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Taking Justice General Assembly Home

On Sunday afternoon at Justice General Assembly, UUA vice-presidents Kay Montgomery and Rev. Harlan Limpert reported on resources you might use to help you bring your experiences and learnings from Justice GA back to your congregations. Included was information about witness and action initiatives, curricula for all ages, Beacon press books, discussion guides, and other resources to support your congregation or group as you faithfully consider your response to the related calls for immigration justice, racial justice, justice for indigenous people, and economic justice.

Watch video of the report, view the slide presentation, and read the transcript. Let us know about the conversations you are having in your congregation or group, actions you are taking, and resources that have been helpful. We are looking forward to sharing wisdom and experiences one with another as we move forward from Justice GA as Unitarian Universalist people of faith. -Ed.

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Education, Reflection, Witness and Action

CAFÉ MALLETTE: A Spanish Salon

Many Unitarian Universalists are working on their Spanish language skills ahead of Justice General Assembly. In this post, Rev. Hope Johnson tells us about her discoveries as she brushed up on her Spanish, and about the wonderful way her congregation has joined in- Ed.

ALL ARE WELCOME!!! 

Grab a cup of “café” and let’s begin to practice our Spanish. 

Those who speak Spanish, please come and support the rest of us. 

Those who are wanting to learn Spanish, let’s take a big breath and practice together.

It doesn’t matter what level we find ourselves at, let us communicate with each other.

If we are serious about getting to know our neighbors, one way is for to begin to communicate in Spanish.

Gracias, Esperanza

Friends, what led us to this invitation?

Let’s go back to February, 2012. I headed for Playa del Carmen, México to work on my Spanish language skills in  preparation for Justice General Assembly 2012 (Phoenix, AZ) Although almost fluent while growing up, I needed to work on unlocking my fear of making mistakes in Spanish. I traveled with my twin sister.

Our linguistic adventure began when we proudly found our way to the Soléxico School from Cancun Airport. After arrival in Playa, we found our way from the bus station to a taxi stand. We had been advised to negotiate prices—in Spanish—before getting into a cab… Next shock, the Spanish Assessment Placement Exam was conducted in Spanish!  (more…)

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Education, Your Recipes

Bread and Roses Sunday

This post, written by Rev. Robert Francis Murphy of the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Falmouth, Massachusetts, describes how one congregation looks to history to spotlight longstanding Unitarian Universalist advocacy for justice for immigrants. – Ed.

This year marks the 100th anniversary of two famous events in the story of immigrants in North America.

At the beginning of 1912, immigrant workers in Lawrence, Massachusetts, joined together for a successful strike at the city’s textile mills. In labor legends, this action is remembered as  “the bread and roses strike.”  Twenty-five different languages were spoken among the workers. Many of the leaders were immigrant women. Religious groups were divided in their responses to the Lawrence strike, but the Unitarian church in Lawrence joined with other religious organizations in providing early support. President William Taft, who was a Unitarian, expressed sympathy for the strikers and Mrs. Taft was involved in social services that assisted the workers’ families. (more…)

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Education, Worship, Your Recipes

Help Youth Prepare for Justice GA

Are you a youth going to Phoenix?

Are you a youth advisor or sponsor for one or more youth at Justice GA?

Here are ten ways for youth to prepare for Justice General Assembly in Phoenix!

Some of the suggestions are for individual preparation, while others are suitable for groups. 

Share this list widely, and let us know which suggestions you follow – or what you would add.

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Education, Reflection

Pacific Central District Youth Prepare for Justice GA

In this post, Dylan Colbert, a youth who belongs to the Mt. Diablo Unitarian Universalist Church, Walnut Creek, CA, reports on Pacific Central DYGT’s (District Youth Get-Togethers) focused on immigration justice issues. With the support of Mt. Diablo youth advisor Nancy Jasa, the youth are organizing educational events to help them learn more about the issues, and working on fund raisers to enable a large contingent of youth to attend Justice GA in Phoenix. – Ed.

The upcoming General Assembly in Arizona, focused on the inhumane treatment of America’s immigrants, has captured the attention of the youth in the Pacific Central District in California. In an effort to fully understand the immigration issues present today, youth in this district have organized a series of “DYGTs” -District Youth Get Togethers- so that they may understand the issues, brainstorm solutions, and raise money so that they may attend GA. As a youth in this district, I have been pleasantly surprised at the dedication shown by the other youth. Many of them have sacrificed weekends and many hours to researching immigration issues and leading events. So far, the youth have created and discussed a timeline of major events pertaining to American immigration policies and discussed terms relevant to immigration and how they apply to current situations. In future DYGTs, we hope to fully understand the different laws currently in place and continue fundraising so that we may send more youth to GA.

The DYGTs are an outgrowth of the excitement generated by a highly successful Immigration Conference at Mt. Diablo.  The Mt. Diablo congregation has financially supported youth attendance at General Assembly in Phoenix, including donating the proceeds of their craft fair to help with expenses. How has your congregation or your district included youth in your immigration justice work?  What plans have you made for fundraisers to support youth attendance at Justice GA?  Send us your stories! – Ed.

Dylan Colbert, a high school junior who is part of the Mt. Diablo Unitarian Universalist Church, is one of the organizers of the DYGTs in Pacific Central District and plans to attend General Assembly in Phoenix.

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Education, Witness and Action, Your Recipes

All-Church Christmas Pageant: Las Posadas

This begins a series of posts exploring the wisdom Christian and Jewish scripture and tradition offer as we strive to respond faithfully to immigration justice issues. The Unitarian Universalist Church of Birmingham, AL, presented a Christmas pageant using elements from the Spanish celebration of Las Posadas to highlight the experience of seekers of refuge and a new start throughout the ages and in our own time.- Ed.

The pageant begins:

READER #1 (SHEPHERD): There are many ways to commemorate Christmas. One of them, common in the Spanish traditions in the Southwest, is Las Posadas. The Inns. In some places this is done for nine nights preceding Christmas, in others nine houses are visited in a single night, or nine rooms in a building.  A procession led by figures of Mary and Joseph, the parents-to-be of the infant Jesus, goes from place to place, searching for an inn in which to stay.

READER #2 (WISE PERSON): At the time of Caesar Augustus, a census was ordered. Everyone was required to travel to their own home town to be registered. So Joseph traveled from where he lived in Nazareth to his ancestral home in Bethlehem. His betrothed, Mary, accompanied him on the journey despite the fact that she was pregnant.

READER #3 (SHEPHERD): Scripture tells us that when they arrived in Bethlehem, they had difficulty finding lodging in the crowded town and finally had to settle for an animals’ stable. It was there that the road-weary parents gave birth to their first-born child, and made a bed for him in the hay of the animals’ feeding trough because there were no better accommodations. (more…)

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Education, Worship, Your Recipes

Enter the Kitchen

There is much buzz in Unitarian Universalist circles about Justice GA 2012 in Phoenix. Here’s what Asha Arora, this year’s GA Youth Caucus junior dean, known as a HUUPER (Hardcore UU Person, Energized and Ready), has to say.

When I was younger I disliked Sunday school. I had to wake up early and I enjoyed my sleep.  That hasn’t changed but something else has- the number of amazing people I know all thanks to COA and YRUU. Everyone in YRUU has helped me feel happy and respected. So when I got the chance to be a delegate and represent the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Phoenix at General Assembly 2011 I was thrilled. I was elated to be in an environment created by some incredible UUs. I was so inspired by this experience that I applied to be the co-dean of General Assembly’s next two youth caucuses.  To my surprise, I was selected and I cannot wait for General Assembly 2012.

However, this GA isn’t typical. You’re coming because in my state of Arizona we are having a social justice crisis. Hate seems to always be present. I am grateful that you are coming with the intention of healing this with love. Unfortunately, this anger is spreading. So I ask you spend this time before GA preparing. I know that if we do so, once we gather for 2012 our impact will be even stronger.

We have work to do if we are to accept with integrity the invitation from immigration justice organizations in Phoenix. (more…)

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Education

The Road to Respect: Unitarian Universalist Church of Boulder, CO

This multigenerational program was developed by ministerial intern Kelly Dignan, a seminarian at Iliff School of Theology. Fifty-three people of all ages attended a Saturday program that launched a church-wide social change project focused on immigration by inviting people to develop spiritual disciplines that increase levels of compassion. Here is the link to the plan:  Road to Respect Detailed Plan. Below are pictures of the large group (center), a meditation group (left) and a map activity (right).



Have you done something similar or would you like to? How might such an event work in your congregation?  What adaptations would suit your circumstances? What do you have to share? Come, let’s cook together!

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Your Recipes

Your Recipes

This is the place where we will post programs, stories, resources, events and actions developed by and happening in our congregations and communities. Send YOUR congregation’s materials to Gail Forsyth-Vail, UUA Adult Programs Director and blog editor. (gforsythvail@uua.org). We’ll post them here, and then recategorize them as the project develops and the resource collection builds.

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Your Recipes