Muusja Mailing List: E-EVENT UPDATE FOR MARCH 23, 2007

[Lauren Culbert (lculbert]

MUUSJA E-EVENT UPDATE FOR MARCH 23, 2007
 
Minnesota UU Social  Justice Alliance--Bringing  together UUs to work
collectively for social change.
 
****
This  update includes announcements about: 

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

****
1.
ACTION ALERT *** ACTION ALERT *** ACTION ALERT *** ACTION ALERT *** ACTION
ALERT *** ACTION ALERT *** ACTION ALERT 

Contact your lawmakers - Tell them to Vote for Positive GLBT Bills at the
Capitol 

Bills to promote equality for gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people
are moving forward in the state legislature! But lawmakers need to hear from
you to know that their votes have our community's support.So far, the
following bills have advanced:

--Hospital Visitation to allow domestic partners to declare each other next
of kin for purposes of visitation and assistance with medical decision
making 

--Domestic Partner Benefits for State Employees restoring benefits withdrawn
by the legislature in 2003

--Local Government Health Benefits Bill would allow local governments to
offer domestic partner benefits to their employees if they choose. 

--Sick Leave Bill which would expand the pool of people for whom an employee
could take sick leave, including domestic partners.

While we have fair-minded majorities in both houses of the legislature, our
opposition is not resting, and our community needs to be heard on these
bills. Contact your lawmakers and tell them to vote in favor of these
positive bills that will enhance the lives of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and
transgender people in our state!

****
2.
THUR, MAR 29
7:00 PM
NORMANDALE COMMUNITY COLLEGE
9700 FRANCE AVE. S, BLOOMINGTON
AUDITORIUM F1265, FINE ARTS BUILDING

THE POLITICS OF THE PLATE AND THE POWER OF THE FORK: Eating with Conscience
and the Bioethics of Food, followed by a book signing after the
presentation. Dr. Michael Fox, Author, Veterinarian and Syndicated Columnist

This free speaker event is hosted by the Animal Rights Coalition and
EarthSave Twin Cities.

****
3. 
SUN, APR 15
1 PM TO 6 PM
PLYMOUTH CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH
1900 NICOLLET AT FRANKLIN

MAKE PLANS NOW FOR GENEROSITY WEEKEND. April 15th is the symbolic date for
the paying of income taxes in the United States.  Make a statement about the
uses of those taxes that we all pay. 

Generosity Weekend is a national weekend of action, held on April 13-15,
2007, and dedicated to a new way of achieving national security for the
United States. Today, most of our elected officials believe that the way to
make the U.S. safe is to dominate and control the rest of the world. We
believe a more effective way to make the United States secure would be to
work with the rest of the world to eliminate poverty and repair the damage
to our environment. In doing so, we would address the root cause of
terrorism while drying up the anti-American sentiment on which it feeds. 

The Minnesota Chapter of the Network of Spiritual Progressives invites you
to participate in Generosity Weekend, culminating in a Generosity Sunday
Rally at Plymouth Congregational Church from 1-6 pm on Sunday, April
15th.Come to the rally, and bring your friends and colleagues.
http://www.nspmn.org/gensunday.html

****
B. NATIONAL UU ADVOCACY

****
1.
MON, MAR 26

CALL OR EMAIL YOUR SENATORS. Join other UU and United Church of Christ
advocates in a National Advocacy Day in support of the just introduced
Responsible Education About Life Act (REAL).  In your own words pass along
this message:

"I'm calling today to ask for the Senator's support of the REAL Act which
would provide federal funding for comprehensive sexuality education
programs. As a religious person I'm outraged that we're failing to protect
the health of our nation's young people by funding abstinence-only programs
that promote medically inaccurate information. Please co-sponsor the REAL
act today."

In advocating for REAL, you are. 

--Helping address the unbalanced and misleading approach to sexuality
education currently being taken by the Bush Administration.
--Supporting our Minnesota SEAT Team in becoming REAL advocates (at this
week's Sexuality Education Advocacy Training in Washington, D.C., which
includes visits to elected officials on March 26th. 

Call the Capitol Switchboard: 202-225-3121 on Monday, March 26th!  FFI:
visit  http://www.uua.org/uuawo. Please help us spread the word!  Thank you
for supporting REAL! 


****
2.
MAR 30, MARCH 31, APR 1
COLUMBUS, OH

THE GREAT TURNING. A Leadership Gathering sponsored by Unitarian
Universalists for a Just Economic Community (UUJEC) and People Centered
Development Forum, featuring David Korten and David Cobb, will take place
March 30, 31 & April 1, 2007 at Columbus State Community College in Columbus
Ohio. 

Come share ideas and energy with others working to articulate and accelerate
the Great Turning. Using the framework presented in David Korten's book, The
Great Turning: From Empire to Earth Community, we will be working together
to advance our understanding of The Great Turning, strengthen our individual
works, foster critical connections and further create Earth Community. 

For more information or to register go to
http://www.greatturninggathering.org/ or call UUJEC National Board Member
Marcia Meyers at 503-665-3957 

****
C. 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

Alliance for Sustainability www.afors.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/