January 2022

Thoughts on “Moral Owners”

Private sector corporations are accountable to their owners – usually their shareholders.  And governments are accountable to those they govern, usually voters.  To whom are non-profit organizations accountable?  

Some say it is to the stakeholders – anyone with an interest in the non-profit, such as beneficiaries of its services, donors, funders, vendors, board, and staff.  From a Policy Governance perspective, a non-profit is accountable to its moral owners, who are part of its stakeholders.  

Moral owners are the ones with whom a non-profit board decides what benefits the organization should produce, as part of its mission and vision. Owners are always stakeholders but not all stakeholders are owners.

UUSJ decided during its recent strategic planning effort that our moral owners are: 

• UU individuals, 
• UU congregations, 
• Impacted people, and 
• Organizations representing (or led by) impacted people.  

The first two might seem obvious ...  [Read More]

Charlotte Jones-Carroll
UUSJ Board Chair

Our Faith Calls Us to Antiracist Work:
A theology of interdependence is the true heart of our faith; our work for justice is our faithful response

Rev. Susan Frederick-Gray, President, UUA

The most profound theological gift I received from Unitarian Universalism is the belief in and commitment to Beloved Community. The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. described Beloved Community as one of unconditional love, which seeks the fullest unfolding of the personality of every person. In the Beloved Community, racism, poverty, and discrimination would not be tolerated and would instead be replaced by an all-inclusive spirit of kinship. 

[Read More, UU World]

As The New Year Begins, Volunteer to Engage

Join UUSJ's advocacy list. The purpose of social justice advocacy is to make known public support for or recommendation of a particular cause or policy, it is the profession or vocation of an advocate. Especially to address or redress root causes and harms by disrupting interlocking injustices towards collective liberation.

Join UUSJ's witness list. The purpose of social justice witness is to make public by word, deed, and presence, the convictions of an individual or organization regarding a particular issue. Especially to show solidarity, compassion, and support for the collective liberation of impacted communities.

Join the UUSJ communications team. Help us amplify our participation and activity in a variety of ways. From Facebook to Twitter, to crafting compelling emails, or organizing commentaries and blog posts, you can help us engage the base towards our mission.

Find out more about our UUSJ action teams. If you want more details, or to be connected to our team leaders and their work, please email Pablo.

Support Citizenship for the Undocumented 

The Senate Parliamentarian again recommended against including immigration provisions in the Build Back Better Act (BBB).  Last month’s action marked the third plan that the parliamentarian rejected. Senate Democrats "strongly disagree" with the parliamentarian's rejection of their latest immigration proposal. They added, "...we will pursue every means to achieve a path to citizenship in the BBB."  

UUSJ joins our allies in the immigration advocacy community (including Faith In Action, Detention Watch Network, United We Dream, Church World Services, and the WeAreHome coalition) in asking you to contact your Democratic Senators (who are central to the current legislative decisions) and ask them to disregard the Parliamentarian’s advice and include key immigration provisions in BBB.

Chicanas: Nurturers and Warriors (Video)

The Denver Colorado Office of Storytelling offers an inspiring and informative companion film to their exhibit, celebrating unsung Chicana heroes, as part of History Colorado's Year of La Chicana project. The office is fairly unique with only five known such offices in existence globally.

The Chicana story is complicated. Although the U.S. Census would like to lump people together under a single manufactured label, the reality is that folks come from many different backgrounds, different places, and different cultures. You can learn about the rich variety with this video and several vignettes.

Energy Efficiency:
A Virginia State Strategies Showcase 
January 5
7:30-8:30pmET
Zoom Link (Meeting ID: 873 5743 1768  Passcode: 763466 )
What is the cheapest, most environmentally friendly, and lowest greenhouse gas emitting source of energy? Energy that is not used! Faith Alliance for Climate Solutions (FACS) and the UU Congregation of Fairfax (Virginia) Act on Climate Today (ACT!) invite you to a webinar discussion on energy efficiency. Virginia State Sen. Jennifer Boysko will discuss legislation she plans to introduce in January that would give local jurisdictions authority to strengthen regulations to cut energy waste in homes and businesses.  Susan Stillman, the renewable energy vice-chair of the Virginia Sierra Club, will talk about the importance of increasing the efficiency of our homes and offices. Eric Goplerud, FACS board chair will share practical steps individuals can take. 

PPC’s National Interfaith Prayer Service and Procession 
January 9, 2022
3-4:30pmET (Service) - 4:30- 5:30pmET (Procession)
Location: National City Christian Church, 5 Thomas Circle NW, Washington, DC
The Poor People’s Campaign: National Call For Moral Revival invites UUs to join a 90-minute National Interfaith Prayer Service in D.C. The Service will end with a procession down 14th Street to Freedom Plaza where we will consecrate the plaza for June 18, 2022, Mass Poor People’s and Low Wage Workers’ Assembly and Moral March on Washington with a Litany of Declaration and prayers. 

SAVE THE DATE: JUNE 18, 2022
Moral March On Washington
RSVP Now & Find a Bus: https://www.poorpeoplescampaign.org/rally-map/