| | Official UU RSVP Via The Poor People’s Campaign | | Join poor people and moral witnesses from across the country on June 18, for the Mass Poor People’s Assembly and Moral March on Washington! Use the official UU RSVP - all UUs are asked to use this to register for June 18th. | | | | | | | | | Using Ethics to Build Social Justice Power: A Workshop Tuesday, May 17, 2022
8pm ET | 7pm CT | 6pm MT | 5pm PT
Registration How can we make government more ethical and accountable as we advance social justice and promote an inclusive democracy? Join Unitarian Universalists for Social Justice (UUSJ) and Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics (CREW) in exploring the role we can play in centering values. This workshop will provide opportunities to identify key government accountability issues, consider the values we want to see in responsible leaders, and develop strategies for becoming a voice for ethical government in your community. UUSJ warmly invites you to this training event.  Justine Ellis, PhD, Senior Policy and Advocacy Advisor, CREW will lead the workshop, supported by Pablo DeJesus and Donna Schneidt of UUSJ. | | | | | | | | | Green Climate Fund: Expert Opinion Briefing Thursday, May 5, 2022
8pm ET | 7pm CT | 6pm MT | 5pm PT
RSVP: Expert Opinion Briefing-GCF  Learn more about the Green Climate Fund on Thursday, May 5 at 8pm ET, when UUSJ hosts Joe Thwaites from the World Resources Institute Sustainable Finance Center. Joe will discuss the importance of the Green Climate Fund and why the US must contribute significantly. This session will help UUSJ prepare for advocacy meetings (see below). Write Here! Write Now! Green Climate Fund Join this month’s Write Here! Write Now! letter-writing campaign to support the Green Climate Fund. (GCF). GCF is a global platform established to respond to climate change by investing in low-emission and climate-resilient development. The fund also assists vulnerable societies in adapting to the unavoidable impacts of climate change. Climate-related extremes have affected productivity in agriculture, forestry, and fisheries. Droughts, floods, wildfires, and marine heatwaves have affected food security, nutrition, and the livelihoods of millions. The war in Ukraine shows even more clearly that fossil fuels are a source of instability and conflict. Helping countries transition away from them and address the impacts of climate change is an investment in a safer and more secure world. Urge your legislators to support the GCF through international climate funding (WHWN online) (WHWN PDF handout) | | | | | | | | | Unitarian Universalists Honor Workers’ Dignity and Support the Labor Movement "The UUA unequivocally sides with the inspiring labor resurgence happening in workplaces across the country. As Unitarian Universalists, we have long believed that challenging inequity locally and globally for workers is a moral imperative. To those on the picket line, we say “Strike! Huelga! Yes we can! Si Se Puede!” To those unjustly and illegally fired from their jobs for union organizing, we want you to know that we are with you! And to all who believe in justice and democracy in our government, our communities and in our workplaces, we join you in solidarity." The Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act is a measure that helps nudge our economy towards being centered on people, as a pro-labor measure, rather than solely on corporate needs. Pres. Frederick-Gray mentioned the PRO Act in her full statement. You can also review a letter from the AFL-CIO to the UUA extending appreciation for supporting the PRO Act. | | | | UUA Launches UU the Vote for 2022 Elections Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) launched its UU the Vote initiative for the 2022 elections. UU the Vote is a nonpartisan civic engagement initiative focused on strengthening democracy and organizing for justice, accountability, and healing. “A commitment to democracy is central to our faith tradition and central to our society. It is a principle that recognizes that every voice matters and is needed,” said UUA President Rev. Dr. Susan Frederick-Gray. | | | | | | | | | Partnering for Democracy in Massachusetts and Beyond Wednesday, May 11, 7:30pm ET
Click Here to Register for the Event Join us for the next Partnering for Democracy in Massachusetts and Beyond event, led by Danielle Allen. Danielle is a distinguished author, Harvard professor, and former candidate for governor of Massachusetts. This will be a hybrid event. You can attend by Zoom or in person at First Parish of Concord, 20 Lexington Road, Concord, MA. Prior events sponsored by Reclaim Our Democracy, First Parish in Concord; and UUSJ: | | | | | | | Immigration Justice Steve Eckstrand & Terry Grogan, Immigration Action Team Conveners (seckstrand@verizon.net) | | UUSJ Joins Defund Hate Interfaith Action UUSJ, UU Service Committee (UUSC), and the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) joined the coalition of organizations participating in the April Defund Hate Interfaith Day of Action. The campaign aims to shift Federal immigration funding from harmful and ineffective detention and enforcement to supporting immigrants at the border and in the community. UUSJ organized and led three Congressional meetings and participated in and promoted four additional meetings. Representatives from the other sponsoring groups, UU, and other constituents participated in the campaign. Work Continues on Opening Borders to Asylum Seekers The Immigration Action Team continued its work last month to open up the southern border to asylum seekers. Partnering with the UU Service Committee (UUSC) and other UU organizations, it conducted three Congressional meetings pressing lawmakers to remove asylum obstacles such as the misuse of Title 42 health authority and the Remain in Mexico policy. These visits to Senators and Representatives of both parties were in addition to its 10 meetings in March. UU and other constituents participated in these meetings. UUSJ Urges Quick Action On Immigrant Health and Safety Services UUSJ signed a comment, urging the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to act quickly in finalizing a “public charge” regulation that secures immigrant families’ access to the health and social services safety net. The comment was coordinated by the Protecting Immigrant Families coalition (PIF) and signed by organizations nationwide. Cameroon Temporary Protected Status Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, responding to the community's concerns, designated Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Cameroon last month. TPS is a temporary immigration status lasting 18 months that protects from deportation and allows a work permit. Cameroonians in the United States as of April 15 and beyond will be eligible for this legal lifeline. There are 40,000 Cameroonians currently living in fear of being deported. Cameroon is currently experiencing several social upheavals, such as state-sponsored violence and civil war. This creates precarious conditions that make it difficult for Cameroonians to return home. (Statistics courtesy CASA.) | | | | | | | Environmental and Climate Justice To connect with UUSJ about the Environmental Action Team (info@uusj.org) | | Carbon Fees for a Green Recovery UUSJ hosted an educational briefing last month on implementing carbon fees that would spur climate-friendly changes. The April briefing featured Brett Cease, Ph.D., Education & Engagement Senior Director, and Kesten Bozinovic, Liaison Coordinator, Government Affairs, from the Citizens' Climate Lobby. Watch Video | | | | Water Resources Action Alert Is Evergreen The UUSJ Action Alert on the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) 2022 is designed to be evergreen until passage. Please share it through your networks if you haven't already done so: | | | | | | | Economic Justice To connect with UUSJ about Economic Justice (info@uusj.org) | |  | Jean Evansmore
Unitarian Universalist West Virginia, PPC Co-Chair | | | | | | | UU Rally For The Poor People’s Campaign Wednesday, May 4, 2022
12pmNoon ET | 11am CT | 10am MT | 9am PT
Join via Side With Love Facebook Join UU leaders, including JaZahan Hicks, UU the Vote 2022 Campaign Manager, and state organizers from across the country as we commit to the June 18th Rally. Don't miss your chance to learn how you can join us. This timely mobilization and the need for our presence are urgent. Now is the time to live out our Faith, build the Moral Fusion movement, and take action for our collective future. As more people are plunged into poverty and denied health care and living wages, and our democracy and voting rights are under attack, Unitarian Universalists are ready to mobilize and organize for the Poor People’s Campaign March on Washington & to the Polls. We UUs have had a long partnership with the Poor People’s Campaign, which has called us to a mass assembly. We are answering yes! Volunteer For the Mass Poor People’s and Low Wage Workers’ Assembly and Moral March on Washington and to the Polls June 18 If you would like to help plan UU's involvement for the June 18 Assembly in Washington, DC, with the Poor People’s Campaign and the UUA’s PPC Council, sign up here or contact Pablo DeJesus UUSJ Executive Director (pdejesus@uusj.org). | | | | | | | |  7750 16th Street NW
Washington, DC 20012
202-600-9132 | info@uusj.org | | | | | | | UUSJ is a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Contributions are tax-deductible as allowed by law. | | | | | | | |
