Muusja Mailing List: MUUSJA E-EVENT UPDATE FOR NOVEMBER 10, 2006

[Lauren Culbert (lculbert]

MUUSJA E-EVENT UPDATE NOVEMBER 10, 2006
 
Minnesota UU Social  Justice Alliance--Bringing  together UUs to work
collectively for social change.
 
****
This  update includes announcements about: 

A. General Announcement 
B. Local Social Justice News
C. National UU Advocacy
D. Social Justice Links

****
A. GENERAL ANNOUNCEMENT

At the last MUUSJA general meeting, a draft of the proposed bylaws was
distributed. If you have any comments or Suggestions, please send them to
mleussler [at] speakeasy.net. If you are a MUUSJA member and need a copy of 
these
proposed bylaws, contact Marcy Leussler at the same email address.

****
B. LOCAL SOCIAL JUSTICE NEWS

1.
TODAY, NOV 10
4:15 TO 5:20 PM
SUMMIT AND SNELLING AVENUES, ST. PAUL

PROTEST THE 11/10 ATTACK ON BEIT HANOUN AND THE SEIGE OF GAZA
 
U.S. weapons fund indiscriminate massacre of Palestinian civilians with your
tax money! The United States supplies the weapons that are killing
Palestinians-2,300 Gazans have been killed in the last six years. Since the
Hamas government was elected, there has been a siege on Gaza, which is
creating misery and despair. In the past 8 days alone, Israeli military
forces have killed 83 Palestinian civilians in northern Gaza, beginning its
military offensive on Wednesday, November 
1. On November 9, Israel's 12-missle shelling of five homes in the
Al-Kafarnah neighborhood left 18 civilians dead, including 7 children, 6
women and 11 members of the same family. U.S. weapons are provided as
military aid to Israel, in violation of the U.S. Arms Export Control and
Foreign Assistance Acts. The U.S. Arms Export Control Acts limits the use of
U.S.-supplied weapons to self-defense and internal policing and forbids
their use against civilians. The Foreign Assistance Act bans all U.S.
assistance to countries which engage in a systematic pattern of human rights
violations.
 
Come to the protest (site of the Vigil to End the Occupation of Palestine)
and also urge your new Members of Congress, the White House and State
Department to hold Israel accountable for its violation of U.S. laws and to
exert pressure on Israel to abide by international law and human rights.
Sponsored by: WAMM Middle East Committee.

****
2
FRI, NOV 10 AND SAT, NOV 11
UNITY CHURCH, UNITARIAN, ST. PAUL

LOCAL UU ANTI-RACISM CONFERENCE
There will be two parallel anti-racism conferences - with a few key
connections between the two - held at the same time.  One track is for Uus
of color (DRUUMM), the other is for white UUs (ARE) who want to learn more
and work with people of color within UUism and in the larger world. PLEASE
REGISTER ASAP. 

FFI: DRUUMM: www.druumm.org
FFI: ARE: http://www.uuallies.org/MCARIWorkshop.htm

****
3. 
NOV 13 THROUGH NOV 17
WASHINGTON DC, BALTIMORE
MIDWEST ACADEMY ORGANIZING FOR SOCIAL CHANGE TRAINING
"Organizing for Social Change" is a five day, residential, comprehensive
training for a variety of organizational staff and leaders. Most are working
on specific issue campaign and building powerful, progressive organizations.
This training helps to be more strategic in the fight for social, economic
and racial justice. 
FFI: http://midwestacademy.com/training_DC_nov06.html

****
4.
FRI, NOV 17 THROUGH SUN, NOV 19
MINNEAPOLIS HILTON HOTEL
1001 MARQUETTE AVE, MINNEAPOLIS
"UNITED IN MISSION" 

ATTEND THE MINNESOTA RELIGIOUS COALITION FOR REPRODUCTIVE CHOICE BREAKFAST
EVENT OR REGISTER FOR THE WHOLE PLANNED PARENTHOOD CONFERENCE.  We know that
we don't need to tell you what a critical time it is for everyone to hear
from clergy and faith leaders who support healthy sexuality and reproductive
healthcare for all! The rallying cry of "these doors stay open!" at women's
health clinics across the country, can only be a reality if our progressive
religious and spiritual leaders take a stand, speak out and take back the
true moral high ground.     

That is why Planned Parenthood's conference organizers reached out to RCRC
leaders in Minnesota to help us include clergy voices and clergy leadership
in our upcoming Minneapolis conference. Together we have developed two
important sessions specific to organizing and hearing from clergy and lay
leaders from across the mid-west. 

On Friday morning, November 17th, from 9:45 -11:45am, there will be a Clergy
for Choice Organizing meeting titled "What are the successes and what are
the roadblocks?"

On Saturday morning, November 18th, from 7:30-9 a.m., there will be an
Interfaith Breakfast -"United in Mission".  The Rev. Rebecca Voelkel, an
ordained minister in the United Church of Christ and Executive Director of
the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force's Institute for Welcoming Resources,
a national ecumenical collaboration of the Welcoming Church Movement, will
explore ways to reassert the role of clergy leaders in advocating for
healthy sexuality and reproductive healthcare for all. 

Other participants include the Rev. Eily Marlow and the Rev. Marilynn Ford
Smith.
FFI: David Meacham Telephone: (212) 261-4657 E-mail: david.meacham [at] ppfa.org
Registration: http:extranet.ppfa.org

**** 
5.
SAT, NOV 18
WESLEY UNITED METHODIST CHURCH, MINNEAPOLIS

INGNITING A CULTURE OF LOVE, PEACE, AND JUSTICE is the theme of the Midwest
Conference of Spiritual Progressives. It is sponsored by the Network of
Spiritual Progressives - Minnesota and co-sponsored by about 40 diverse
organizations and congregations.

Progressive panelists in every field--health care, education,
business,environmental protection, and popular culture--will explain how
they are organizing their lives and their institutions to pursue this new
bottom line of spiritual values. This conference will be a celebration of
what we can do together! Details of the conference and registration
information are available on the NSP website at http://www.nspmn.org/ or by
calling 952-476-6126. The registration fee is $45 (lunch included), students
and activists are asked to pay $20, and scholarships are readily available
for anyone who needs one.

****
6.
SAT, NOV 18
10:00 AM TO 12:30 PM
MICHAEL SERVETUS UNITARIAN SOCIETY, FRIDLEY
For directions, go to http://www.msuu.org 

TWIN CITIES COHOUSING WORKSHOP Come learn about Cohousing and hear the
latest news on Cohousing in the Twin Cities area! 
In addition to a brief summary on "What's Cohousing" and current activity on
developments in the Twin Cities, there will be smaller-group breakout
sessions including Cohousing and Sustainability, and Elder Cohousing &
Resources for Streamlining Development. There will also be plenty of time
for networking with others who share an interest in creating cohousing,
including discussion with members of at least two newly forming communities.
For more information on the event, go to www.IslandParkMN.com and click on
"News" and then "Grant's Blog". For  questions or if you have information to
share on your own activities, please call 952-926-8554 or send an email to
Malone_CommunitiesConsulting [at] hotmail.com.

****
C. NATIONAL UU ADVOCACY

1. 
OPPOSE GOVERNMENT SPYING
When they reconvene on Monday, November 13th for the "lame duck" session,
Congress may vote to give telephone and internet service providers immunity
from prosecution, despite their cooperation with White House and the
National Security Agency (NSA) spying programs. The proposed provisions
would end all pending and future legal actions against telecommunications
companies accused of illegally assisting government spying programs. Please
take action now! 
http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/organizationsORG/UUA/campaign.jsp?campa
ign_KEY=5852

2.
MARK WORLD AIDS DAY, DECEMBER 1
WORLD AIDS DAY WORSHIP GUIDE: World AIDS day is the perfect time to pause as
a religious community and reflect on both the global AIDS crisis and our
response to it. This guide created by the UUA Washington Office, the UU
United Nations Office, and the UU Global AIDS Coalition features background
information on global AIDS, worship materials such as hymns and readings,
advocacy actions for coffee hour, and religious education materials.
http://www.uu-uno.org/?q=taxonomy_menu/2/7/84

FOR WHOM THE BELL TOLLS: ALTERNATIVE VIGILS World AIDS Day also presents the
opportunity to reach out to your greater community, coming together to bear
witness to the failings of current US AIDS prevention programs while
advocating for change. On December 1st, people across the country will be
holding "For Whom The Bell Tolls" Alternative Vigils. They will mark each
new HIV infection worldwide by ringing bells, lighting candles, or beating
drums every eighth second in front of Congressional offices; at their
churches, synagogues, temples, and other houses of worship; on their college
campuses; and in public spaces. Join in this movement by signing up to host
an event in your area. Use the planning guide to help you organize
logistics, recruit speakers and media, and take effective advocacy actions. 
http://www.pepfarwatch.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=91&Ite

****
3.
SUPREME COURT REVISITS "PARTIAL BIRTH" ABORTION ISSUE
On Wednesday November 8th the U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in
two cases (Gonzales v. Carhart and Gonzales v. Planned Parenthood) that
challenge the constitutionality of the Federal Partial Birth Abortion Ban
Act of 2003 (the Act). The Act is unconstitutional for several reasons: it
lacks a health exception and it contains broad language that unintentionally
restricts constitutionally protected activities. These issues have already
been explored and resolved in a previous case (Stenberg v. Carhart) in 2000.
Due to the retirement of Justice O'Connor in early 2006 and the appointment
of 2 more conservative justices, many believe that the court is using these
cases to establish new standards with regard to the evaluation of all laws
that regulate abortion. For example, whether a health exception is always
needed or whether the term "health" should continue to be broadly
interpreted to include mental and emotional health. For more information
please visit: http://pewforum.org/docs/?DocID=168 

****
4.
UUMFE IS SEEKING VOLUNTEERS for a Conference on Environmental Justice. The
UU Ministry for Earth (UUMFE) is planning a national UU environmental
justice conference/training to be held in the Winter of 07 or Spring of 08.
This will be a first of its kind event intended to mobilize UUs to address
environmental justice issues more effectively in their congregations and
communities and to continue to spur denominational change from the "bottom
up". To design this significant event and help do the ambitious outreach
necessary to make it a success, the UUMFE is recruiting 4-6 dynamic planning
team members who represent a diverse range of UU constituencies and
perspectives. Ideally, they will have experience engaging in some form of
social activism within or outside of UU circles and/or experience planning
educational activities. They are especially looking for representation from
younger UUs and those who are people of color. 

We thank the UUMFE for their continued hard work on environmental justice
and urge those might have the interest and gifts to help make this
conference a success to please consider joining them in their work. If you
are interested in being considered for the planning team or would like more
information on the planned event, please visit their site:
http://www.uuministryforearth.org/cgi/news.cgi?record=10 
The deadline is November 17th. 

****
D. SOCIAL JUSTICE LINKS

To find out about other local and national social justice events, check out
these websites.  

UU SOCIAL JUSTICE AND OTHER UU LINKS:
Unitarian Universalist Association:  http://www.uua.org/

Unitarian Universalist Service Committee:  http://www.uusc.org/

UUA Washington Office for Advocacy http://www.uua.org/uuawo/new/

UUA Congregational Advocacy and Witness:
http://www.uua.org/programs/justice/

Minnesota UU Social Justice Alliance (MUUSJA):  http://www.muusja.org/

Prairie Star  District: http://www.psduua.org/

FOR UU SOCIAL ACTON CHAIRS, sign up for regular e-news from the UUA, called
Sac-news www.uua.org/mailman/listinfo
 
UU Ministry for Earth http://uuministryforearth.org/index.shtml

UUs for a Just Economic Community http://www.uujec.net/

UU Committee for Socially Responsible Investing
http://www.uua.org/finance/sri/ 

UU Gulf Coast Advocacy http://www.uua.org/news/gulfcoastrelief/advocacy.html

OTHER SOCIAL JUSTICE LINKS: 
*note: if you are  member of a group who would like us to list your web
site, send it to muusja-editor [at] muusja.org
 
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.
  
Planned Parenthood of Minnesota:   www.ppmns.org
 
NARAL Pro-Choice Minnesota:   www.prochoiceminnesota.org

Metropolitan Interfaith Council on Affordable Housing (MICAH):
http://www.micah.org/
 
Code Pink: www.codepink4peace.org

Center for Victims of Torture: http://www.cvt.org/main.php

Network of Spiritual Progressives: http://www.spiritualprogressives.org/

Network of Spiritual Progressives, local chapter http://www.nspmn.org/




*       (no other messages in thread) 

Results generated by Tiger Technologies <http://www.tigertech.net/>  using
MHonArc.