Muusja Mailing List: E-EVENT UPDATE MARCH 7, 2007

[Lauren Culbert (lculbert]

MUUSJA E-EVENT UPDATE MARCH 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 JUSTICE NEWS

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ACTION ALERT * ACTION ALERT * ACTION ALERT *  ACTION ALERT * ACTION ALERT

1. 
HEARING THIS FRIDAY ON STATE DOMESTIC PARTNERS BILL 

One of OutFront Minnesota's key initiatives this legislative session is to
restore domestic partner benefits to state employees. State employees
received domestic partner benefits under former Governor Jesse Ventura in
2001, only to have them taken away in 2002/2003 when the legislature refused
to approve union contracts that included domestic partner benefits. 

On Friday, the Senate Committee on State and Local Government Operations
will hold a hearing on the bill (SF 1369) that is open to the public. We
encourage you to attend if possible. The hearing is Friday, March 9th, at
12:30 pm in Room 123 of the State Capitol in Saint Paul. 

ACT NOW! Please take a moment NOW to contact your legislators in St. Paul to
express your support for SF 1369/HF 1618! FFI, AND A LINK TO YOUR
LEGISLATOR'S CONTACT INFO, CLICK HERE
http://www.outfront.org/action/news030507.html

ACTION ALERT * ACTION ALERT * ACTION ALERT *  ACTION ALERT * ACTION ALERT

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2.
SUN, MARCH 11
9:30 AM
FIRST UNITARIAN CHURCH
900 MT. CURVE AVENUE, MINNEAPOLIS

ENERGY-EFFICIENT, HEALTHY, AFFORDABLE HOMES FOR ALL MINNESOTANS Building
more homes and apartments isn't enough to ensure long-term affordability for
individuals and families lacking affordable housing. Affordable housing must
be healthy, energy efficient and durable. Minnesota Green  Communities is
working to ensure all affordable housing built in Minnesota meets these
standards.  Come to learn why green is such an important part of affordable
housing and one affordable housing-specific definition of "green."
Speaking: Janne Flisrand. Janne is the Program Coordinator for Minnesota
Green Communities. 

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3.
MON, MARCH 12
7:30 PM
PLYMOUTH CHURCH--1900 NICOLLET AVE, MPLS

SAMI RASOULI will be just back from Iraq and able to speak to our March 12
meeting of the Network of Spiritual Progressives-Minnesota. The meeting will
start at 7:30 (note the new time), although come at 6:30 if you like for
snacks and conversation, for a brief orientation for new members, or to sit
in on affinity groups discussing several issues of public concern.

As many of you know, Sami is a former Minneapolis restaurant owner from Iraq
who went back to his home country when the war started to work for peace. He
helped form the Muslim Peacekeeper Teams, which have been going into violent
areas to foster peace through acts of love and kindness. His remarks will
give us a chance not only to get the very latest news from Iraq from an
alternative source, but also to learn the effectiveness of love and
spiritual energy as an antitode to violence. Besides, Sami has a huge heart
and it will be a pleasure to spend an evening with him.

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4.
SAT, MARCH 17
9:30 AM
UNITY CHURCH UNITARIAN,
PORTLAND AND GROTTO AVENUES, ST PAUL

GLOBAL WARMING: A MORAL AND ETHICAL ISSUE. Reverand Sally Bingham Reverend
Sally Bingham is a priest in the Episcopal Diocese of California, and the
founder and co-director of the Regeneration Project. Free of charge. All are
welcome - open to the public. The lecture will be a springboard for
discussion. Refreshments will be available. FFI: Bill Curtis, Green
Sanctuary Team  651-415-1404

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5.
SUN, MARCH 18
1:00 PM
LAGOON AND HENNEPIN AVENUES
TWIN CITIES ANTI WAR PROTEST

On the weekend of March 17-18, the four-year anniversary of the U.S. war
against Iraq, thousands of people will join anti-war actions in cities
around the world to call for an end to the war. In the Twin Cities, the
demonstration will assemble at 1pm at Lagoon and Hennepin Aves. in the
Uptown neighborhood of Minneapolis. At 1:30 pm there will be a march that
will conclude near Loring Park in downtown Minneapolis. The event in
Minneapolis is being organized under the call of:

-U.S. Out of Iraq Now
-Stop the War! Bring the Troops Home Now!
-No Escalation! Stop U.S. Threats Against Iran!
-Funds for housing, schools, healthcare, veterans benefits and other human
needs, not war!

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MON, MARCH 19
7:00 to 8:30 PM
ST JOAN OF ARC CHURCH
4537 3rd Ave. So. MINNEAPOLIS

ACTIVIST PAUL LOEB WILL SPEAK to activists on how to sustain their
commitment over the long haul. Paul is the author of Soul of a Citizen:
Living with Conviction is a Cynical Time and The Impossible will Take a
Little While: A Citizens Guide to Hope in a Time of Fear. FFI Faith Kidder
faith.kidder [at] gmail.com or 612-760-2512

"Paul Loeb brings hope for a better world in a time when we so urgently need
it."--Millard Fuller, founder, Habitat for Humanity

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B. NATIONAL UU ADVOCACY

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1.
WAR FUNDS ACTION ALERT
The House of Representatives is expected to vote on the Emergency
Supplemental Budget that funds the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan in the
upcoming weeks. It is expected that the Appropriations Committee will vote
on the measure March 7th and the full House will consider the measure on
March 14th. NOW is the time to let congress now that the budget is a moral
document. 

John Murtha has proposed that strict requirements be placed on war funding,
including that troops get one year off between deployments and that they can
not be deployed until they are properly equipped. Others support deadlines
for troop withdrawal or a complete cessation of funding altogether. While
there are many different views of what attachments or requirements should
come with funding, there is only a brief opportunity to get those opinions
heard. Call the capitol switchboard at (202) 224-3121 and ask to speak with
your representative. Let them know how you feel about your tax dollars being
spent on this war. 

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2.
SUPPORT COMPREHENSIVE SEXUALITY EDUCATION On Monday, March 26th , UU and
United Church of Christ youth, young adults and adult allies will be
lobbying their Members of Congress in Washington DC in support of
comprehensive sexuality education as part of the 3rd annual Sexuality
Education Advocacy Training. We're asking UU and UCC activists from across
the country to join our lobbying efforts by calling in with the same
message. Our advocacy will be VERY effective if Congressional offices hear
from us both in person and via phone on the same day! 

To help prepare those who plan to call in, we've set up a telephone briefing
for Monday, March 19, at 8:30 PM Eastern time. UCC President the Rev. John
Thomas, along with UUA and UCC staff, and young advocates will be hosting
this free phone briefing. Learn about our religious grounding for this
issue, the current political and public health situation and how you and
your congregation can speak effectively on this issue as people of faith!
You can learn more and sign up at
http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/organizationsORG/UUA/signUp.jsp?key=196
3. You also have the option on that page to sign up for regular updates on
sex ed advocacy, which we hope you'll do. For example, the main bill we'll
be supporting this year--the REAL Act--hasn't been introduced yet, and we'll
use the list to let folks know when that happens and how they can support
it. 

If you have any questions about the phone briefing, call in day or UUA work
on comprehensive sexuality education, please contact Meredith
Schonfeld-Hicks. 

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C. SOCIAL JUSTICE LINKS
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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/