our congregation’s youth group and others are phone banking at the Mass Equality headquarters this weekend.

The most moving part of the weekend for me was in the training and debriefing of the canvassers. When the organizers asked if any of the couples in the room were married, we of course raised our hands, as did another straight married couple, and about a half dozen gay/lesbian couples who shouted out the states they had been married in – mostly Massachusetts and CA (while it was legal). It hit me profoundly how I so take for granted the right to marry. I was inspired by the people in the room who were brave and determined enough to go out into neighborhoods where they were bound to hear people tell them why they should not have this right or be treated as equals (or worse).

My family felt proud to be standing on the side of love with these courageous folks. It was definitely one of the liveliest trainings I have attended and the role play between ‘Casey Canvasser’ and ‘Valerie Vixen Voter’ deserved to be on stage! The debriefing included stories that needed to be ‘shaken off’ as people reported some of the hostility they encountered and it was another moment of recognizing the privilege I experience as a straight person. There were also wonderful stories including one about a woman who identified herself as born again Christian and felt that Jesus just wants us to love and that’s why she’s voting No on 1. The camaraderie and the compassion we witnessed this weekend were truly inspiring. My son is now more outraged and determined to work for equality than he has ever been simply from our kitchen table discussions. The experience of coming together—gay and straight—to protect marriage equality had us all feeling and witnessing the power of love to stop oppression.

Hate Crimes Prevention Act Passes the Senate!

2009-10-23T11:40:00.001-04:00

Yesterday afternoon, the Senate voted to pass the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act as part of the FY 2010 Defense Authorization bill. The final vote was 68-29.

The Unitarian Universalist Association, its Member Congregations, individuals across the nation, and staff at the Washington Office for Advocacy have worked for over a decade to pass this bill. The Hate Crimes Prevention Act expands the federal definition of a hate crime to include any and all violent crimes committed based on the victim's actual or perceived disability, gender, gender identity, or sexual orientation. Opponents of the bill sought to make crimes prosecuted under this new statute subject to the death penalty, but this measure was defeated and was not included in the final version of the bill. President Obama is expected to sign to Hate Crimes Prevention Act into law before the end of October.

Thank you to everyone who has worked so hard to pass this historic piece of legislation. The passage of this bill marks a milestone in the long struggle to seek justice for violence based on a person's identity. This is also the first time that the federal government has passed any law that specifically protects transgender people. Please visit the website Love Conquers Hate for a retrospective of work on the Hate Crimes Prevention Act and to share your thoughts. We hope you will continue to work with us towards the day when all people are afforded the respect and equality that they inherently deserve.

Border Trip: Pilgrimage

2009-10-21T12:02:00.003-04:00

Part 1 of a series of posts devoted to a trip to the U.S./Mexico border.

A few months back I spied a notice in my congregation's weekly bulletin about a trip to the Border being organized by Rev. Louise Green, our social justice minister here at All Souls, DC. It said that participants would be going to part of the border between Mexico and the U.S., with the possibility of also visiting Native American nations in the area. The trip, organized by Border Links, would feature immersion experiential learning and we would be expected to reflect and write on our experiences. I knew immediately that I had to go. But I also felt tremendously guilty at the idea of going. Both for the same reason.

Some of you may remember my post about bitter experiences with the health care system as my mom was taken by cancer. With Mom's passing, the thought of taking a week to go anywhere other than San Francisco where my family is seemed incredibly selfish. But on the other hand, with Mom's passing, I have been thinking more than ever about the journeys that she and Dad took from China to the U.S. - the many obstacles they had to overcome to get here, some recounted on this blog and others not. I've been thinking about what it means to be Chinese American - to be both Chinese and American and yet not fully either in the views of many.

Does one cross a border? Or does one straddle it? Or does one go back and forth?

Both the Border Links website and Louise in our group discussions leading up to the trip have asked us why we are interested in going. Fair question. Complicated answers. I am going to better understand my neighbors - their perspectives, their stories, their roots - but I am also going to better understand myself. I am going with the assumption that although our families come from different countries, different cultures and different circumstances, there will be at least as much that we have in common in the immigrant family experience as there will be differences. I also expect that there will be surprises, perspectives that I assume we share in common but are not the case. In any case, the process will be informative.

If you are interested, I invite you to stay tuned. The All Souls DC trip to the Border will take place Nov 8th - 14th and I plan to be blogging about it before, during, and after our pilgrimage.

UU United Nations Office: Climate Change Task Force

2009-10-16T09:20:00.003-04:00

The UU United Nations Office Climate Change Task Force recently launched a website that serves as a great resource for congregations and social action committees.

Youth (and people of all ages) who are interested in the role of the UN in responding to climate change should plan to attend the UU-UNO's "Spring Seminar" in New York City: A Climate of Change: Head, Heart, and Hands Around the Planet," April 8-10, 2010.

Blog Action Day 2009 - Climate Change

2009-10-15T11:20:00.004-04:00

Today is the annual Blog Action Day, with the intention of creating discussion. More than 8500 blogs in 148 countries are committed to discussing climate change today. With that many voices discussing this issue at this critical time, there's a lot of opportunity to raise energy and participate in actions.

There's only 52 days left until the United National Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen to make an international treaty on Climate Change. The International Day of Climate Action is in just 9 days, on October 24th, and people will be doing actions worldwide to draw attention to the importance of lowering the parts per million (ppm) of Carbon Dioxide in the atmosphere to 350 ppm. Right now, Senators Boxer and Kerry have introduced the Clean Energy Jobs and American Power Act in the Senate. There's a little less than two weeks before the intensive legislative hearings are expected to begin, on October 27th, which means that right now there's a window of opportunity to shape the bill in the directions we want.

In other words, we're at a pivotal time in the environmental movement. There are opportunities at the national and the international level to shape the climate change debate; it's an opportunity to have governmental support in the direction of justice through climate action. The most marginalized communities are the first to feel the impacts of climate change, and if we wait until the wealthier nations are directly affected, it will be too late.

I invite you to join the conversations today and blog about Climate Change. Our ally 1Sky has ideas for what to write about if you're feeling stuck. You can register your blog on the Blog Action Day website. And then next week, participate in the International Day of Climate Action. The UU Ministry for Earth has resources available on their website, and a list of what UU congregations are doing for the event is forthcoming.

Reflections on Marching for Equality

2009-10-13T18:50:00.001-04:00

Participating in the National Equality March this past Sunday, October 11th, was one of the most sacred experiences of my life. I felt completely held and embraced by the crowd of people demanding rights for themselves, their families, friends and fellow citizens. I had never been a part of a protest that large nor with a message so strong and inclusive. We stood together on the side of love and demanded to be recognized as the free and equal people that we are. We were families, couples, neighbors and friends. We were transgender, gay, lesbian, and bisexual people and allies of many races, ages, genders, ethnicities, backgrounds, faiths and perspectives.

I marched with families who took turns holding the “Standing on the Side of Love” banner together. I marched with over 1,000 other UUs who came in cars, on buses and on the metro from Arlington, and Harrisonburg, VA. I marched with people carrying congregational banners from Tuscaloosa, AL and Brooklyn, NY. I marched singing UU hymns and it was like the street became my church. I marched because this energy will feed my work for the year to come, and I marched for all those who could not march with me and who are still silenced by fear and hate and oppression.

It takes much more than a march on our nation’s Capitol to change our world and our culture, but events like this weekend’s are what help me stay in the struggle for the long haul – and not because I can see the end in sight, but because they are a place from which to begin. I take strength and inspiration from a younger generation that understands more deeply than I the intersectionality of oppression and the necessity to link together all struggles for liberation. I remember the battles for justice fought by my elders in the hopes to leave a better world for their descendants. On the most basic level, a march like the National Equality March reminds me that I am not alone.

When we come together as many voices with one demand, that our country’s policies reflect the values that call us to love our neighbors and welcome the stranger, we can be powerful. May this weekend serve as a call to action for those who were there and those who were not to learn how they can work for equality by joining this movement, by talking to their friends and families about equality, and by telling their elected officials that they will no longer be silent because they deserve nothing less than their full rights as human beings. Amen.

Mallika Dutt Receives American Courage Award

2009-10-09T10:16:00.010-04:00

It's been an exciting week for the UU Holdeen India Program's partners! Last week, Shramajivee Mahila Samity (SMS) – India received the Harriet Tubman Award from Free the Slaves; this week, Mallika Dutt received the American Courage Award from the Asian American Justice Center.

Founder and executive director of Breakthrough: Building Human Rights Culture, Mallika has been utilizing the power of media, popular culture, leadership development, and community education in India and the United States to transform public attitudes as a means of advancing equality, dignity, and justice for all.

An innovative, international human rights organization, Breakthrough addresses critical global issues including racial justice, immigrant rights, violence against women, and HIV/AIDS, using creative tools to "build a culture of human rights." This culture is built upon the tenets of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights: The rights to life, food, shelter, freedom of expression, freedom from violence, and religious freedom - in other words, the human rights to which we are all entitled. Utilizing award-winning, multi-media awareness campaigns, Breakthrough shares powerful, human-rights-affirming messages with audio, video, and discussion/resource guides.

The recipient of several awards already, Mallika has served as program officer for human rights at the Ford Foundation's New Delhi office and as associate director of the Center for Women's Global Leadership at Rutgers University. Also a founder of SAKHI for South Asian Women, she has served on several boards and committees including WITNESS, Human Rights Watch Asia and Asian American Pacific Islanders in Philanthropy, Rights Working Group, and Games for Change.

Let's Breakthrough Together 2008 Benefit Video from Breakthrough on Vimeo.

For further information:
Learn, educate, and explore Breakthrough's inspiring, and inspired, work.

October is National Sex Ed Month of Action!

2009-10-01T17:00:00.002-04:00

Join our partners, including Advocates for Youth, SIECUS, and youth, young adults and their allies across the country this October for the Sex Ed Month of Action!

On Wednesday, September 30, the Senate Finance Committee passed Senator Orrin Hatch's amendment to restore $50 million in title V funding for failed abstinence-only programs. Learn more about the amendment and what you can do to prevent it from becoming a law.

Take Action and tell your Senators that as a person of faith, you demand an end to abstinence-only programs. Our nation's young people deserve comprehensive sex education that gives them all of the facts they need to make healthy decisions, including information about abstinence and contraception.

Stay tuned! This month, we'll highlight different ways that you can support comprehensive sex education in your own communities and nationwide. Act Now!

Reflections on Environmental Justice

2009-09-30T17:05:00.005-04:00

This morning during Theological Reflection, we focused in on the problem of environmental (in)justice, the source of the problem, solutions, and sources of those solutions. Our separation from the natural world on which we depend can make it really challenging to truly understand our impact on the planet and the people involved. When eating a bowl of cereal, how many people really think about the people who planted and harvested the ingredients, who made those specific varieties, who stored them, who built the storage facilities, who made the trucks and roads, machinery and cars, all the way down to the person who stocked the shelves of the supermarket before they bought the box of cereal? Not to mention the environmental impacts of the particular kinds of grains grown and the growing methods, the kinds of fuel used to make all of this happen, and their impacts on the environment as well as the people living and working in those communities. And we haven't even gotten to the milk, the bowl, or the spoon! Our ability to eat a bowl of cereal only comes to light with the hard work of people all over--we are not entitled to even such everyday things.

Is it enough to act in the right direction, to recycle and compost, to turn off the lights and take shorter showers, even if that would still mean our planet couldn't support everyone living that way? What is our responsibility to ourselves, to our ancestors, and to future generations? We must align ourselves with hope, and act accordingly. According to Vaclav Havel,

"Hope is definitely not the same thing as optimism. It is not the conviction that something will turn out well, but the certainty that something makes sense, regardless of how it turns out... It is also this hope, above all, which gives us the strength to live and continually try new things, even in conditions that seem as hopeless as ours do, here and now."

Environmental and environmental justice issues surround us, and the scale and complexity of these problems is only magnified with globalization. Every person in this tale of cereal, and all the un-named folks as well, have the same inherent worth and dignity, and our future is tightly interwoven. We need to hold ourselves accountable for working towards environmental justice.

One thing we can do is to follow through with the actions to which we commit. At the 2009 UUA General Assembly, delegates voted to Support America's Red Rock Wilderness Act as an Action of Immediate Witness. For ideas and assistance in taking action to see this through, visit the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance website.

Flooding in the Philipppines

2009-09-30T09:22:00.005-04:00

Reverend Nihal Attanayake, International Office Director for the UU Church of the Philippines shared the following message this morning regarding the Flooding in the Philippines:

Dear Friends,

I traveled to four congregations from Saturday to Tuesday ...and returned home last night. Heavy rain fall all the way with occasionally burning sunlight. The extremes of the weather was some thing I experienced during this trip. Because of the heavy rain fall most of the rice farms have gone under water. This means people are running short of food because some are not able to dry the rice from the farm, others cannot prepare the land for planting and some have lost the crop in the field. I was in Doldol and members complained of shortage of food.

I was in Malingin and members complained of the farm situation.

In Manila and on Negros all UUs are safe but the larger community in Manila and the provinces are greatly affected as you know through news. Our leader in Manila is organizing relief for the larger community. Here I copy his report.

Bob Guerrero writes: "This is likely to go down as the biggest catastrophe in the history of the Philippines, even worse than the twin disasters of the earthquake and Mt. Pinatubo in 1990 and 1991. Please try to help. 2 more storms coming so things may get really bad. Here is a Facebook photo gallery.

36 hours after the rains fell there are still people trapped on rooftops. Some are sick.
To my UU friends, please inform your church mates. Our congregation here was largely spared but so many are not.

Thanks for your kind attention."

Bob also suggested that those who would like to help out with donations to the emergency relief efforts should go to this site: www.redcross.org.ph

This is the news from the Philippines.

With all good wishes,

Nihal

Banned Books Week

2009-09-29T14:31:00.004-04:00

I was perusing facebook yesterday when I discovered that it is Banned Books Week. Sponsored by the American Library Association and held during the last week of September, the event seeks to celebrate the First Amendment while spotlighting actual and attempted book bans across the U.S. I'm all for reading and against banning books and even expected some of my favorite books to be on the targeted list. I was a little surprised, however, to see my favorite book of all time on the list, the book that has probably influenced me more than any other (aside from Dr. Suess).

To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee.

I read it for the first time in junior high, and then reread it and reread it. I watched the movie at around the same time and ever since then Atticus Finch has been my ideal of what a man is supposed to be - intelligent, rational, compassionate, willing to do the right thing even at risk to oneself.

Let me acknowledge that I am a vocal critic of Hollywood's "great white savior" stories, movies where white (usually) men go into communities of color and lead them to a success that they apparently could not accomplish on their own - whether it be inner-city school kids or Native Americans or Japanese samurai. And if "To Kill a Mockingbird" were set in modern times with Atticus cast as such a savior, I would be appalled. But the reality of history is that there was a time when there were no or few black lawyers in this country, and the only legal defense they had was via representation by a white lawyer, whether the lawyer cared about justice or not. And in the end, Atticus was no savior. The fact that Atticus proved Tom Robinson's innocence beyond any reasonable doubt and yet Tom was still convicted by an all-white jury drove home to me the devastating injustice of racism. It was the lynching of another black man carried out via the orderliness of a court proceeding. Writing this now, it sounds so naive. Of course I know that our court system is riddled with systemic racism. But it was "To Kill a Mockingbird" that first made it real to the 10 year old me.

One cannot think of "To Kill a Mockingbird" without thinking of race. Race is the first thing that comes to mind when thinking of the social justice implications of the book. But the novel deals with many other issues as well. There is Boo Radley, the person in the neighborhood who is "different," of whom the neighborhood kids tell stories, and who is the subject of childhood pranks and teasing. Scout and Gem are good kids but they spend a fair amount of time engaged in such activities. How amazing is it then when it's revealed that it is Boo Radley who saves Gem and Scout from harm towards the end? And how interesting it was that the sheriff and Atticus conspire to protect Boo from criminal proceedings, and my 10 yr-old brain agreed with their decision, agreed that the law serves justice, not the other way around.

And of course, the entire story is told from Scout Finch's point of view, a little girl with whom I could very much identify. Scout runs around in jeans, climbs trees, and is entirely unfazed when she is informed that "You'll have a very unladylike scar on your wedding-ring finger." She does not consciously try to rebel against prescribed gender roles; she simply is who she is. Moreover, Scout talks to adults as if they are her equals, not her superiors, with neither disrespect nor rebellion. She simply believes in her own inherent worth and dignity. And Scout being who she was told me that it was ok to be who I am.

In so many ways, I cannot imagine who I would be if I had not read "To Kill a Mockingbird" as a child, if it had been banned. Take a look at the list of classics that have been targeted or successfully banned at various times. Chances are good that some of your favorite, life-shaping stories have been deemed unfit for print. What would the world be like, what would you be like, without them?

Shramajivee Mahila Samity Wins Freedom Award

2009-09-29T13:06:00.009-04:00

Shramajivee Mahila Samity (SMS) – India, a partner of the UU Holdeen India Program, has received this year’s Harriet Tubman Award from international human rights organization, Free the Slaves.

Open to organizations and individuals working to defeat the human trafficking industry, The Freedom Awards celebrate heroes of the anti-slavery movement from around the world. With nominations from twenty-two countries, this year’s awards honor women who are making incredible strides in anti-slavery work.

Trafficking has grown as a problem in the state of West Bengal, India. As laborers move outside their home villages to seek work, they become increasingly vulnerable to forced labor practices. Additionally, parents who cannot afford the huge dowry required in traditional weddings are being tricked into selling their daughters into “slave marriage,” accepting payment for their daughters’ weddings to unknown families.

The Working Women’s Association, Shramjibee Mahila Samity (SMS), fights slave marriage and other forms of domestic slavery in India on many fronts. The democratically governed organization of 28,000 women aims for self-empowerment of its members through organizing. Educating villagers on how to slave-proof their communities, SMS puts on plays to teach people to recognize the tricks of the trafficking trade. Through forming women’s committees, villagers are learning what actions to take when someone is taken into the trade.

SMS goes undercover to expose human traffickers, traces missing people, and puts pressure on their government to enact regulations to end trafficking. The organization also helps slavery survivors reunite with their families and rebuild their lives. Through trainings, the women are taught how to be self-sufficient and open small businesses so that they can earn a living without needing to move far away from home.

As recipients of the Harriet Tubman Award, SMS will receive: a grant of $25,000 a year for the next two years, a technical assistance package worth $15,000 a year for two years, a short documentary to be produced by Free the Slaves about the work of their organization, and more.

View a slideshow, read more about the incredible work of Shramjibee Mahila Samity and the other award recipients, and join us in commending this year’s winners!

Sharing Global Faith - September Reflections

2009-09-28T11:38:00.014-04:00

Sharing Global Faith gathers Unitarian and Universalist voices from around the world in a unique devotional e-resource.

Reflecting on various aspects of faith life, participants share spiritual insight into the stories and thoughts that fuel their ministerial call.

Distributed monthly from April until September 2009, the publication seeks to deepen international connections and nourish the individual spirit.

In this sixth edition, four global U/U leaders explore the meaning of HOPE to our faith tradition, reflecting on Alicia Carpenter's "A Promise Through the Ages Rings":

We are honored to include contributions from:

Rev. Adeyenke Matimoju - is the minister of the First Unitarian Church of Lagos, Nigeria.

Rev. Iva Fišerová - has been an ordained minister of the Religious Society of Czech Unitarians for two years. She obtained her masters at Meadville Lombard Theological School. She also graduated from Institute for Spiritual Leadership. She grew up in a Unitarian family and after the Czech Republic broke with the communist regime in 1989 she put her heart and action into various church activities, which eventually resulted into her ordained ministry.

Rev. Fred Muir - is currently the UUA Ambassador to the Unitarian Universalist Church of the Philippines and has served the UU Church of Annapolis since 1984. He is the author of three books: A Reason for Hope: Liberation Theology Confronts a Liberal Faith; Heretics' Faith: A Vocabulary for Religious Liberals; and Maglipay Universalist: The Unitarian Universalist Church of the Philippines.

Rev. Janne Eller-Isaacs - along with her husband Rob, as been the co-minister at Unity Church- Unitarian in St. Paul, MN since September, 2000. Janne has held many positions of leadership throughout the Unitarian Universalist movement, and is currently a member of the UUA President's International Advisory Council.

Continue to read this month's edition!

Thank You, Forrest Church

2009-09-25T16:12:00.005-04:00

Written by Rev. Meg Riley

I had a different topic planned for this morning’s blog, but news of Forrest Church’s death last night—peaceful, at home, surrounded by loved ones—is right in the center of my heart and mind. As I grazed in my raspberry bush this morning, letting the bees sleep while I picked the most luscious dark berries, I felt as if I were in communion with his spirit, savoring the gifts of life as he so often instructed us all to do.

I know that others who were closer to him, more serious and systematic about reading his works, or otherwise more appropriate eulogizers than me have been writing and will continue to write tributes to him. (see UUA.org or www.allsoulsnyc.org).

I also know this: Forrest Church impacted me profoundly. In this way, I join hundreds of thousands of other people who read his books, heard him preach, went to events where he spoke, talked to him, enjoyed his collegiality. I’ll share just three gifts he gave me here.

Forrest and All Souls Church in New York City were bold and courageous during the early days of AIDS in a way which was both steady and lighthearted. It’s hard to describe this time to folks who weren’t alive or conscious yet, but the fear focused on people with AIDS (and, by extension, gay men) was similar to that which came down against Muslims after September 11. Right wing preachers made no apologies for declaring that AIDS was God’s punishment; President Ronald Reagan literally never said the word AIDS from 1980-1988. It was a scary time. The personal witness of someone like Forrest was profound, and all too rare. His lack of fear was contagious. He woke up courage in me, sparked by his own, and led me to understand ministry as much more public than I had previously understood.

Forrest taught me about the profound connection between the pastoral and the public spheres of ministry. He was deeply grounded in the personal relationships that arose from his particular congregation of people in Manhattan, and yet he was always aware that the private and the public, the personal and political, lives of people are inseparable. He had a keen eye for understanding which public issues tapped into people’s deepest places, and he mined those well for sermons, op-eds, and public witness.

Forrest taught me that you’re going to make mistakes—bad mistakes—and you need to keep on going. His own foibles are as public as his triumphs, and I am sure this caused him pain and embarrassment. Yet, he did not fade quietly away, but held to his strength and dignity and ultimately lived a life that was a model of courage, kindness, compassion and integrity. In his last few years with cancer, his very body became the content and context of his theology, and many of us gained immeasurably from being in his presence.

Forrest, thank you for making your life a torch which burned brightly, to help all of us see.

Act Now to Stop Employment Discrimination

2009-09-25T07:00:00.002-04:00

Take Action today to pass the Employment Non Discrimination Act!

On Wednesday, September 23rd, the Labor and Education Committee of the House of Representatives held hearings for ENDA, the Employment Non Discrimination Act of 2009 (H.R. 3017), which guarantees the right to protection from discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity for all Americans.

Representatives Barney Frank (D-MA) and Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) testified in strong support of the bill, as well as Rabbi David Saperstein, director of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, William Eskridge, Yale Law school professor who has experienced job discrimination because of his sexual orientation, and Vandy Beth Glenn, a transgender woman who was fired from her Georgia state legislative job when she informed her supervisor that she was transitioning from male to female.

Among those who face sexual orientation and gender identity based employment discrimination, transgender employees are often the hardest hit. In his testimony, Brad Sears, Executive Director of the Willimas Institue at the UCLA School of Law cited a survey completed earlier this year: among over 640 transgender employees in both public and private sectors, 70% of respondents had experienced workplace discrimination on the basis of gender identity. You can find links the full testimony of each witness as well as a webcast of the entire hearing here.

Despite unfounded criticism from opponents, many of whom are religious groups, the bill protects bisexual, gay, lesbian and transgender employees from discrimination while including broad exemptions for religious organizations, the military, and employers with fewer than 15 employees. Representative Frank urged his colleagues to remember that:

These are our fellow human beings… they’re not asking for anything other than the right to earn a living…. How can we, as people who make the laws… say to one small group of our fellow citizens, 'You know there’s something about you that people do not like, so you are not eligible for work'?

As people of faith, it is imperative that we show our strong support for this bill, which would bring justice to millions of Americans who face daily discrimination simply because of who they are or who they love.

Contact your Representatives today and ask them to support ENDA.

G20 Religious Leaders Summit

2009-09-24T11:52:00.007-04:00

Bread for the World issued a call for interfaith religious leaders to gather in Pittsburgh for a two-day Religious Leaders Summit on the eve of the G20 meetings. More than 25 prominent national religious leaders from Moslem, Jewish, Indian, Roman Catholic, Protestant, Orthodox, Sikh, and Zoroastrian traditions were in attendance, and it was an honor to be among them. (Media coverage: Pittsburgh Post Gazette, Christian Post, Bread For the World)

The main purpose of the gathering was to demonstrate the broadly shared agreement of the US faith community that global economic recovery can only be realized if the poorest and hungriest people of the world experience it. It is estimated that extreme poverty in developing countries has risen by 200 million people in the past two years, and that for the first time more than 1 billion people are suffering from hunger.

In response to this tragedy, we asked the leaders of the G20 to fulfill promises made at previous international conferences, and continue to move towards the alleviation of hunger and poverty, especially the L'Aquila Food Security Initiative. We thanked the Obama Administration for its efforts to double US financial support of agricultural development in developing country to $1 billion - and asked that this project be initiated quickly. We also expressed our shared understanding that Global Climate Change and severe Hunger and Poverty are linked, and that we hoped G20 decisions would reflect that fact.

The gathering included opportunities to share spiritual communion with each other through prayer and meditation. A Lutheran Bishop from Tanzania - Rev. Benson Boganza - also met with us to describe his experience with rural poverty/hunger in his country. On Wednesday morning we gathered for a press conference that featured presentations by: Rabbi Steve Gutaw (Jewish Council for Public Affairs), Dr. William Shaw (National Baptist Church), Dr. Bernice Powell Jackson (WCC), and Dr. Stephen Colecchi (US Conference of Catholic Bishops). Following the press conference we processed to another hotel for a meeting with Dr. Michael Froman, deputy US national security advisor, and "Sherpa" for the US delegation to the G20. The gathering ended with prayer and small-group discussions.

350, UUMFE, and Bill McKibben

2009-09-24T09:38:00.000-04:00

This past weekend, I had the pleasure of joining the Unitarian Universalist Ministry for Earth (UUMFE) for their board meeting in Vermont. Amidst the natural beauty of the late summer forests and farmland, I learned more about how UUMFE is fulfilling its mission of “[providing] Unitarian Universalists and their congregations with organized ways to connect energy, ideas, and information about how their lives relate to the living Earth, environmental justice, and future generations.” They’re a passionate group, working hard to provide resources to engage UUs in this important work. Check out the UUMFE website and sign up for their eNews to find resources for engaging yourself and your congregation in environmental issues and to learn more about what other UUs are doing.

I was delighted to have some special guests join us for dinner on Friday night, including Bill McKibben, the co-founder and director of the 350.org campaign to demand strong international climate policy in Copenhagen. Leading climate scientists declare that 350 parts per million (ppm) is the highest level of CO2 considered "safe" for sustaining human civilization on Earth. We are already at 390ppm and rising, illustrating the necessity of immediate climate action.

Despite this urgency, Bill McKibben's message for us was not one of despair. Small changes like switching to energy-efficient light bulbs are great, but they are not enough. On October 24th, people in over 100 nations all over the world are planning to send a clear message to their governments of the need to commit to diminishing CO2levels to 350. Churches all over will be ringing their bells 350 times, sending the message to all within hearing distance. A farmer in the Cameroon has already worked with his neighbors to plant 350 trees, in solidarity of this movement. We need to work together if we want to make effective change. As people of faith, and guided by the 2006 Unitarian Universalist Statement of Conscience on the threat of Global Warming/Climate Change, we need to put our faith into action.

Tell UUMFE what you’re doing for the International Day of Climate Action here, look for ideas of something to do here , or find an existing event near you here.

UUA President Signs Letter in Support of Middle East Peace

2009-09-23T12:19:00.004-04:00

From Churches for Middle East Peace:

On September 22, President Obama held tri-lateral meetings in New York with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Mahmoud Abbas to try and jump start final status negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians. In response to this effort, Christian leaders from a variety of traditions, along with their counterparts from the Jewish and Muslim communities, issued a statement of principles supporting President Obama's efforts to achieve a negotiated solution to the conflict.

Joining a diverse group of prominent individuals and leaders, UUA President Peter Morales signed the letter in support of "bold American leadership to achieve a negotiated, sustainable resolution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict."

The letter commends President Obama's leadership, vision, and prioritization of peacebuilding in the Middle East and outlines principles to chart a path to a better future in the region.

View the letter and add your name to those people of faith who support Middle East Peace!

WMD: We Must Disarm

2009-09-21T09:31:00.010-04:00

September 21, is the UN's International Day of Peace

Looking for constructive ideas to commemorate the day?

Plan to use the UUA's "Peacemaking" materials in your congregation.
Use the UUA's materials to support the interfaith effort - A Charter for Compassion
Twitter users can tweet #peaceday to help make PEACE a "trending topic". Or, follow WMD on twitter for updates throughout the day.
On Facebook, join the International Day of Peace group

Message from UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon on Disarmament:

The International Day of Peace is a global call for ceasefire and non-violence.

It is a time to reflect on the horror and cost of war, and on our duty to resolve disputes peacefully.

Most of the victims of conflict are powerless. Innocent civilians. Fathers, mothers, children.

Without peace they have little hope of improving their lives. Little hope of escaping poverty.

Often, those who work on behalf the powerless are also targets.

Journalists, medical professionals, humanitarian workers, United Nations staff and peacekeepers have all found themselves under attack.

Combatants, warlords, arms suppliers and their sponsors continue to display a cruel disrespect for life.

On this International Day of Peace, I remind all of them that there is another way.

A better way.

The path of peace.

We should be encouraged that war between nations is happening less often.

Diplomacy and negotiation are becoming a more frequent choice.

And even where States are torn by internal strife, history shows that peace can prevail if there is sufficient will.

There are many examples where the advocates of peace have successfully subdued the voices of hate.

I also draw hope from the renewed engagement of the international community on the issue of nuclear disarmament.

That is why I have launched the WMD-WeMustDisarm! Campaign. As long as such weapons exist, no-one is safe.

On this International Day of Peace, I have a simple message for all: We Must Disarm! We must have peace.

I appeal to people throughout the world to join in this effort. Support the United Nations, and do your part for peace.

Leaders of Dutch Remonstrant Church visit UUA

2009-09-18T08:55:00.006-04:00

The General Secretary of the Remonstrant Church, Reverend Tom Mikkers, and the minister of the Remonstrant congregation in Utrecht, Holland, Rev. Tina Geels, are visiting the UUA and Boston-area congregations this week.

The visit by these leaders serves as an opportunity for two long-time institutional interfaith partners to become re-acquainted after changes in administration leadership. Rev. Mikkers began his service as General Secretary in 2008, and both he and Rev. Geels agree that he represents a "changing of the guard" within the Remonstrant church.

The American Unitarian Association, and later the UUA, has had interfaith relations with the Remonstrants since the early years of the 20th Century, as the Remonstrant Church participated in the founding of the International Association of Religious Freedom along with the AUA in 1900.

The Remonstrant church traces its foundation to the 1620s when the theological followers of Arminius dissented from and were forced to leave the folds of Dutch Calvinist Orthodoxy. Arminian theology, and the foundation of the Remonstrant Church, are products of the Radical Reformation, and demonstrate close relationships with Socianian and Anti-Trinitarian/Unitarian proponents of the era. Early Unitarians in the United States and England were strongly influenced by Arminian theological ideas as well.

At the moment the Remonstrant Church is developing a congregational "rejuvenation" program, and our guests have enjoyed meeting with UU congregational leaders in Concord, MA, Jamaica Plain, MA, Lexington, MA, and will visit congregations in Wakefield, RI and Weston, MA before their visit is over. They have also discussed "Churchworks" matters with leaders of UUA departments, including Congregational Stewardship Services, Growth Services, BGLT Concerns, and Youth/Young Adult Ministry. UUA President Peter Morales thoroughly enjoyed meeting with the Remonstrant leaders as well, and looks forward to continuing close relations in the years to come.

A New Voice of Environmental Justice at the Washington Office

2009-09-16T17:25:00.007-04:00

Hello! I am Rowan Van Ness and am the new Program Associate for Environmental Justice through a partnership between the Unitarian Universalist Ministry for Earth and the UUA. I grew up Unitarian Universalist in Washington state and am now here in the other Washington!

After graduating from Smith College with a degree in Economics and a minor in Environmental Science and Policy, I joined AmeriCorps*VISTA (Volunteers In Service To America) in Lawrence, MA, as a Healthy Communities VISTA with Groundwork Lawrence. I managed some of our community food programs and worked with youth on gardening and healthy eating initiatives. I worked on our local community gardens program enabling people to safely grow their own food in an urban, industrial city, and the Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program, in which people could "subscribe" to get farm shares each week from a nearby farm.

Many people in Lawrence, like many communities in need, have limited access to fresh produce. People with lower incomes are more likely to have health problems like obesity and diabetes, diseases directly related to food. If fresh fruits and vegetables aren't easily accessible, or if the only ones you can afford are poor quality, how can you expect anyone to want to eat them? By providing opportunities for people to purchase fresh, locally-grown produce with food stamps and at subsidized rates, by giving people an opportunity to grow their own food in uncontaminated soil, by teaching young people how to cook with fresh fruits and vegetables--these things bring us one step closer to food justice. Click here to learn more about "Ethical Eating," the 2008-2012 Congregational Study/Action Issue (CSAI) of the Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations.

While food is really important, I am delighted to be joining the momentum at the Washington Office for Advocacy at such an exciting time. Though the climate change bill in Senate is not front and center at the moment, we are personally hoping that a strong climate change bill will pass in the Senate this term. With global climate change policies up for negotiation this December in Copenhagen, it is so important for the U.S. to create its own strong climate change policies in advance.

The American Clean Energy and Security Act (ACES) passed in the House, but only narrowly (219-212). We need to make sure that the Senate also includes provisions for providing employment and training opportunities in green construction in communities who have traditionally been left behind and funding to the Green Jobs Act. Workers affected the worst by the recession and by environmental degradation would get the training and support they need for green-collar jobs. The most important thing you can do right now is to contact your senators and get them to pass a strong climate change bill.

Van Jones, Green Jobs, and Health Care

2009-09-14T15:34:00.009-04:00

If you are like me, you were angry when Glenn Beck started attacking Van Jones, worried when the White House voiced only tepid support, and horrified when Van offered his resignation over the Labor Day weekend. From my perspective, it all seemed to happen so fast. In reality, Beck had been attacking Jones for nearly a month. However: 1) I don't watch Glenn Beck and only know what he's saying when others tell me; and 2) My attention had been distracted by the health care "debate" being waged across the country - from angry crowds to painted swastikas to congressmen hung in effigy to guns being publicly brandished where the president is scheduled to speak.

Right now, I kind of feel like the clueless tourist who gets her pocket picked because I was too busy gawking at a staged diversion that I failed to mind my purse. Let me elaborate on this analogy:

It would be a mistake to view the health care debate and the climate change/clean energy/green jobs debate as two separate issues. They are both part of a larger struggle.
It would also be a mistake to think that our victories cannot be subsequently taken away from us if we do not remain vigilant.

The billions of dollars in funding for green jobs as part of the stimulus package is one such victory. Van Jones coming to DC to oversee how the money is spent was icing on the cake, but the most important thing was and is the green jobs themselves - the audacious plan to combat global climate change while at the same time providing pathways out of poverty for lower-income class families.

Ultimately, that is what we are working for - economic justice, "REdistributing the wealth" back to the middle and lower classes after decades of it being accumulated in only a handful of the wealthiest households - what Van Jones during his Ware lecture called "the Green New Deal." Although it is not explicitly "green," health care reform is part and parcel of the Green New Deal, as it would be a similarly significant move towards greater economic justice. And whether it's the oil industries or the insurance industries or the stock-holders to whom they are accountable, they are united in opposing our success.

In the wake of Van Jones' forced resignation, we can talk about the role of racism, we can talk about how Glenn Beck targeted Jones as revenge for Color of Change's effective campaign against Beck. We can talk about a lot of personal motivations for what happened and we may be correct. But as much as Unitarian Universalists adore Van Jones and take a personal interest in his well-being (I know I do), we cannot make the mistake of focusing just on Van. The attack on Van Jones was but part of a larger attack on green jobs, and ultimately on the economic reforms which we seek. If you don't believe me, read for yourself the words of the man responsible for Van's departure (and I don't mean Glenn Beck):

"Now that Jones has resigned, we need to follow through with two critical policy victories. First, stop cap-and-trade, which could send these green groups trillions, and second repeal the unspent portion of the stimulus bill, which stands to give them billions. " - Phil Kerpen, Fox News, Sept 6th

So what do we do now? There is a danger that the Senate may be so absorbed by health care reform that it will drop climate change/clean energy legislation. Some voices have even suggested that pushing for a climate/energy bill might jeopardize health care, intimating that we must choose one or the other. What we must do now is remember that the distraction going on over there is actually related to the pickpocket over here. We can't let the spectacle of "astroturfers" or hate-spewing talking heads distract us from the real goal, the struggle for economic justice. For those of you who are as mad as I am about what happened to Van, the sweetest revenge that we can take is to pass meaningful climate change/clean energy legislation that funds green jobs.

Eight years ago today

2009-09-11T15:54:00.000-04:00

Eight years ago today. Like many, I feel compelled to tell the story of where I was.

Eight years ago this morning, it was a gorgeous day in Washington DC, kind of like this one in Minneapolis now—sunny, not too hot, a lovely day to take the brand new UUA President, Bill Sinkford, onto Capitol Hill for the first time.

The occasion was historic. Finally, poor women had created time at the House of Representatives to talk about the impact of the so-called Welfare Reform bill that had gone into effect. I was excited.

But then, just as the first woman got up to speak, a man in a uniform came in, took the mic and said, “You need to evacuate the building now.” I grumbled, “Finally the poor women are going to speak so of course you evacuate the building.” I grumbled all the way out the door.

When we got outside, though, it was clear that something weird was going on. Senators, Aides, miscellaneous visitors like us, cafeteria staff all mingled with panicked looks in their eyes. Bill Sinkford, Rob Keithan, and I stood bewildered on a corner watching everyone run smack dab into gridlock.

Lutheran friends came huffing by about then. They had been in Senator Paul Wellstone’s office to talk about an agriculture bill, when they saw on TV that four planes had been hijacked, three had hit targets (including the Pentagon, from which we could see flames shooting up behind the building where we stood). The fourth was thought to be heading towards the White House, right down the mall from us, or else the Capitol, about 300 yards away.

We were stunned. We stood blankly for a while. I looked again at the flames. “Is the White House burning?” I asked stupidly. “Calm down,” Rob replied. I thought I was calm. Finally, numbly, Bill and Rob and I got into a taxi that was stuck at our corner. We sat in gridlock and listened to the radio. I remember the three of us repeating in unison after the radio announcer, the words, “…where the World Trade Center used to be.” And then repeating it to each other, a question, “Where the World Trade Center used to be?”

Eight years later, above all, I am struck with that sense of impermanence. We never know when something will end. This morning, at the garden, I suddenly realized that my slicing tomatoes are done for the year. I didn’t know that earlier in the week when I picked an enormous bag of them and handed them to a friend as I left town. Today, they’re done. Another year’s harvest is over.

I don’t remember the last time I rocked my young daughter to sleep—one day she must simply have said she didn’t want to do it anymore, but I don’t remember when. I only know now that, since she’s almost thirteen, it’s unlikely to happen again. We never know when something will cease to exist. And so, as I age, it becomes increasingly evident that I don’t know when I will see someone for the last time, and hence must treat them with tenderness. Every moment must be savored.

One of the most heartbreaking aspects of September 11 was that a young UU family—husband, wife, three year old, seven year old—died in the plane that left Washington DC. I brought greetings from the UUA to their memorial service. My daughter was young then, too; I did not know this family but I sobbed in preparation for their memorial. Eight years later, this family I never met remains vividly alive to me. The stories told about them, the love shared by their friends and families, the jokes, the songs…all of it is vivid to me. So, besides the impermanence of all things, there remains in my heart a steadiness about the power of connection. Once the heart is touched, something remains.

May this day be a day of love of impermanent things.

A Charter for Compassion

2009-09-09T13:59:00.001-04:00

The Unitarian Universalist Association is one among a diverse group of interfaith religious organizations that have partnered with the "Charter for Compassion" community. This collaborative effort seeks to be a witness to the centrality of compassion in all of the world's religions - and to help build a more "peaceful and harmonious global community" through that witness.

One of the key leaders of this effort is Karen Armstrong - a theologian that many UU's have come to appreciate for her interfaith undersanding. She has written books that appear on many UU bookshelves including "The History of God" and "Jerusalem: One City, Three Faiths". However, the "Council of Sages" for the Charter for Compassion (see pictures, right) also includes Sheikh Ali Gomaa (the Grand Mufti of Egypt), Rabbi David Saperstein (Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism), Sadhvi Chaitanya (spiritual leader of the Arsh Vijnaya Mandiram ashram), and Archbishop Desmond Tutu (retired Archbishop of Cape Town, SA).

The Charter for Compassion website explains that:

The Charter does NOT assume:

all religions are the same
compassion is the only thing that matters in religion
religious people have a monopoly on compassion

The Charter DOES affirm that:

compassion is celebrated in all major religious, spiritual and ethical traditions
the Golden Rule is our prime duty and cannot be limited to our own political, religious or ethnic group
therefore, in our divided world, compassion can build common ground

In November 2009 the finalized version of the Charter for Compassion will be "Launched" in a major event. Religious people from around the world are invited to join in this launch by sponsoring special events. The UUA has created a resource for congregational religious education programs that would like to participate in this global event. Please contact the UUA International Resources Office if you'd like more information.

Right Speech When So Much is Wrong!

2009-09-09T10:13:00.002-04:00

We’re all buzzing about the resignation of Van Jones from the White House over the Labor Day weekend. For those of us who spent time with Van last year at General Assembly in Fort Lauderdale, Van became something of a hero. I was privileged to spend a fair amount of time with him and was impressed (as I have been every time I’ve seen him) with his combination of intelligence, insight, and ability to cast a compelling vision. He had UUs ready to receive him in a mosh pit in our often-staid Ware lecture setting. (If you weren’t there, you can watch it online…)

People are posting all kinds of stuff on blogs, facebook, and in private emails. Some folks are mad at the President for not demanding that Jones stay, for not standing up to the attackers. Some people are mad at Jones for going to the White House after a career as an edgy leftist activist, leaving the door open for attacks. Pretty much everyone is furious at Glenn Beck for the scurrilous attacks, filled with lies. Tim Wise is urging Jones to sue for slander.

Here’s what I keep thinking about. At the Ware lecture, Van encouraged us to stop acting like the desperate protestors we’d been for eight years, and begin to act instead in ways that made us worthy of being respected as the people in charge of the nation. I have been wondering, given the types of behavior being encouraged by folks like Glenn Beck, full frontal assault on the legitimate governors of the nation up to and including our President, what it means to act “worthy of respect.”

I fired off a very angry letter to my local paper one sleepless night about the racism I’m seeing around me. I wish I’d decided instead to focus more calmly on what I’m seeing so that I wasn’t fanning the flames of polarization and self-righteousness. But words are hard to come by. (The paper hasn’t yet published my letter; I find I’m ambivalent about whether I want them to! Certainly I did not mention the UUA or my ministry status in it!)

The Buddhists say there are three questions to ask in order to determine if something is ‘right speech’: Is it true? Is it kind? Will it help? It’s hard to know exactly what kind of speech can help us now. But I think we need to fumble around and find it. I sat on a plane today from Minneapolis to Boston, wedged into a seat with two fundamentalist bear hunters from rural Minnesota. My braver self encouraged me to find some way to talk to them about their views of what’s going on right now, and to have a civil conversation with them about it. To act worthy of respect by being respectful.

My more scaredy cat self said, “Yeh, but you’re on the inside seat!” and put on my iPod instead. I keep wondering what would have been said if we had engaged in discourse about health care, the President’s address to schoolchildren, Van Jones’ dismissal. Could we find common ground that brought us together? What kind of language opens doors to real sharing? Without taking risks with each other to find the words, we’ll never know!

Back to School for Comprehensive Sex Education Advocates

2009-09-08T16:25:00.003-04:00

In his speech today, President Obama expressed these hopes for our nation’s young people:

Maybe you'll decide to stand up for kids who are being teased or bullied because of who they are or how they look, because you believe, like I do, that all kids deserve a safe environment to study and learn. Maybe you'll decide to take better care of yourself so you can be more ready to learn.

The President also said that he expects a lot from our nation’s youth, but one thing he can’t expect is for them to be able to make healthy and responsible decisions about their lives without all of the facts.

That’s why we are calling on Congress to support the President’s vision of teen pregnancy and disease prevention programs by funding comprehensive sex education in schools and communities around the country.

Take action today! Tell your Senators that you support eliminating funding for ineffective abstinence-only programs and dedicating federal funds to proven, comprehensive sex education that teaches our youth the facts they need and prepares them to put their own values into action.

UUA President in Transylvania for ICUU meeting

2009-09-04T10:40:00.007-04:00

UUA President, the Reverend Peter Morales, traveled to Kolozsvar, Transylvania for the biannual Council Meeting of the International Council of Unitarians and Universalists - ICUU from August 31 - September 7, 2009.

During his visit he met with leaders of Unitarian and Unitarian Universalist national groups from around the world. The Council Meeting event consists of worship services, workshops, business meetings, and includes reports from each member group. During the reports we've heard about the highs and lows over the past two years for each of the member groups. Many of their stories have been inspirational - including the report of the Unitarian Christians of Indonesia who are making plans to start a seminary and the UUs of Hong Kong who were welcomed as an ICUU "emerging group" this year.

Achievements of member groups ranged from increased Administrative capacities (structural, strategic planning), Training and Development (professional leadership, education of new leaders, relationship building, worship materials, religious education expansion), new Activities (retreats, camps, economic projects, social justice, sabbatical exchanges). Strengths and Skills that were mentioned included Cooperative efforts, Commitment and Focus, Financial Stewardship, Multi-generational involvement, and Enthusiasm in the face of change.

The Issues and Concerns that were mentioned mirrored the achievements, including Membership concerns (high average age, instability, decreased members, growth efforts struggle), Financial concerns (diminishing resources, restrained budgets, international economic instability), and Structural concerns (admnistration, leadership).

But, the Hopes and Dreams that were described were especially inspiring. Ideas ranged from establishing international service/learning programs for yough, creating a seminary/training institution, developing published worship materials, expaning congregational commitment to ICUU, leveraging cooperation between member groups, increasing public witness and social action projects.

In attendance at the meeting were leaders from the following member groups:

Australia and New Zealand UU Association
General Assembly of Unitarian and Free Christian Churches (UK)
Canadian Unitarian Council
Religious Society of Czech Unitarians
European Unitarian Universalists
UU Society of Finland
Deutscher Unitarier Religionsgemeinschaft (Germany)
Unitarian Church of Hungary
Jemaat Allah Global Indonesia - Indonesia Global Church of God (Unitarian)
Unitarian Union of NE India
UU Church of the Philippines
Unitarian Church in Poland
Unitarian Church of South Africa
Unitarian Church of Transylvania
Sociedad Unitaria Universalista de España (Spain)
Unitarian Universalist Association (USA)

And from the following emerging or perspective groups:

Assemblée des chrétiens unitariens du Burundi (Burundi)
Libre Congregación Unitaria de México(Mexico)
Unitarian Umbrella Organization of Norway
UUs of Austria
UUs of Bolivia
UUs of Hong Kong

During the business meetings a new Executive Committee was elected with the following members: Rev. Brian Kiely, President (Canada), Pauline Rooney, Vice-President (Australia), David Shaw, Treasurer (UK), Rev. David Gyero, Secretary (Transylvania), Rev. Nihal Attanayake (Philippines), Rev. Celia Midgely (UK), Olufemi Matimoju (Nigeria). A strategic plan was also adopted by the Council members, as well as a budget for the 2010 and 2011 calendar years.

The ICUU's new staffing model was also introduced, which includes a 1/2 time General Secretary position, to which Rev. Steve Dick has been hired to fill. And a part-time Program Coordinator position, which is being filled by Rev. Jill MacAllister.

Additionally, the Council passed three resolutions. The first two addressed a recently passed law in Slovakia which criminalizes and fines the use of minority languages. The largest minority group in Slovakia is ethnic Hungarians, and while there aren't any Hungarian Unitarian churches in Slovakia, the Transylvanian Unitarian Church has joined with other Hungarian churches to protest this law.

The third resolution requests that the ICUU asks the City of Torda (Transylvnia) to immediately begin exhibit an historic painting by Aladar Korosfoi Kriesch of the "Diet of Torda" which has been unavailable to the public for more than ten years.

The UUA Washington Office Remembers Senator Kennedy

2009-08-27T15:25:00.010-04:00

It’s unusual to feel a need to reach out to our UU community because a Senator died, but the death of Senator Edward Kennedy casts a long shadow across our nation.

Senator Kennedy’s death is a signal of the passing of the torch from one generation to another in our nation and in the world. It is a call to remember and to honor all of those elders whose struggles for justice have made our lives today possible. It is cause for both grief and for deep celebration.

In the UUA’s Washington Office on Wednesday, staff members spoke to one another quietly, remembering personal encounters with him in labors for shared goals—some which were accomplished and many which remain unfinished.

It is hard to overstate how important Senator Kennedy was to the causes we hold dear. From Voting Rights and Disability Rights to reauthorizing TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families); from more than a decade working to pass anti-hate crimes legislation and the Employment Non-Discrimination Act to ensuring a fair minimum wage, Senator Kennedy was a relentless supporter—if not a champion—for most of our legislative agenda. Few people in this era have done more for the health and welfare of marginalized people.

Among the many lessons we can learn from Senator’s Kennedy’s Senate career is that it is not only possible, it is actually powerful to be both extremely committed to your values and able to work with people and groups that hold different views. Most Americans know Ted Kennedy only as a bastion of liberalism. May he also be remembered as one who understood the importance of relationships and collaboration. As Senator Orrin Hatch (R-UT) wrote in a reflection which appears in today’s Washington Post, Kennedy “never made his partisanship personal and, most of the time, if he believed you were sincere, he was willing to give ground to reach an agreement. He'll be missed both for his friendship and personality, as well his ability to get things done even in the most partisan times. "

Senator Kennedy has been present to us—not just as a remote figure represented by staff people—but also as flesh and blood, as a passionate, caring, and flawed human being who strove to connect with the people working on (and affected by) the issues he cared about. A few years ago, he spoke at an event for Martin Luther King Day at our congregation in Quincy, MA, about the need to raise the federal minimum wage. He said, “We have to think, who are the recipients of the minimum wage? They are men and women of dignity…They may be making the minimum wage, but they want to do the job, they want to do it right, and they want to do it well…they deserve our respect.”

This respect for the inherent worth and dignity of every person was at the heart of Senator Kennedy’s desire for our common good. May that respect live on as our legacy for Senator Kennedy—in our families, in our congregations, in our towns and cities, in our struggles for justice. May we find the strength to carry on without him.

--Rob Keithan, Director of the UUA Washington Office for Advocacy

--Rev. Meg Riley, Director, Advocacy & Witness Staff Group, and former Director of the UUAWashington Office

Statement by UUA President the Rev. Peter Morales on the Death of Senator Edward M. Kennedy

Reflection on Senator Kennedy from the Rev. Dr. William F. Schulz, former President of the UUA and Executive Director of Amnesty International USA

International Engagement: UU from Unity Church-Unitarian serves UUHIP partner Vidhayak Sansad

2009-08-25T10:22:00.010-04:00

Please welcome guest blogger Wendy Harris writing from a tribal village near Vasai in the state of Maharashtra, India where she has spent the summer working with UU Holdeen India Program partner Vidhayak Sansad.

“You lead English prayer?” The request, by the exercise instructor at the end of the morning session set off a series of UU heart palpitations. I had no idea what the girls at this school usually prayed and I had no idea what to say in a prayer in general. However, when I paused, he prompted me with “You know, the last.” Our morning exercise sessions often include We Shall Overcome in English or Marathi. I had never considered that song as a prayer before. As I looked into the eyes of these 160 young girls – most of whom are the first people in their families to get a formal education and who are part of an anti-oppression movement – and sang the words “we shall overcome” I felt part of a bigger moment.

A few weeks later, I was asked to lead the song again. This time, it was in the context of many dalits (untouchables), tribal people, and others who were gathering to stage a massive protest. The government had gone against the wishes of 53 village councils and incorporated them into a municipal corporation. Villagers from these villages and others blocked the main highway, masses participated in protest marches, and a handful of leaders went on a hunger strike that continued 3 days until the government agreed to review the decision.

I had met Vivek Pandit, the co-founder of Vidhayak Sansad, when he came to St. Paul in 2007 by invitation of our ministers Rob and Janne Eller-Isaacs. Vidhayak Sansad (Constructive Parliament) and its sister organization Shramjivi Sanghathana (the People’s Union) work for socio-economic empowerment and development of the deprived sections of the society like tribals, dalits, women, child laborers, and landless laborers and released bonded laborers. The Unitarian Universalist Association Holdeen India Program has helped fund more than 90 groups in India since 1984. One of the Holdeen Trust partners is Shramjivi Sanghathana.

I am a teacher and each summer I like to travel somewhere in the world in a capacity that will allow me to get to know something of the local place, people, and life. After learning about the anti-oppression work of Vidhayak Sansad, I thought I could use my skills as a teacher in a bilingual school in this small corner of India. Laney Ohmans, also from Unity Church in St. Paul, went to Usgaon (one hour north of Mumbai) in 2008 to teach at Vidhayak Sansad’s residential school for girls from the Katkari tribe. After hearing about her experiences, I was even more enthusiastic about volunteering at the school.

I usually learn at least a few phrases in the local language, but I had no Marathi upon arrival. To my relief, there is a system of commonly understood gestures that I could quickly pick up based on my experience with sign languages. I used that and my slowly (word-by-word) increasing Marathi vocabulary to communicate with the 160 students in 1^st to 7^th grade. I like to think that my stumbling attempts at Marathi gave the girls more enthusiasm or courage to try their English. However, their joy for meeting and getting to know a new person (especially one crazy enough to dance the Hokey Pokey which they had learned from Laney-teacher) and their enthusiasm for sharing about their lives probably played a more important role.

Besides endless verses of Hokey Pokey (even including “put your teeth in…”) and other favorite American children’s songs with motions, my days were spent in two capacities. I taught the 5^th-7^th graders daily and rotated through the younger classes, which led to enthusiastic requests of “Teacher, teacher” and a number shown by fingers or pointing to a classroom by the younger students until I learned the words for 1^st, 2^nd, and 3^rd grade. I also worked in the Vidhayak Sansad office to help write two annual reports for funders. In this capacity I was able to meet and interview a number of dedicated activists and organizers of Shramjivi Sanghathana and learn about the challenges and success they experience in the field.

This summer, I learned a lot about love, dedication to social justice, and joy of living. I can only hope the students learned something from me as well.

- Wendy Harris

Related blogposts:

Long live the Struggle

Teaching in Maharastra

"Long Live the Struggle" Now Available Online

2009-08-19T11:49:00.013-04:00

The UUA Holdeen India Program (UUHIP) partners with democratically-operated grassroots social change movements in India, supporting the empowerment of dalits, tribal people, women and religious minorities.

"Long Live the Struggle" provides a brief overview of UUHIP, focusing on Vivek Pandit, director of program partner Vidhayak Sansad. Learn more about the work of the Holdeen India Program as it brings a sense of hope to the people it works with while providing a model for ending social injustice

You can view the entire short film online below; a limited number of DVD's are also available for free from the UUA's International Resources Office (contact international@uua.org for more details).

Credit: Barbara Johnson films bjohnsonfilms @ mac.com

Sharing Global Faith - August Reflections

2009-08-19T11:48:00.013-04:00

In this fifth edition, three global U/U leaders explore the meaning of FAITH to our faith tradition, reflecting on the well-known admonition "Stand by This Faith" by Rev. Olympia Brown:

We are honored to include contributions from:

Bishop Ferenc Bálint Benczédi - was installed as Bishop of the Transylvanian Unitarian Church in March 2009 . Previously, he served as minister of First Unitarian Church of Kolozsvar and has worked in Unitarian ministry for over thirty years.

Rev. Fulgence Ndagijimana - is a former Dominican brother who left the Roman Catholic Church to become a Unitarian. He is now the president of the Assembly of Christian Unitarians of Burundi. A father of a boy, he is active in the local civil society and works for an International organization in Burundi.

Rev. John Buehrens - has served as the Minister of the First Parish in Needham since 2002. From 1993 to 2001 he was the President of the Unitarian Universalist Association. Long a leader in interfaith cooperation for peace and justice, he currently serves as national co-chair for Freedom to Marry, as Senior Advisor to the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee, as a member of the Needham Human Rights Committee, as President of the Needham Clergy Association, and as President of the Unitarian Universalist Ministers Association for the Mass Bay District.

Continue to read this month's edition!

Standing on the Side of Love in North East India

2009-08-18T09:00:00.005-04:00

The Reverend Helpme H. Mohrmen, General Secretary of the Unitarian Union of North East India, had a Special Article published on the Editorial Page of The Shillong Times on August 17, 2009. This article follows last month's decision by the High Court in Delhi which was argued by UU Holdeen India Partner, Anand Grover, of the Lawyer’s Collective.

Standing on the side of love

By H.H.Mohrmen

Love is a magic word and love is the lesson that every religion teaches its followers, yet, love is also a much abused word. In the name of love not only beautiful monuments are erected, but in its name many wars are also fought.

Love makes the world go round, love keeps the family hearth burning, love keeps the family in thatch-roof huts intact in spite of all odds. But sometimes people tend to play down the effect of love by creating artificial barriers or by putting up a wall in between. When asked which among the commandments are important, Jesus answered, The Lord your God is one and love your neighbors as you love yourself and when he was asked who my neighbour is, and he told them a story. In the famed parable of the Good Samaritan Jesus teaches his followers about love beyond caste, love beyond race, it is not the (supposed pious) Rabbi who came to the rescue of a man who fell in the hand of the robbers. Neither did his fellow tribesmen come to help him, but it was the Samaritan the one considered to be of low caste who came to his rescue. That is love beyond artificial barriers, love beyond borders. That is real love.

When asked which among the commandments are important, Jesus answered, The Lord your God is one and love your neighbors as you love yourself and when he was asked who my neighbour is, and he told them a story. In the famed parable of the Good Samaritan Jesus teaches his followers about love beyond caste, love beyond race, it is not the (supposed pious) Rabbi who came to the rescue of a man who fell in the hand of the robbers. Neither did his fellow tribesmen come to help him, but it was the Samaritan the one considered to be of low caste who came to his rescue.

There is another parable of an unconditional love which Jesus taught his followers and that is the parable of prodigal son. In spite of his younger son’s wayward life, his father loved him the same. A father’s love is unconditional because love is spontaneous. Throughout his ministry Jesus preached nothing else but love and real love, but we began drawing lines between the saved and those ‘not saved’, ‘them and us,’ ‘they and we,’ those who will go to heaven and those condemned to hell, in spite of the story of the harlot whom he saved by asking those who think that they have no sin to throw the first stone. Love also means not being judgmental, for we all have our own deficiencies and we are all imperfect creatures.

In one of the discussions I had on the Gay, Lesbians, Bisexual and Transgender (GLBT) issue, a friend of mine who is also a science lecturer in one of the reputed college in Shillong, when asked about his opinion said, "I seek wisdom from science and question if this is mere human erotic desire or is it something else?". He then said, "Science confirms that this is all natural. And if we use religious language we would say that they are also equal creations of God." Now what crime have the GLBT people committed? Or is it a sin to be who you are as God has created you? If the GLBT people have done anything else, it is out of love and since when did love become a crime? We have not even tried to stop animals from loving each other, why do we want to stop people from loving one another?

A father’s love is unconditional because love is spontaneous. Throughout his ministry Jesus preached nothing else but love and real love, but we began drawing lines between the saved and those ‘not saved’, ‘them and us,’ ‘they and we,’ those who will go to heaven and those condemned to hell, in spite of the story of the harlot whom he saved by asking those who think that they have no sin to throw the first stone. Love also means not being judgmental, for we all have our own deficiencies and we are all imperfect creatures.

We have GLBT person(s) in our community; some are obvious and some are not; this is something that we cannot deny. So what right have we to deny them the right to love? Just because we do not have GLBT people in our family that does not mean that there are no GLBT people around. And how sure are we that we do not have members in the family with different sexual orientations? GLBT people do exist and they not only seek our sympathy but more importantly they seek justice and respect for their fundamental rights. That is what they ask from the community; nothing more nothing less.

So, with regard to the issue of GLBT when people ask me which side I am on in the current debate, my answer is, "I’m on the side of love. I am standing on the side of love, -love without borders, love without barriers, love without conditions, non-judgmental love, all encompassing love and everlasting love. I am on the side of love." Let us therefore pull down all the artificial walls that we have raised to divide us, let us embrace divine love for divine love knows no distinction.

Organizing for Health Care Reform

2009-08-17T16:44:00.004-04:00

In March of this year, I went to Washington, DC, for a national lobby effort with PICO, a major national faith-based community organizing network, which was entitled: "Faith and Families: Economic Recovery Summit." The focus of the Summit was threefold: Jobs, Foreclosures and Health Care Reform. About 300 or so PICO leaders from various local organizing committees attended, representing about 20 states, from California to Massachusetts, New Orleans to Michigan. I am part of the clergy caucus group in PICO, and represent Essex County Community Organization (ECCO), a North of Boston faith-based community organizing affiliate.

As part of our lobby efforts on health care, PICO has developed some principles around reform that we shared with our political representatives. The PICO principles are that comprehensive health care reform must: be affordable, cover all, be financially sustainable, be passed in 2009, and be focused on benefitting low and moderate-income citizens. After having our own brainstorm sessions, PICO representatives went to Capital Hill and organized a major press conference with a number of congresspeople. Afterwards, we took our message to congressional offices. Leading up to this Summit, PICO had been a major player on SCHIP legislation, concerning health care for children, and also particpated in a major summit with President Obama at the White House. PICO is also a major organizer for this week's national conference call with the President. At the moment, this is clearly PICO's major legislative push for 2009.

At a recent clergy caucus for the Northeast region of PICO affiliates, we discussed some of these issues and I raised with the national PICO leadership whether or not we shouldn't be advocating for single payer. It was a lively discussion, with differing points of view, though the leadership staff of PICO suggested they had determined single payer as not feasible in the current political climate. For this reason, they decided to stick with a set of clear principles and let Congress determine how to reach these. Though the position is understandable, many of us have still lobbied our legislators to support the Kucinich bill that encourages states to implement a single payer system. Our own congressperson on the North Shore of Boston, John Tierney, is one of the co-sponsors of this bill along with about 80 others.

As the news emerges concerning the possibility of the White House backing away from the public option as part of the health care reform initiative, it seems a good time to lobby congress once again that if single payer is not currently feasible, a public option in competition with the health insurance industry would seem vitally important. Also, our local PICO afiliate, ECCO, last week helped to organize a rally outside of the office of Rep. Tierney in Peabody, MA., to counter a planned demonstration by some local anti-healthcare reform advocates. We wanted to show support for Tierney's strong reform position. Fortunately, we outnumbered the protesters 3 to 1 (300-100). It was a good effort.

Rev. Art McDonald, PhD, Minister, First UU church of Essex, MA.

Editor's Note: The UUA invites you to be on a phone call with President Barack Obama in an urgent faith conversation about health care reform on Wednesday, August 19.

President Obama will be on a forty minute, nationwide phone call with the UUA and other national religious denominations, along with PICO, Gamaliel and other groups on Wednesday, August 19 at 5:00 p.m. Eastern / 4:00 p.m. Central / 3:00 p.m. Mountain / 2:00 p.m. Pacific. The goal of the call is to connect and energize the millions of people of faith across the country who are concerned about health care and who want to be part of the solution. Join us Wednesday, August 19th, to hear from faith leaders across the country and President Barack Obama!

To listen in on the nationwide phone call, log on to www.faithforhealth.org/uua at the time of the call.

Working for Justice, Making a Point, and Being Funny

2009-08-13T11:48:00.005-04:00

Working for justice is long, hard work, so I'm grateful for opportunities to laugh along the way. It's especially rewarding when humor also makes an important point.

On that note, here's to Mike Brown from the First Unitarian Universalist Church of Springfield, MO, for his letter published in the "Roses & Thorns" section of the Springfield News-Leader. His piece calls out unacceptable behavior, lifts up justice work as central to Unitarian Universalism, and it made me laugh. Thanks Mike! May you and First UU keep up the good work.

Mike Brown's August 13 Post on Roses & Thorns

Climate Change-Energy Debate Moves to the Senate

2009-08-06T07:20:00.012-04:00

On June 26, 2009, while many of us Unitarian Universalists were gathered at General Assembly, the American Clean Energy and Security Act (H.R. 2454) came up for a vote in the House of Representatives. The projected vote was so close that we felt compelled to interrupt the scheduled business of GA and ask participants to use their cell phones to call their Representatives. ACES (or the Waxman-Markey bill, as it is more commonly called) passed that day, 219 to 212. When news of its passage came there was joy, relief, and regret. Joy for what was a historic achievement, a comprehensive overhaul of our energy policies, and an important first step to addressing the pressing issues of climate change. Relief because the victory had been hard fought. And regret because the bill that passed was in the end much less than we had hoped for.

Shortly before ACES was voted on, I wrote a rather long blog post reflecting on how it had gotten to be that we were supporting a bill that has some admittedly serious flaws, and why it was important to still act. At the time, I already knew that the fossil fuel industries had been spending tens of millions of dollars to weaken and/or derail the bill. I knew that some of the claims (such as skyrocketing energy costs for families) were outright lies preying on fear. But what I didn’t know was that one of their lobbying firms had resorted to even greater levels of deception. Using the names and letterhead of organizations of color, Bonner & Associates sent fraudulent letters to at least three Representatives, urging them to oppose ACES. One of the organizations that they impersonated and misrepresented was a local chapter of the NAACP; the NAACP supports ACES because of the green jobs it will create.

We are up against opponents who will lie and commit fraud in order to maintain their lucrative stranglehold on our nation’s energy sources. But we are also up against our own apathy. The most painful thing that we had to admit on the eve of the historic vote was that, honest or not, our opponents had been out there making their views known to the people who were going to cast the votes and we had not been. I don’t mean to say that our side did nothing. Organizations like 1Sky and others worked hard to not only get the bill passed but to insert key strengthening amendments that made it more just. And UU groups from the UUA to the State Advocacy Networks joined them. But most of our efforts came in the final push. When talking to staffers of various Representatives, what we heard over and over again was that they had not been hearing from us during the process – during the deliberations in committees, while measures were being put in and taken out. They had not heard from people who wanted the bill to be stronger. They had heard from people who wanted it to be weaker or didn’t want it at all. So what we got was a weaker climate-energy bill, and we almost didn’t get one at all.

So why am I reliving these past mistakes now? Because the conversation isn’t over. ACES passed in the House on June 26th. The conversation now moves to the Senate, which has said that it will use ACES as the starting point to draft its own version. And once again the fossil fuel industries are spending tens of millions of dollars to further weaken and/or derail the process (and using dirty tricks). We need to be out there telling our Senators that we want climate change legislation, and we want it to be even stronger and more just than the version that passed in the House. What’s more, we need to be out there explicitly as Unitarian Universalists. Rightly or wrongly, our elected representatives listen more attentively to constituents who identify themselves as people of faith. And for the most part right now, they are hearing from self-identified religious people who oppose climate change legislation. They must hear from us too.

Act Now:

August 10th begins the Senate summer recess – a time when your Senators come home to listen to you (so that you don’t have to go all the way to DC). Get some members of your congregation (and/or team up with neighboring congregations) and welcome your senators home to your beautiful state. Remind them that you are their constituent, and then tell them that it’s crucial that they pass strong and just climate change legislation as soon as they get back to DC. The simplest (and possibly most fun) way to do that is to attend a 1Sky beach party. 1Sky is holding "welcome back" parties for senators across the country on August 10th. If you can't make that date, you and fellow UUs can schedule an in-district visit later in the month.

Let your senators know that as a Unitarian Universalist, someone who believes that we are part of an interdependent web of creation, it is our moral imperative to pass effective and just climate change-energy legislation now.

Reassure them that a comprehensive climate-energy bill will preserve the environment, free us from dependence on fossil fuels that compromise our national security, and create millions of jobs in a new clean energy economy. It’s win-win.

Tell them that Unitarian Universalists respect science, and the science tells us that we need to cut carbon emissions, at least 20 percent by 2020.

Tell them that the bill must limit offsets to no more than 10 percent of the emissions cap. Anything greater would compromise the effectiveness of the cap and put undue burden on communities of color.

Tell them that UUs stand on the side of economic justice and therefore, they need to maximize the number of allowances used to create clean energy jobs and train workers to fill them. The Senate bill must also maintain (or improve) the transition assistance that the House version has.

Tell them you want stronger a Renewable Electricity Standard (RES) and Energy Efficiency Resource Standard (EERS). Urge them to:

Co-sponsor S. 433, Senator Tom Udall’s “25 by 25” RES
Support Senator Schumer’s stand-alone EERS Amendment (based on S. 548

If you simply cannot make it to your Senators offices, we understand. Use 1Sky's online tool to fax your senators. Do what you can and please do it soon.

Resource:

Grist magazine is tracking where your senators stand on climate change.

Reflections on Anti-BGLT Violence in Tel Aviv

2009-08-04T12:10:00.001-04:00

Last Saturday night in Tel Aviv, a masked gunman opened fire at an LGBT youth center in Tel Aviv, Israel. My Israeli cousin, who was visiting from her Tel Aviv suburban hometown, alerted me to what had happened. She was horrified that such violence could occur in the relatively open, accepting and cosmopolitan atmosphere of a large city like Tel Aviv. I watched international news coverage of the violence in shock.

I am American and Israeli, queer, Jewish and Unitarian Universalist. Last night, I attended a vigil in memory of the victims that was organized by members of the Jewish and BGLT communities here in Washington, D.C. I was proud, along with Rev. Archene Turner of Cedar Lane UU Church, to represent the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) and to stand in solidarity with Jewish, Israeli, and bisexual, gay, lesbian and transgender communities. The UUA offers our heartfelt sympathy to the families of the victims. Incidents such as this remind us that hate crimes can happen anywhere.

Just last week, the UUA community marked the one year anniversary of a shooting at a Unitarian Universalist church in Knoxville, Tenn. The perpetrator in that case was targeting the “foot soldiers of liberalism.” Two people lost their lives and seven others were injured. In response to this tragedy, the Unitarian Universalist Association has made a commitment to stand up in the face of exclusion, violence and oppression based on identity. We have committed to Stand on the Side of Love.

Rev. Chris Buice, the minister at the church in Knoxville talks about the “bystander effect.” We see it in school yards when people stand by and allow bullying to go on with impunity. By standing on the side of love we create a positive bystander effect, and we respond to a tragic act of hate with love.

Out of all of the images I saw from the news of this weekend’s shooting in Tel Aviv, the one of the word “ahava,” which means “love” in Hebrew, spelled out in lit candles touched me the most. I hope that all people can learn to see past identities that seem to divide us and into the wholeness and sacred light that surrounds us when we stand on the side of love as members of one human family.

Even as the speakers at last night's vigil mourned the loss of two young lives, they took the opportunity to ask congregations and communities to become more openly accepting and welcoming to people of all sexual orientations and gender identities. We applaud their decision to stand firmly on the side of love.

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

2009-07-21T14:40:00.002-04:00

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

2009-07-20T11:01:00.010-04:00

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 Unitaria n 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

2009-07-17T10:03:00.006-04:00

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

2009-07-15T10:23:00.002-04:00

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.