FUSsa-alert Mailing List: Fw: [UUA Advocacy News] Million Voices for Darfur Campaign

[jojane (jojane]

--------- Forwarded message ----------
From: UUA Washington Office <advocacy-news [at] lists.uua.org>
To: <advocacy-news [at] lists.uua.org>
Date: Thu, 9 Feb 2006 15:04:35 -0500
Subject: [UUA Advocacy News] Million Voices for Darfur Campaign
Message-ID: <CDAB1388246F564E991AF25769AD66D904EB1C86 [at] mailuua.uua.org>

ADVOCACY-NEWS
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Action Alert from the UUA Washington Office for Advocacy


CONTENTS:

(1) Action: Million Voices for Darfur Campaign

(2) Informational Updates
    A) Freedom to Marry Day this Sunday, February 12
    B) Social Witness Process Deadlines Reminder
    C) StopReligiousDiscrimination.Org


(1) Action: Million Voices for Darfur Campaign
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The humanitarian disaster in Darfur has been going on for three years.
Some 400,000 people have died, violence has forced more than two million
from their homes, more than three million are starving. Despite evidence
linking the Sudanese government to the Janjaweed militias responsible
for much of the violence against Darfur's civilian population, that
government continues to deny involvement and to allow the Janjaweed free
rein.

The U.S. and the international community have done nothing to stop the
bloodshed-even after 2004, when our government officially recognized
what was happening in Darfur as genocide. The only international force
authorized to operate in the region are a small number of troops fielded
by the African Union, with neither the mandate nor the resources to stop
the killing-only to protect observers assigned to monitor a 2004
ceasefire that failed almost before it was signed. The Bush
Administration actually cut U.S. aid to this force, although it has been
reinstated in its 2006 budget request.

Can we do something to help end this humanitarian disaster? We can. The
Save Darfur Coalition, of which the UUA is a member, has mounted the
Million Voices for Darfur campaign. In cooperation with more than 150
faith-based, advocacy and humanitarian aid organizations, the campaign
hopes to deliver a million postcards to the White House and Congress,
demanding a more effective U.S. response. We are asking first, for a
restoration of and increase in funding for the small number of African
Union forces charged with monitoring the 2004 ceasefire; and second, for
the U.S. to support sending in a UN peacekeeping force, large enough and
with sufficient authority to stop the killing.

Add your voice to those already calling for action by holding a "Save
the People of Darfur" Sunday sometime in March or early April. We're
hoping to collect 25,000 postcards from Unitarian Universalists before
the Rally for Darfur in Washington, DC, on April 30 and May 1. Go to
www.uua.org/news/darfur/congaction.html  for more information on how
your congregation can participate in the Million Voices for Darfur
campaign!

Please read Rev. Bill Sinkford's letter on the Million Voices for Darfur
campaign, access our list of lifespan religious education resources
(including Danielle Sinkford's Story for All Ages), and view uua.org's
past coverage on the Sudan crisis at http://www.uua.org/news/darfur.


(2) Informational Updates
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A) National Freedom to Marry Day, a project of the organization Freedom
to Marry (http://www.freedomtomarry.org/), is this Sunday, February 12.
Look for stories about UU activities on www.uua.org in the next few
days. We'll also be rolling out a host of new advocacy materials for
supporting marriage equality, including mobilizing opposition to the
Federal Marriage Amendment, will could see Congressional action in the
next few months.    

B) Social Witness Process Deadlines Reminder 

Please remember that March 1, 2006 at 5:00 PM is the deadline for
submitting these social witness materials: 

1) Comment Form for the 2005 - 2007 Study/Action Issue (SAI), "Moral
Values for a Pluralistic Society;" 
2) Comment Form for the draft Statement of Conscience (SOC), "Threat of
Global Warming;" 
3) Sermons for the CSW/UUMA Social Witness Sermon Contest. 

Submit sermons and comment forms by mail to: CSW, c/o Susan Leslie,
Office of Congregational Advocacy, Unitarian 
Universalist Association, 25 Beacon St., Boston, MA 02108, by fax to:
617-367-3237, or by email to: AFriend [at] uua.org. 

Comment forms may also be submitted online.  To find these forms, forms
to download, and for more information on the 
SAI, draft SOC, and the sermon contest, visit the CSW web site at:
http://www.uua.org/csw. 
  
C) StopReligiousDiscrimination.Org

You may remember from previous action alerts about the reauthorization
of Head Start that we face an uphill battle against the" faith based
initiative" and the potential it presents for federally funded religious
discrimination.  The UUA Washington Office is pleased to join with the
Coalition Against Religious Discrimination in promoting the website
www.StopReligiousDiscrimination.org .  If you are a member of the clergy
or a religious leader, or if you are a social service provider or
professional, you can join the fight to protect freedom of religion and
the First Amendment by signing an open letter to the president and
Congress, calling for them to oppose any attempts to allow religious
discrimination in federally-funded programs.

If you are not a minister or a social service provider, please help us
spread the word!  Talk to your minister and encourage them to sign;
forward this message to colleagues who work in social services; send
your own letter to your members of Congress; organize an in-district
lobby visit with your Senators and Representatives; visit
www.StopReligiousDiscrimination.org to learn more.  


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***************************************************************
Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations
     Washington Office for Advocacy 
1320 18th Street NW, Suite 300B
Washington, DC  20036
202-296-4672 
202-296-4673 fax
uuawo [at] uua.org     www.uua.org/uuawo

Rob Keithan 
Director
rkeithan [at] uua.org, x15

Elizabeth Bukey
Legislative Assistant for Civil Rights and Religious Liberty 
ebukey [at] uua.org, x22

Meredith Schonfeld-Hicks
Legislative Assistant for Women's Issues 
UU Women's Federation Clara Barton Internship 
mschonfeldhicks [at] uua.org, x13

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