Muusja Mailing List: MUUSJA E-EVENT UPDATE April 27, 2006

[Lauren Culbert (lculbert]

MUUSJA E-EVENT UPDATE April 27, 2006
 
Metro UU Social Justice Alliance--Bringing together UUs to work collectively
for social change.
 
****
This update includes announcements about:
 
A. Local UU Events
B. UUA Advocacy
C. Social Justice Links
 
****
 
A. Local UU Events 
 
1.
SUN, APR 30 
7:00 PM
 
LAST CHANCE TO HEAR ARCTIC EXPLORER WILL STEGER AS he tells and shows how
global warming is melting the polar icecaps.  
 
Sunday, April 30, 4:30 pm
St. John Neumann Catholic Church
4030 Pilot Knob Road
Eagan, MN 55122
651-454-2079
www.sjn.org 

****
2.
FRI, MAY 5
7:00 PM
FIRST UNITARIAN SOCIETY, 900 Mount Curve Avenue, Minneapolis

FREE LECTURE BY GARY DELGADO: "ACTION FOR RACIAL JUSTICE." 
Opening remarks by UUA president, the REV. WILLIAM SINKFORD. 
 
Gary Delgado, Ph.D.,  director and founder of the Applied Research Center in
Oakland (www.arc.org), is a nationally recognized researcher, lecturer and
activist on issues of race and social justice. He's worked extensively in
both the organizing and academic communities and published over 30 articles
and studies on social change. Gary was an initial organizer of ACORN, a lead
organizer with the National Welfare Rights Organization, and cofounder and
director of the Center for Third World Organizing. In 1988, he received the
prestigious Bannerman Fellowship for activists of color in its first year.
He was recognized as a Hellraiser by Mother Jones magazine in 1996, and was
profiled as a one of 61 Visionaries by Utne Reader. Directions to FUS at
www.firstunitariansociety.org or 612.377.6608.
 
****
3.
SAT, MAY 6
9:30 AM TO 2:00 PM
9:00 AM Coffee and Sign Up
FIRST UNITARIAN SOCIETY, 900 Mount Curve Avenue, Minneapolis

WORKSHOP for UUs: HOW TO TAKE ACTION FOR RACIAL JUSTICE with lead trainer,
Gary Delgado (see above). 
 
Build your awareness skills, gain an analysis of structural racism, test
your ideas about how to respond to structural racism, learn what it means to
advance racial equality in the community and in public places. $10 for lunch
and materials. Limited class size. Only 15 slots left! Register TODAY by
calling Jo at 612. 600. 7483.

****
4.
MON, MAY 8
7:00 PM
PLYMOUTH CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH, 1900 NICOLLET

NETWORK OF SPIRITUAL PROGRESSIVES meets Monday, May 8 at Plymouth
Congregational Church, 1900 Nicollet. Come at 6:30p for intro to NSP and/or
conversation, meeting from 7p to 9p, conversation from 9p to 9:30p. For info
go to www.spiritualprogressives.org 
 
****
5.
UUs OUT FOR MARRIAGE TALLY
We now have 19 out of 26 Minnesota UU congregations, plus Minnesota UU
Social Justice Alliance, (MUUSJA) that have passed the OutFront resolution
(in opposition to a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage.)

****
B. UUA Advocacy (UUA, UUSC, UUJEC, etc.)  
 
1.
STANDING ON THE SIDE OF LOVE 2006: NO DISCRIMINATION IN THE CONSTITUTION

In the coming months Congress will once again consider an amendment to write
discrimination into the US Constitution. S.J. Res 1, officially misnamed the
"Marriage Protection Amendment," would not only impose a single, religiously
biased definition on the nation, but it would also override many state and
local laws that extend benefits and protections to same-sex couples and
families! The Senate has scheduled a vote for the week of June 5th. 

Defeating this amendment is one of the UUA's highest advocacy priorities for
2006. Individual UUs and UU congregations play leading roles in virtually
every state that has an organized effort for marriage equality. Working
together, we can help to ensure that the federal marriage amendment is
soundly defeated. Please visit the campaign web site for action steps you
can take. http://www.uua.org/uuawo/new/article.php?list=type&type=142,

****
2.
IMMIGRANT RIGHTS: Statement from the Rev. William G. Sinkford on Immigration
Reform "People of many faiths have been moved by the current debate over the
immigration and labor policies that present a profound dilemma for our
nation. We are seeing that our willingness to ignore the injustices that
maintain our economic system weakens the moral fabric of our society. We
know that illegal immigration is driven by two factors: the prospect of
economic opportunity for the newcomers, and the voracious need of American
businesses for cheap labor."
 
The complete statement can be found here:
http://www.uua.org/president/060413_immigration.html
 
More information about the UUA's support of immigration rights can be found
here: http://www.uua.org/news/immigration/
 
****
3.
SUN, APR 30
1:30 TO 4:00 PM
UUSC and Save Darfur Coalition at the Rally to Stop Genocide
 
WHERE: National Mall, Washington D.C. (between 3rd and 4th Sts. in front of
the U.S. Capitol).
WHAT: Rally to Stop Genocide. Join UUSC and a wide spectrum of human rights
advocates, faith leaders, political figures, entertainers, and activists
working to end the genocide.
Let us know if you will attend the rally by RSVP at savedarfur [at] uusc.org or
contact Claire DeWitte at 800-388-3920, ext. 378.  For more information
visit http://www.uusc.org/darfur/rally.html .
Have your voice heard at the Congressional Lobby Days on April 28 and May 1!
To register and learn more, visit http://savedarfur.org/rally/lobbydays .
 
****
4.
The UUA is an endorser of the New American Opportunity Campaign - see
http://www.cirnow.org/ to learn about what you can do. Many of the issues
facing immigrants are issues of economic justice. See below for two action
items that will help.
 
****
5.
LET JUSTICE ROLL ADVOCACY CAMPAIGN FOR RAISING THE MINIMUM WAGE
Two significant actions on behalf of raising the federal minimum wage.
a)    The first is a "citizens' co-sponsorship" campaign for the Fair
Minimum Wage Act in the Senate. By going to the following computer link, you
can sign on as a citizen co-sponsor of the 
 
Senate's Fair Minimum Wage Act  which, when passed, will increase the
federal minimum wage from $5.15/hour to $7.25/hour. The web link is:
http://kennedy.senate.gov/newsletter/mwcitizencosponsor.cfm. Please sign on
to the "citizens' co-sponsorship" campaign as  
soon as possible.
b)    The second is a campaign to force the House of Representatives to vote
on the Fair Minimum Wage Act. Thus far, the House leadership has blocked all
efforts to bring this bill to the floor of the House. Now, however, there is
an opportunity to force a vote. House Resolution 614 is a "discharge
petition" that will force a debate and vote on the bill if a majority (218)
of the members of the House sign it. The House of Representative's version
of the Fair Minimum Wage Act, like the companion bill in the Senate, will
increase the federal minimum wage from $5.15/hour to $7.25/hour. You can use
the following web link to see the names of those Representatives who have
signed the petition. http://clerk.house.gov/109/1rc/pd/Petitions/Dis11.htm.
If your representative(s) has signed, please thank them. If they have not,
please urge them to do so.

****
D. SOCIAL JUSTICE LINKS 
Find out more about local social justice events by checking out these
websites. 
 
Minnesota Alliance of Peacemakers http://www.mapm.org/
 
Women Against Military Madness at www.worldwidewamm.org
 
Progressive Calendar subscribe by emailing shove001 [at] tc.umn.edu.
 
Unitarian Universalist Association: http://www.uua.org
 
Unitarian Universalist Service Committee: http://www.uusc.org
 
Minnesota UU Social Justice Alliance (MUUSJA): http://www.muusja.org
 
Prairie Star District: http://www.psduua.org