FUSsa-talk Mailing List: Madeline Simon's correction mentioned in this issue....

[jojane (jojane]

----- Forwarded Message -----
From: UUA Advocacy News <UUA [at] mail.democracyinaction.org>
To: jojane [at] juno.com
Date: Thu, 24 Jan 2008 20:07:11 -0500 (EST)
Subject: [anews] Global HIV Prevention and a Correction
Message-ID: <516802972.2129136527 [at] org.orgdb.mail.democracyinaction.org>


"I object to violence because when it appears to do good, the good is
only temporary; the evil it does is permanent."

- Mohandas K. Gandhi


Featured Content
PATHWAY to effective HIV Prevention 
Awards Nominations Due March 1st! 


ADVOCACY NEWS
Action Alert from the UUA Washington Office for Advocacy 

Global HIV Prevention and a Correction
January 24th, 2008





In This Issue:
Introduction 
PATHWAY to Effective HIV Prevention 
Native American Health Care, Native American Justice 
Nominations for the Bennett, Holmes-Weatherly, and CSW Social Justice
Sermon Awards 
CSAI Deadlines & Important Information!! 
40 Days of Non-Violence - CORRECTION 
Upcoming Dates and Deadlines 






(1) Introduction
Dear Friends, 
Time is on our minds. We are aware of dates and deadlines, both those
past and coming up soon, and some we got wrong. This past Monday as much
of the nation was taking a day off in honor of Dr. King, both Lisa and
Grace were furiously typing blog posts. Lisa was working because the
Senate was supposed to vote on the Indian Health Care Act on Tuesday and
we knew we didn't have much time to get the word out. As it turned out,
the bill is stalled, so it was hurry up and wait.... Grace was working
because the day after Dr. King's birthday is Roe v Wade Day, and she was
participating in NARAL's Blog for Choice. Check out the action at
uuasocialjustice.blogspot.com 
We are also very much aware that several deadlines are coming up fast.
Congregational polling for the proposed Study/Action Issues (CSAI) are
due by February 1st. Comments on the current Peacemaking CSAI are due by
March 1st. And nominations for three annual awards - Bennett,
Holmes-Weatherly, and CSW Social Justice Sermon - are all due on March
1st as well. Please keep these deadlines in mind if you plan to
participate, which we highly encourage. 
In faith and for justice. 
Adam, Lisa, Alex, Grace, Kat, and Rob 






(2) PATHWAY to Effective HIV Prevention
The President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) is due for
reauthorization this year. This provides an excellent opportunity to
remove the harmful abstinence-until-marriage earmark on PEPFAR's
prevention funding. We have been working for two years to pass the
PATHWAY Act (H.R. 1713), which would remove that earmark and clear a path
for prevention programs that address the real life needs of women and
youth. 
Our advocacy has created a "buzz" on the House side of Capitol Hill.
Representatives know the issue and they know what we want them to do. But
the PATHWAY Act was just introduced in the Senate for the first time in
December, 2007 (S. 2415)! So we now have a huge opportunity, but a short
time frame, to use that bill to educate Senators about the ineffective
abstinence-until-marriage earmark. 
Along with a broad coalition of organizations, we have hosted an
e-postcard campaign to ask our Representatives and Senators to provide a
PATHWAY to effective HIV prevention. Please take this action and send it
around to as many people as possible. 
Now is the time to take action! 






(3) Native American Health Care, Native American Justice
For two days, Senators have been debating the reauthorization of the
Indian Health Care Act (IHCIA), S. 1200. Now debate bill has stalled as
some Senators describe Native American health as a low
priorityâ??"American lives will not depend on the passage of Indian
health care by the end of this month," Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky) said
Tuesday. But Sen. McConnell could not be more wrong; reauthorizing the
IHCIA is crucial to address the burgeoning health crisis that Native
Americans are experiencing as a result of under-funded health care: the
infant mortality rate is 150% greater for Indians than it is for
Caucasians. Indian life expectancy is six years less than that of the
rest of the US population. And the suicide rate for Indians is two and a
half times higher than the national average. Please call your Senators
and tell them that they must support this important bill! For talking
points, check out the National Indian Health Board's IHCIA fact sheet,
take a look at our blog post, and check Indianz.com to keep up-dated on
the progress of the bill. 






(4) Nominations for the Bennett, Holmes-Weatherly, and CSW Social Justice
Sermon Awards
1) Bennett Award for Congregational Action on Human Justice and Social
Action 

2007 Bennett Award Winner: Unitarian Church of Baton Rouge, Louisiana

The Bennett Award for Congregational Action on Human Justice and Social
Action, instituted in 1999 by James Bennett to honor the congregation
that has done exemplary work in social justice, is accompanied by a $500
cash award that is presented at General Assembly. More information can be
found here. 
Nominations are due March 1st and should include: 
1-4 page report on the social justice action or program, 
a testimonial from partner organizations or community members where
applicable, and 
any relevant documentation and media generated about the effort. 
Send entries to: Unitarian Universalist Association 
Office for Congregational Advocacy & Witness 
25 Beacon Street, Boston MA 02108 
Fax: (617) 742-0321 Email: socialjustice [at] uua.org 
2) Holmes-Weatherly Award 
The Holmes-Weatherly Award is given to an individual or organization, not
necessarily a UU, whose life-long commitment to faith-based social
justice is reflected in societal transformation. The Unitarian Society
for Social Justice established the award in 1951 to honor its founders,
the Revs. John Haynes Holmes and Arthur Weatherly. Awarded each year at
the General Assembly Awards Breakfast, the recognition is accompanied by
a $500 cash award. Past recipients include the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther
King, Jr., the Rev. Richard Gilbert, Planned Parenthood, and the Rev.
Marie Fortune. 
Nominations should include a) a one-page introduction to the nominee, b)
no more than three letters of personal testimony or reference, and c) any
relevant media that has been generated about the nominee. Questions may
be directed to the UUA Washington Office Manager, at (202) 296-4672,
ext.10. 
Nominations due: March 1 
Send entries to: UUA Washington Office 
Awards Nominations 
1320 18th Street NW, Suite 300B, Washington, DC 20036 
fax: (202) 296-4673 
For more information contact uuawo [at] uua.org. 






(5) CSAI Deadlines & Important Information
Don't Forget! February 1st is the poll deadline for the new
Congregational Study Action Issues (CSAI) topics. The proposed topics are
nuclear disarmament and ethical eating. Make sure your congregation is
participating in the poll. Remember, you are voting to approve the topics
that will appear on the ballot at General Assembly! That means you can
vote for one topic, the other, both or neither! All responses need to be
in by Midnight the night of January 29th. Please visit www.uua.org/csai
for more information. March first is also the deadline for the comment
form for the current CSAI on peacemaking. We need your thoughts on the
topic. Please go to www.uua.org/peacemaking to fill out the form. All
comments are due by midnight the night of February 29. 





(6) 40 Days of Non-Violence - CORRECTION
Last week we encouraged you to participate in 40 Days of Non-violence,
starting on Martin Luther King's birthday. We erroneously stated that the
40 days mark the time between the birthdays of Dr. King and Mahatma
Gandhi. That is incorrect. (Gandhi's birthday is October 2nd.) The 40
days represent the soon to be 40 years since Dr. King's death. 
Spend these weeks exploring how violence affects our every day lives and
how we can better work for peace and justice and end the three perils
facing America. For more information, please visit
www.mlkday.gov/about/beloved_community/index.asp. 
Our thanks go to an astute reader for pointing this out to us. (Good to
know that someone is paying attention!) She also let us know that the
Minnesota Alliance of Peacemakers observes the "Season for Nonviolence":
January 30 through April 4, marking the days between the assassinations
of Gandhi and King respectively. Whichever days you choose, let this be a
time to reflect on the cost of violence in our lives and how we can work
to make the Beloved Community a reality. 






(7) Upcoming Dates and Deadlines
Jan 28: State of the Union Address 
Jan 31: Focus the Nation's Teach-in on Global Warming Solutions for
America 
Feb 1: Deadline for Congregational Polling on the new CSAI 
Feb 5: Super Tuesday 
Feb 1-3: Allies for Racial Equity (ARE) Annual Conference in Memphis, TN 
Feb 22-24: Leading Congregations into a Multiracial, Multicultural
Future: now is the time! 
March 1: Deadline for Congregational Comments on the current CSAI,
"Peacemaking" 
March 1: Deadline for nominations for the Bennett, Holmes-Weatherly, and
CSW's Social Justice Sermon Awards 
March 7: Interfaith Witness for Peace 
March 7-12: Ecumenical Advocacy Days 
March 8: International Women's Day 
March 15-18: Sexuality Education Advocacy Training (SEAT) 
March 30: UUSC's Justice Sunday 
April 3-5: UU-UNO's Intergenerational Spring Seminar 
April 22: Earth Day 






Contact Us:
Rob Keithan
Director
rkeithan [at] uua.org, x15
Kat Liu
Assistant Director
kliu [at] uua.org, x12
Grace Garner
Legislative Assistant for Women's Issues
UU Women's Federation Clara Barton Intern
ggarner [at] uua.org, x13
Adam Gerhardstein
Legislative Assistant for International Issues
agerhardstein [at] uua.org, x21
Lisa Swanson
Legislative Assistant for Economic & Racial Justice
lswanson [at] uua.org, x22
Alex Winnett
Program Associate for Peacemaking
Mary Bonner Memorial Intern
awinnett [at] uua.org, x20



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