Muusja Mailing List: E-EVENT UPDATE FOR SEPTEMBER 5, 2007

[Lauren Culbert (lculbert]

MUUSJA E-EVENT UPDATE FOR SEPTEMBER 5, 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. National UU Advocacy
C. Social Justice Links

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A. ACTION ALERT ACTION ALERT ACTION ALERT ACTION ALERT 

1.
THE EMPLOYMENT NON DISCRIMINATION ACT (ENDA) would extend fair employment
practices under federal law to the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender
community. The law would prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation
or gender identity. A hearing for the act is scheduled for September 4th and
a floor vote will take place on September 24th. Help end workplace
discrimination by calling your legislature, writing handwritten letters or
sending a pre-written letter found here. If you are a part of the Social
Action Committee at your congregation plan a meeting about taking action in
support of ENDA the week of September 9th. If you would like more
information about ENDA check out the UUA webpage on ENDA. FFI: 
http://www.uua.org/socialjustice/issues/employmentnon-discrimination/index.s
html

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2.
WATCH A FREE MOVIE;PROTECT OUR FIRST AMENDMENT
First Freedom First exists to protect the separation of church and state and
our resulting religious liberty as proclaimed in the First Amendment. The
Religious Right has managed to take matters of personal conscience and turn
them into issues for public debate. First Freedom First is working to
reverse this, and one of the ways in which it does this is by raising
awareness on the issue. Here's how you can help. If you're willing to host a
movie screening and discussion, First Freedom First will send you a free
copy of the Jesus Camp DVD, along with questions/materials for discussion. 

So get a few people together. Watch a cool movie. Talk First Freedom First.
Collect a few petition signatures and snap some pictures. If you send them
back to us, there's a chance that your shots could make it onto a new and
upcoming section of the First Freedom First website. 

For your free movie, please contact Eric Shutt 
202.238.3287 | eshutt [at] interfaithalliance.org 

The UUA is a proud sponsor of First Freedom First. 

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B. LOCAL SOCIAL JUSTICE NEWS
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1.

MON, SEPT 10
6:30 PM
PLYMOUTH CHURCH
1900 NICOLLET AVE, MPLS

NETWORK OF SPIRITUAL PROGRESSIVES-MINNESOTA. Enter the door under the canopy
off the rear parking lot and go downstairs to the Jackman Room.) The chapter
meeting starts at 7:30; at 6:30 affinity groups meet and there will also be
snacks and conversation and a brief orientation for new members.  
  
Our September program will feature passionate health care reform activist
KIP SULLIVAN, author of "The Health Care Mess", the book which finally sorts
out the complex debate about health care. Kip is on the Steering Committee
of the Minnesota Universal Health Care Coalition and has written for the New
York Times, the Los Angeles Times, The Nation, and the New England Journal
of Medicine. As most of you know, Item 5 of our Spiritual Covenant with
America is that we will seek universal single-payer health care that takes
into account emotional and spiritual as well as physical health. Kip's
presentation will help equip us to purse this goal. 

We will also continue with our series of short, inspirational videos
from Rabbi Lerner on key issues.   

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2.
SAT, SEPT 15
1:00 PM
STATE CAPITOL, SAINT PAUL

UU ACTION FOR PEACE! PEACE MARCH AND RALLY. Join UUs from across the metro
area and state. Our goal is at least 500 Unitarian Universalists at the
peace rally! Bring your congregation's banner!  

September 15th is a national day of action for peace -let's make our march
and rally a big success!  

Gather at the Capitol at 1:00 pm; 1:30pm march to the Xcel Center, then
return to the Capitol for a closing rally. FFI: please contact Jenny Thomas
of First Universalist (jjthomas [at] skypoint.com) or Sarah Martin of White Bear
UUC, IPAC, Twin Cities Peace Campaign and WAMM (scsrn [at] yahoo.com). This 
peace
march and rally co-sponsored by Pathways to Peace of First Universalist
Church of Minneapolis and organized by IPAC (Iraq Peace Action Coalition). 

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3.
TUES, SEPT 18 AND 
TUES, OCT 16
6:30 PM TO 8:30 PM
MINNEAPOLIS URBAN LEAGUE
2100 PLYMOUTH AV N, MPLS

NOTE: This news item comes from Fresh Energy, a key coalition partner of
MUUSJA's EcoMinds Working Group. 

CLIMATE JUSTICE WORKING GROUP brings all voices to the table. The group will
focus on building the capacity of low income and minority communities.

The effects of global warming will have a disproportionate impact on people
of color and low income, communities that have not historically had their
voices heard. Environmental Justice Advocates of Minnesota's Climate Justice
Working Group is working to give these communities opportunities and
resources for making themselves heard. The Working Group serves people of
color and low-income communities as a place to engage, network, and be
empowered for self-advocacy around global warming impacts and the solutions
that affect their communities. 

This group is creating a community base and a plan that articulates global
warming justice-related issues. Future work will include advocacy at the
local and state level.The Climate Justice Working Group comprises religious,
academic, political, and community leaders. This working group is committed
to making room for everyone at the table, regardless of race or income.

GET INVOLVED All are welcome to attend Working Group meetings. 

Please contact Karen Monahan at 612-302-3100 with questions or ideas for
making this group a success.

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4.
SUN, SEPT 23
3:00 TO 5:00 PM
FIRST UNITARIAN SOCIETY
900 MOUNT CURVE, MPLS

MINNESOTA UU SOCIAL JUSTICE ALLIANCE--MUUSJA--FALL GENERAL MEETING. Join UUs
from across the metro and state for inspiration, fellowship, and action on
key justice issues.  Presentation and discussion of legislative, policy and
direct-action agendas for state-wide efforts through 2008 - global warming,
reproductive rights, voting integrity, GLBT equality.
Bring finger food to share. FFI: Ralph Wyman rwmuusja [at] gmail.com
 
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C. NATIONAL UU ADVOCACY

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1.
29 HOMES IN 29 DAYS--KATRINA. On Monday, August 27th, the Unitarian
Universalist Service Committee and the Unitarian Universalist Association
joined with Gulf Coast partner organizations to launch a "29 homes in 29
days" campaign to help hurricane survivors return to New Orleans.  This
event kicked off a week of activities aimed to draw attention to the many
unfilled needs in the region.
 
The initiative was highlighted yesterday as volunteers organized by the
UUA-UUSC Gulf Coast Volunteer Program, together with New Orleans-based All
Congregations Together (ACT), put finishing touches on two of the homes and
moved donated furniture into them. The work was featured as part of a news
conference in the New Orleans Lower Ninth Ward to call attention to the
extraordinary contributions of grassroots organizations and volunteers in
the Gulf Coast recovery effort. 
 
Speakers at a news conference included UUA Moderator Gini Courter, UUSC's
Gulf Coast Response Coordinator Quo Vadis Breaux, ACT Executive Director
Mary Fontenot, Rev. Jim VanderWeele of the Community Church Unitarian
Universalist in New Orleans, and Kevin Polk, executive director of Emergency
Interiors, a New Orleans-based nonprofit raising funds to provide furniture
for the rebuilt homes.
 
A contingent of  UUA-UUSC volunteers are working in New Orleans this week,
including group of teenagers from the Unitarian Universalist Urban Ministry,
and a group of adults organized by the UUA's Thomas Jefferson District. 
 
Gini Courter's remarks from the press conference are published in full at
uua.org:
 
http://www.uua.org/news/newssubmissions/44089.shtml

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2. 
KATRINA: TWO YEARS LATER. Two years after Hurricane Katrina devastated
communities along the Gulf Coast, UUSC and the UUA are continuing to
spearhead recovery efforts. Currently, UUSC is working on a number of
initiatives to help community members move back into their homes. To read
more about UUSC's Gulf Coast relief efforts, go to
http://www.uusc.org/katrina/gulfcoastrebuild.html

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3.
UUSC DELIVERS DARFUR LETTERS TO THE INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC COMMITTEE. As part
of our Darfur advocacy message for the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, UUSC
urged the International Olympic Committee and President Hu Jintao of China
to use their leverage to help end the genocide in the Darfur region of
Sudan. Learn more about the relationship between the Olympics and Darfur
here. http://www.uusc.org/news/article080907.html

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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

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/