Muusja Mailing List: E-EVENT UPDATE FOR NOVEMBER 7, 2007

[Lauren Culbert (lculbert]

MUUSJA E-EVENT UPDATE FOR NOVEMBER 7, 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. Local Social Justice News
B. NATIONAL UU ADVOCACY
C. Social Justice Links

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A. LOCAL SOCIAL ACTION NEWS

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1.
FRI, NOV 9
6 - 8 PM
FIRST UNIVERSALIST CHURCH
3400 DUPONT AVE MINNEAPOLIS
CUMMINS ROOM

SUSTAINABLE EATING: HARVESTING OUR VALUES. AUW Dinner and Discussion,
co-sponsored with Eco-Minds.  Learn how eating sustainably can enhance our
health, help our community, and reduce our carbon footprint.  Led by Allison
House, an AUW member who has been discovering new ways to eat locally.
Bring a dish to share.  RSVP to Allison.house [at] earthlink.net  All are
Welcome!

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2.
SAT, NOV 10
8 TO 9:30 AM
JITTERS
205 E HENNEPIN, MINNEAPOLIS

FROM THE DFL EDUCATION FOUNDATION: With S-Chip, the Children's Health
Insurance Program, in the national news, we are honored to have State
Senator Linda Berglin lead our monthly Stone Arch Discussion Group.

Senator Berglin is considered the "mother" of health care legislation for
low-income children and families in Minnesota.  Her long experience in the
legislature and her leadership on health and welfare issues is sure to make
this a fascinating and enlightening discussion. Anyone interested in this
subject is invited to attend.  Come, buy your coffee and join the
discussion.  

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3.
SUN, NOV 11
12:30 TO 2:00 PM
FIRST UNIVERSALIST CHURCH
2400 DUPONE AV S, MINNEAPOLIS

MUUSJA VOTING RIGHTS PLANNING. Join this planning session of the working
group on voting rights for the Minnesota Unitarian Universalist Social
Justice Alliance. Newcomers welcome. We have renewed energy and direction
after a national summit on election audits, a meeting with a Boston UU who
helped pass our GA Resolution on Voter Rights, and we will work on next
steps after several recent information events we've held.  FFI: Jenny Thomas
jjthomas [at] skypoint.com, 612-920-2653

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4.
TUES, NOVEMBER 13
7 TO 9 PM
FIRST UNIVERSALIST CHURCH
3400 DUPONT AV S, MPLS
CUMMINS ROOM

MUUSJA ECOMINDS NOVEMBER MEETING. This month EcoMinds will further develop a
work plan that includes developing a Climate Change Toolkit to address
Minnesota issues on this topic, hosting of educational sessions on
legislative actions in 2008, outreach to other UU congregations around the
state, discussion of any EcoMinds involvement in Focus the Nation events in
January, and other important topics/directions concerning climate change.
We will talk about which actions MUUSJA EcoMinds would like to be involved
in - please plan to attend this critical planning meeting.  Newcomers
welcome!

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5.
SAT, NOV 17
9 AM TO 5 PM--COFFEE AT 8:30
FIRST UNITARIAN SOCIETY CHALICE ROOM
900 MOUNT CURVE, MINNEAPOLIS

A WORKSHOP ON WHITENESS: a UU program on anti-racism & racial justice. The
last census revealed much about the changing face of Minnesota's racial mix.
Much growth is in groups known as people of color. And it is now possible to
check more than one racial category ~ "multiracial" is becoming the highest
percentage of children in many parts of the country.

While we can know intellectually that we are all part of the human race, few
would claim that racism in our country and our congregations has been fully
eliminated. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s words ring true: Sunday morning
remains the most segregated hour of the week.

Many of us long for authentic diversity in our communities, wishing to be
people making the journey towards wholeness.  A first step in dismantling
racism is the ability to articulate our own heritage, moving on to our
community history and/or our congregation's past regarding issues of racial
justice. 

Participants in the Workshop on Whiteness will have the opportunity to
reflect with others on their own personal experiences of race and explore
how to move forward to a more inclusive future. Presented by the Rev. Dr.
William Gardiner. Dr. Gardiner is an anti-racism consultant for the
Unitarian Universalist Association and past Director of the UUA's
anti-racism and Social Justice Empowerment programs.

Registration is $15, payable to Prairie Star District (write "MUUSJA
Workshop" in Memo line). Pre-registration preferred, however walk-in
registrations will be available day of the event.  

Mail registration to:
Catie Chi Olson
attn: Workshop on Whiteness
4344 Oakland Avenue South
Minneapolis, MN 55407

Registration includes continental breakfast and a light lunch (vegetarian
option available).
FFI: Jo Haberman - 612-822-8870  jojane [at] juno.com

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6.
MON, NOV 26
6:30 PM
PLYMOUTH CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH
JACKMAN ROOM

PEOPLE OF FAITH ROUND TABLE:SO WHAT'S WITH THE "T" IN GLBT? Is it a drink
with jam and bread?... A note to follow "la"?.something that's thrown in the
sea at a Boston Party?

Could your faith community unknowingly be unwelcoming.not including.actually
discriminating against the "T" in your community?

Did you know that there are unique health and social justice challenges
faced by this important group of people?

Want to learn more? So do we!!

Join us to view the "Call Me Malcolm" movie. This is an award winning
documentary of Rev. Malcolm Himschoot recounting the 
struggle and journey of self-discovery as a transgender person and a person
of faith called to ministry. This informative and enlightening movie
addresses not only the physical and emotional challenges of coming to terms
with one's gender identity but also intertwines the spiritual and relational
aspects of this same journey. 

This is the first of several opportunities that the People of Faith
Roundtables will offer to raise awareness and education about the various
aspects of the transgender community. We will also seek to offer ways that
faith communities can support, minister to and be more welcoming presence
for transgender people. 

Mark your calendar now for the January 14th Round Table at Hennepin Ave.
United Methodist Church for a continuation of the conversation and more
opportunities to learn from members of the transgender community. 

Please feel free to forward to others or advertise in faith
newsletters/bulletins. For more information email
faithfamilyfairness [at] yahoo.com.

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NATIONAL UU ADVOCACY

1.
NOV 11
VETERANS DAY/ARMISTICE DAY
This year, we will celebrate Veterans Day to recognize and remember the
brave women and men of the armed forces by asking our government to bring
them home. Veterans Day was originally called Armistice Day. It remembered
the end of the Great War in 1918. But it also falls in between the
anniversaries of several peace agreements. Let's reclaim Armistice Day as a
time of remembrance of the horrors of war. 

Write to Congress, the White House, and your candidates of choice and tell
them you do not want Congress to Approve Secretary Gates' $190 Billion
funding of the war. Without safe and timely withdrawal of American Troops,
reconciliation with the Iraqi people, or promises to physically, emotionally
and financially supporting the Troops; we cannot allow this money to be
spent. Congress and the White House continue to exploit the brave sacrifices
that our military personnel and families offer to their country. The
greatest way to support our Troops is by bringing them home safely. For more
information on how your congregation can support our troops while working
against the war, please see our new resource guide at
http://www.uua.org/socialjustice. 

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2.
NOV 23rd
BUY NOTHING DAY

This November, environmentalists, social activists and concerned citizens in
as many as 65 countries will hit the streets for a 24-hour consumer fast in
celebration of the 15th annual Buy Nothing Day, a global cultural phenomenon
that originated in Vancouver, Canada. 
http://adbusters.org/metas/eco/bnd/view.php?id=403

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C. SOCIAL JUSTICE LINKS
To learn 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/

Minnesota Metro Branch of Women's International League for Peace and Freedom
www.wilpfmn.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/