Muusja Mailing List: E-EVENT UPDATE FOR MAY 4, 2007

[Lauren Culbert (lculbert]

MUUSJA E-EVENT UPDATE FOR MAY 4, 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
D. Social Justice Links

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A. ACTION ALERTS

1. IT'S NOT TOO LATE TO LOBBY THE LEGISLATURE ON BEHALF OF GLBT LEGISLATION 
There are still four pieces of legislation that stand to benefit GLBT people
being considered at the state legislature. Familiarize yourself with the
issues and lobby your state representatives at
http://www.outfront.org/action/news030507.html
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B. LOCAL SOCIAL JUSTICE NEWS

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1. 
SATURDAY, MAY 5
8:45 AM TO 1:00 PM
UNITY CHURCH UNITARIAN
732 HOLLY AVENUE, ST. PAUL
FOOTE ROOM

MUUSJA STRATEGIC PLANNING SESSION for one year vision and work plan. Lyn
Burton, candidate for UU ministry and student at United Theological
Seminary, will facilitate the agenda. Lyn served as intern minister for two
years at Pilgrim House UU Fellowship in Arden Hills, and has a long history
of non-profit work and administration.

This will be an important time to help plan the direction and priorities for
the next year of MUUSJA's work.  We have a wonderful opportunity to grow and
strengthen UU social justice efforts in our state, with a new director and
organizer on staff (Ralph Wyman), four issue groups - EcoMinds, Voting
Rights, Reproductive Rights, and UUs Out 4 Marriage - and many committed UUs
connected to MUUSJA. A continental breakfast and light lunch will be served.

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2.
SUNDAY, MAY 6
8:30, 9:45, AND 11:00 AM
PILGRIM LUTHERAN CHURCH
1935 ST. CLAIR AVENUE, ST. PAUL

DIANE FORD JONES, NATIONAL DIRECTOR OF EVERY CHURCH A PEACE CHURCH will
speak at 8:30 and 11:00 a.m. services. She will also lead Adult Forum at
9:45; topic will be "Apathy, Empathy or Prophetic Action: Building a Peace
and Justice Movement in America" - e-mail:  ECAPCtc [at] yahoo.com

More information also available at:
  http://www.ecapc.org/staff.asp
  http://www.ecapc.org/twincities.asp

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3.
MONDAY, MAY 14
7:30 PM
PLYMOUTH CHURCH, 1900 NICOLLET AVENUE, MPLS

THE MAY MEETING OF THE NETWORK OF SPIRITUAL PROGRESSIVES MINNESOTA will be
held on MONDAY, MAY 14, at Plymouth Church (1900 Nicollet Avenue just south
of downtown Minneapolis. Enter through the door under the canopy off the
back parking lot and go downstairs to the Jackman room). The chapter meeting
begins at 7:30, but following our new format, at 6:30 affinity groups will
meet, as well as an orientation group for new members, and there will be
time for snacks and conversation for anyone interested. 

The May meeting will be devoted to affinity group reports and brainstorming.
So please take some time in your 6:30 meeting to designate a spokesperson
and formulate a brief synopsis of where you have gone with your topic and
what has energized your group.  (Each group will have about 10 minutes) NEW
PEOPLE AND VISITORS WELCOMED!

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C. NATIONAL UU ADVOCACY

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1.
WE ARE VERY HAPPY TO REPORT that the House of Representatives voted Thursday
to pass the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act; Rev. Bill
Sinkford and seventeen UU ministers were in Washington, D.C. for the Clergy
Call For Justice Press Conference, which you can view on YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=78rmEBxteoM. To read Rev. Sinkford's remarks,
go to
http://www.hrc.org/Template.cfm?Section=Home&CONTENTID=36396&TEMPLATE=/Conte
ntManagement/ContentDisplay.cfm#ws

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2.
NEW SANCTUARY MOVEMENT

Moved by our faith to participate in the New Sanctuary Movement, this faith
community commits to the following; 

EDUCATION. We will educate ourselves about issues facing immigrants in our
society, and about the current status of immigration-related legislation. We
will avail ourselves of resources from the New Sanctuary Movement, and will
welcome the first-hand stories of immigrants themselves who have experienced
injustice. We will renew our study of the sacred stories of migration and
hospitality, injustice and hope, which already exist in our own faith
tradition. Seeking also to educate our greater community, we will offer
public forums on immigration. 

ADVOCACY. We understand that education alone brings no change if it does not
lead to action. Therefore, we will actively and publicly work for
comprehensive immigration reform in the United States. We call for an
immediate moratorium on all raids and unjust deportations that cause the
separation of families, until such time as the broken system of immigration
laws is fixed. We agree to include our names, our voices and our selves (or
representative members) in public events, various forms of media, and other
appropriate venues. We will be a compassionate and persistent voice for
justice for our immigrant brothers and sisters.
http://www.newsanctuarymovement.org/support.htm 

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D. 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/

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

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