Muusja Mailing List: E-EVENT UPDATE FOR JULY 18, 2007

[Lauren Culbert (lculbert]

MUUSJA E-EVENT UPDATE FOR JULY 18, 2007
 
Minnesota UU Social  Justice Alliance--Bringing  together UUs to work
collectively for social change.
 
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This  update includes announcements about: 

A. Action Alerts
B. Local Social Justice News
C. Social Justice Links

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A. ACTION ALERT ACTION ALERT ACTION ALERT ACTION ALERT

On Wednesday, July 11th, Senator Ted Kennedy (D-MA) and Senator Gordon Smith
(R-OR) filed the Matthew Shepard Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes
Prevention Act (S. 1105) as an amendment for consideration to the Department
of Defense Reauthorization currently being debated before the U.S. Senate.  

The bill, commonly referred to as the "Hate Crimes Bill," could receive a
Senate vote soon.  One in six hate crimes is motivated by the victim's
sexual orientation, and yet today's federal laws don't include any
protections for GLBT Americans. This bill gives local police and sheriffs'
departments the resources they need to help investigate and prosecute
violent criminals. 

Call Senator Norm Coleman and ask him to support the Matthew Shepard Act at
(202) 224-5641 and call Senator Amy Klobuchar at (202) 224-3244 to thank her
for her support of the bill.  

The virtually identical House version of the bill passed overwhelmingly on
May 3rd, 2007 with a bipartisan vote of 237 to 180. 

Anti-GLBT groups like Focus on the Family have mobilized thousands of people
to oppose this bill - let Senator Norm Coleman and Senator Amy Klobuchar
know that Minnesotans support the inclusion of all Americans in federal hate
crime legislation. 

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B. LOCAL SOCIAL JUSTICE NEWS

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1.
MON, JULY 23 THROUGH TUES, JULY 24
HIGHWAY 280 AND UNIVERSITY AVENUE
(OUTSIDE SENATOR COLEMAN'S OFFICE)

TWENTY FOUR HOURS FOR PEACE: a vigil and rally to tell the MN delegation to
bring the troops home now.  Come when you can, stay as long as you can.

Special gatherings at 10:30 am, 12:30 pm, 4:30 pm (rally and speakers) and
9:30 pm on Monday, July 23. Press Conference at 9:15 am Tuesday, July 24 . 3
Unitarian Universalist congregations joined 25 other churches in the 7/11
Peace Vigil for People of Faith. Let's get more UU congregations at this
vigil!  Bring your church banner.
 
Tell our elected officials that this war must end! Add your voice to the
tens of thousands of other Minnesotans calling for our troops to come home
immediately. Demand that our elected officials stop playing political games
with the lives of Minnesotans and innocent Iraqi citizens.

Bring water, sunscreen, chair, umbrella . . . Event will be held rain or
shine.

FFI: Twin Cities Peace Campaign-Focus on Iraq at 612-522-1861 or WAMM at
612-827-5364 or e-mail Alex at alex [at] earthlink.net.   

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2.
SUN, JULY 29
12:00 NOON
FIRST UNITARIAN SOCIETY 
900 MOUNT CURVE AVENUE, MPLS

PUBLIC SCREENING OF INDEPENDENT VOICES An in-depth look at "extraordinary
rendition", or the practice of kidnapping and torture. Independent Voices
producer will be present to answer questions about Independent Voices or the
campaign to stop extraordinary rendition.

Independent Voices is a grassroots media collective that is made of people
of color, women, youth and social justice activists.  They produce TV shows
that highlight stories on women's rights, immigrant rights, anti-racism
campaigns, worker rights, peace movement, environmental sustainability and
general themes on media and democracy.  They are broadcast in more than 60
cable access stations across the country, including at Minneapolis
Television Network.

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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

Citizens for Election Integrity Minnesota www.ceimn.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

Congregations Caring for Creation http://www.c3mn.net/

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

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