[Sac-news] Witness & Action for Democracy, Peace & Justice

Wed Oct 18 20:33:46 EDT 2006

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SOCIAL ACTION CHAIR (SAC) NEWS
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Dear SAC-News Readers:

What follows is a brief sampling of recent UU congregational efforts for
peace, for speaking out against torture, for a just recovery in the
Gulf, for ending global warming, for engaging in the political process
in the mid-term elections (see our excellent electoral resources page at
http://www.uua.org/news/2006/061005_voting.html including a report from
UUs for Verified Voting), and for investing our funds with our UU
values.  

Whether you are signing and circulating the Katrina Petition, screening
the Iraq for Sale film, listening to The Interfaith Alliance Seminar on
the IRS Rules, or participating in the teleconference on Socially
Responsible Investment Screening, your actions can make a difference by
strengthening our collective voice, taking action, learning the rules,
and adopting and fostering alternative visions and practices! 

--- In faith, Susan

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WITNESSING FOR PEACE........ 

Several congregations have sent in reports about their participation in
the Declaration of Peace http://declarationofpeace.org/ activities on
Sept. 25th and the ongoing campaign which was endorsed at this past
General Assembly.   

**The UU Fellowship in Bremerton WA reports that their social justice
committee was part of a regional coalition that organized a Peace Fair
and March that drew 500 people.  Thirty-five people were arrested in a
civil disobedience at the nearby ordnance base, many of whom were UU's,
including a few UU ministers in the Faith Leaders group.

**A contingent of UU clergy and lay leaders participated in the Sept.
26-27 Days of Action in Washington DC at an interfaith service  followed
by a march and procession to the back steps of the Capitol, then to the
Senate Office Buildings where some risked arrest. 

**Dozens of congregations are continuing to show two excellent films on
Iraq -- THE GROUND TRUTH and IRAQ FOR SALE and are utilizing the
Citizens Tool Kil from Win Without War and the Washington Office
Resource on Welcoming Veterans and Military Families in our
Congregations.  See
http://www.uua.org/uuawo/new/article.php?list=type&type=18.

**The new Peacemaking Study Action Issue will be posted on uua.org/csw
on Nov. 1st!  See the draft at http://www.uua.org/csw/issues_pm.htm.

SPEAKING OUT ABOUT TORTURE...

**Last week, UUa from First Unitarian Minneapolis, inspired by their
minister's sermon not to silently watch habeus corpus be taken away,
organized a delegation to advocate with their legislators to oppose the
Military Commissions Act.  

**On Monday an interfaith group of Connecticut clergy, with strong
representation from Unitarian Universalists, gathered alongside I-95 in
Stratford on October 16, 2006, to unveil a highway billboard which
protests the support of four Connecticut legislators-all of whom are
running for re-election-in bringing the Military Commissions Act of 2006
to President Bush's desk for signature on October 17. See full report at
http://www.uua.org/.

**On Tuesday UUs participating in the Washington Area Religious
Coalition Against Torture witnessed outside the White House as President
Bush signed the Military Commissions Act into law.

CREATING A NATIONAL NETOWRK FOR A JUST RECOVERY IN THE GULF...

UUs from across the country are signing and circulating the KATRINA
PETITION FOR OPPORTUNITY AND FAIRNESS organized by the National Alliance
to Restore Opportunity to the Gulf Coast and Displaced Persons.  This
petition is helping organize a nation-wide advocacy community for a just
recovery in the Gulf.  Please sign it and circulate it in your
congregation.  Signatures will be gathered  until Nov. 1.  See
http://www.linkedfate.org/.

Others are sending teams to the Gulf, raising funds, and engaging in
other advocacy efforts.  See http://www.uua.org/news/gulfcoastrelief/.

ENDING GLOBAL WARMING....

During the first week of October, more than 4,000 congregations in the
United States, including dozens of UU congregations, presented one or
more showings of An Inconvenient Truth to spotlight global warming. This
massive screening was an initiative of The Regeneration Project and 18
state chapters of Interfaith Power and Light. 

Many congregations plan further discussion and activities. A discussion
guide and handouts are available at
http://www.theregenerationproject.org/inconvenient.htm. Another good
handout (Ten Things To Do) can be downloaded from the movie's website
http://www.climatecrisis.com.  See UU Ministry for Earth for more
information at http://uuministryforearth.org/cgi/news.cgi.

ENGAGING IN THE POLITICAL PROCESS AND THE MID-TERM ELECTIONS.......

The MID-TERM ELECTIONS are less than a month away.   Now more than ever,
we need to witness for our values.  Please see the UUA's excellent
ELECTORAL RESOURCES for putting our faith into action during this
electoral season at http://www.uua.org/news/2006/061005_voting.html.

**Note:  On October 11th, 2006 The Interfaith Alliance and The IRS
teamed up for a NATIONAL PHONE SEMINAR explaining the legal & ethical
guidance for 501 c-3 organizations (including Houses of Worship) in an
Election Year.  *Listen to the call at
http://www.interfaithalliance.org/site/pp.asp?c=8dJIIWMCE&b=2108771.

**Many congregations are working for just minimum wage ballot
initiatives - see http://www.letjusticeroll.org/ and are opposing
anti-marriage equality initiatives in their states - see
http://www.uua.org/news/freedomtomarry/index.html.  Please let us know
what your congregation is doing if you are in these states. 

AND SOCIALLY RESPONSIBLE INVESTING..........

Join other congregational leaders participating in the SRI
Teleconference/Power Point Seminars.  We've already heard from dozens of
congregations on previous calls.  Learn how you and your congregation
can invest your funds with UU values on this Saturday's (1 pm EST) SRI
Teleconference on Investment Screening.  See
http://www.uua.org/finance/sri/ for details.

ANOTHER WORLD IS POSSIBLE!

In 2007 the first United States Social Forum will gather in Atlanta,
Georgia, June 27-July 1, 2007.  See http://www.ussf2007.org/

Susan Leslie
Director for Congregational Advocacy and Witness
Unitarian Universalist Association
25 Beacon Street, Boston MA  02108
(617) 948-4607; sleslie at uua.org
www.uua.org/justice
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