Resources
RACIAL JUSTICE LIBRARY
June 27, 2020
The UUCR Racial Justice Subcommittee has accumulated a rich resource as a Google Document that includes links links to, and brief descriptions of, a wide variety of videos, books, websites, curricula, and other resources related to anti-racism. It is no longer enough to 'not be racist.' Anti-racists actively oppose racism and do everything they can to promote racial tolerance.
Read more about this and many other racial justice issues here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1PCJo6LV4_owPnj7ZfVNCSlBq_EZUmoDiOdPcqezYM_U/edit.
This resource is a collaborative effort of all anti-racists and is maintained by Shelly Horin.
Resources for scaffolding anti-racism
June 13, 2020Here below is a link to a working document for scaffolding anti-racism resources. The goal is to facilitate growth for white folks to become allies, and eventually accomplices, for anti-racist work. These resources have been ordered in an attempt to make them more accessible.
Scaffolding is a process in which teachers model or demonstrate how to solve a problem, and then step back, offering support as needed. The theory is that when students are given the support they need while learning something new, they stand a better chance of using that knowledge independently.
Here is the link. This resource is being updated in an ongoing way.
YouTube Channel provides alternate point of view
June 13, 2020Emmanuel Acho, an NFL player, has published two episodes of "Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man" so far, and the second one with Matthew McConaughey is particularly good. See:
Fund Racial Justice!
June 3, 2020Note on infographic here below: Minnesota Freedom Fund has recently received a lot of donations and requests that you temporarily send your funds elsewhere.
UUCR's Culinary Connections is recently affiliated with Herndon Cares
Herndon Cares is feeding the hungry and helping local businesses at the same time. UUCR is now affiliated with them, through our Culinary Connections subgroup.
Please visit the Herndon Cares website to:
Donate money
Volunteer your time
Recommend additional restaurants that are not already in Herndon Cares network
Sign oneself up to get restaurant meals delivered once a week on Tuesday evenings to one’s home
Sign someone in need up to get restaurant meals delivered
Sign up for their weekly newsletter (by using the 'contact us' form at the bottom of their home page)
No Health Insurance During These Uncertain times?
Neighborhood Health, Health Works, Community Health Centers, and Inova's Partnership for Health Communities, continue to provide health care and some COVID-19 testing for those without insurance. See a full list of options here.
From EarthDay.org
UU The Vote in 2020
So You'd Like to Donate But Aren't Sure What's Needed?
Follow this link provided by the Lutheran Social Services. It is a link for items from Amazon which are needed in Virginia. Upon checkout, just click their address for direct delivery:
https://smile.amazon.com/hz/charitylist/ls/WOJPDI5G68MO/ref=smi_ext_lnk_lcl_cl
Congregation Action Network
https://faithinaction.org/federation/congregation-action-network/
Interfaith Center for Public Policy
Virginia Legislature Considering Progressive Bills in 2020
Good news for the new year! Progressive bills supporting many of the values we share are being introduced for the Virginia Legislative session starting soon. This link takes you to a brief e-mail summarizing some of them:
https://preview.mailerlite.com/i3m6w8/1323206865517024663/b0s5/
Note that a number of the bills address ensuring the right to vote and making the voting process easier, a UUA priority in the coming year. This link describes UU efforts in that regard.
https://www.uua.org/justice/vote2020
If you want to stay on top of developments as the new majority takes over in the Virginia Legislature, check out this web site: vaplan.us. You can sign up for e-mails which encourage action at key points as progressive legislation moves forward on the “menu” section at that site.
Defending Our Democracy
New UUSJ Priority Issue Task Group Forming
Are you concerned about the state of our democracy and political system? Want to DO something about it?
Educate! Agitate! Advocate!
The corruption of our democracy is a major political issue that threatens the very core of our existence as a country. A new Defending Our Democracy task group is currently being formed to assess and prioritize areas of focus, and align these areas with legislation in Congress. The first Task Group action planning meeting will be held Thursday, August 15, 8-9pmET. If you are interested in participating, contact Lavona at advocacy@uusj.org.
Areas of focus on systemic reforms might include:
Protecting and expanding voting rights and ensuring election integrity
Reducing the influence of “dark” money in politics
Ensuring fair redistricting
Restoring limits on corporate influence
Addressing ethics for the three branches of government
UUSJ will then use these areas of focus when it sets its advocacy action agenda, and solicits Write Here! Write Now! letters from congregations around the country and then delivers them to Congressional offices.
The team is expected to have monthly on-line video conference meetings. Our initial focus is on the For the People Act of 2019 H.R.1, which passed the House on March 8, 2019. This legislation will expand Americans’ access to the ballot box, reduce the influence of big money in politics, and strengthen ethics rules for public servants, and for other purposes.
Fred Van Deusen from First Parish in Concord, Massachusetts has agreed to convene the team, at least initially.
To join or learn more about the Defending Our Democracy task group, please email Lavona Grow at advocacy@uusj.org.
Here Are Some Useful Resources
Organization Websites:
The Statement of Conscience for the 2016 UUA Congregational Study Action Issue “The Corruption of Our Democracy” was passed at the UUA General Assembly in June, 2019. The final edited version is called “Our Democracy Uncorrupted” and is not yet available as of August 3, 2019. Here is a link to the original version “The Corruption of Our Democracy.”
To learn more about the corrupting influence of big money in our political system and what we can do about it, go to this excellent resource Reclaim Our Democracy
Move to Amend is a coalition of hundreds of organizations and hundreds of thousands of individuals committed to social and economic justice, ending corporate rule, and building a vibrant democracy that is genuinely accountable to the people, not corporate interests
Common Cause wins concrete, pro-democracy reforms that break down barriers to participation, ensure each of us has an equal voice and vote, and rebuild trust in our government.
The League of Women Voters of the United States encourages informed and active participation in government, works to increase understanding of major public policy issues, and influences public policy through education and advocacy.
Represent Us brings together conservatives, progressives, and everyone in between to pass powerful anti-corruption laws that stop political bribery, end secret money, and fix our broken elections.
Books:
How Democracies Die by Stephen Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt
Daring Democracy: Igniting Power, Meaning, and Connection for the America We Want by Frances Moore Lappé and Adam Eichen
Democracy in Chains: The Deep History of the Radical Right’s Stealth Plan for America by Nancy MacLean
Why competition in the politics industry is failing America, A strategy for reinvigorating our democracy by Katherine M. Gehl and Michael E. Porter
Videos:
Unbreaking America (12 min) – from Represent Us
Our Democracy No Longer Represents the People (21 min.) – Lawrence Lessig
Legalize Democracy (30 min.) – from Move to Amend
How Economic Inequality Harms Societies (16 min) – Richard Wilkinson
Democracy in Chains: The Deep History of the Radical Right’s Stealth Plan for America (58 min) – Nancy MacLean
How Democracies Die (67 min) – Steven Levitsky
Updated Know Your Rights Flyer from the Congregation Action Network (CAN)
Folleto actualizado <Conozca sus derechos>
ICE's Deceptions Call for New Information
El engaño de ICE requiere nueva información
(Traducción al español abajo.)
With ICE posing as local police and contractors, wearing plain clothes and trolling area neighborhoods, we have added new information to the CAN Know Your Rights flyer for those who are canvassing in the coming weeks. As this New York Times article highlights, Know Your Rights and other advocacy efforts have helped migrant communities stay safer in the face of ICE raids.
______________________
Con ICE haciéndose pasar por la policía y los contratistas locales, vistiendo ropa normal y patrullando los vecindarios, hemos agregado nueva información al folleto de CAN conozca sus derechos para aquellos que planean distribuir información en la comunidad. Como se destaca en este artículo del New York Times, Conozca Sus Derechos y otros esfuerzos de promoción han ayudado a las comunidades migrantes a mantenerse más seguras frente a las redadas de ICE.
URGENT FOR VA RESIDENTS!
We have it on good authority that ICE will begin large scale raids in Virginia as soon as this weekend, June 21st, 2019.
To enable raids and mass detentions, ICE will have to depend on local law enforcement to provide perimeter security, set up roadblocks, control traffic, etc. and they will also need to use local jails (which Sheriffs are responsible for in VA) to warehouse the people they detain (the nearest immigrant detention center in Farmville, VA is currently under quarantine due to a mumps outbreak and cannot house more people).
Consequently, please do the following:
Reach out to local police and sheriffs (numbers below) to get commitments from them that they will not provide support to ICE in the event of raids in VA.
Get commitments from them that they will share any requests from ICE for such assistance with other elected officials and the community.
If YOU witness a raid, please report it to the Sanctuary DMV rapid response hotline at 202-335-1183.
Police and sheriffs often say they don’t engage in immigration enforcement, but they usually just mean that they won’t arrest people as deputies of ICE—which, with the exception of Prince William County, they are not authorized to do—but they often share info, give each other heads up, provide road blocks, etc.
We want zero collaboration and deserve complete transparency. Our communities cannot trust law enforcement if they collaborate with a rogue agency. When people cannot tell the difference between the police and ICE, it has a chilling effect on reporting crimes and makes us all less safe.
FFX County Sheriff Stacey Kincaid: 703-246-3227
FFX County PD Chief Ed Roessler: 703-246-2195
FFX County Chairman of the Board of Supervisors Sharon Bulova (oversees FFX County PD): 703-324-2321
Immigration 101 Class at UU Fairfax
Do you ever wonder about immigration laws? What’s a visa, a green card, DACA? Have you ever wondered why immigrants don’t just apply for citizenship? Just Neighbors will be giving an easy to understand overview of the ins and outs of a very complex immigration system. This next Immigration 101 training event will be held on Wednesday, May 8, from 7-9 PM at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Fairfax, at 2709 Hunter Mill Road, Oakton, VA. Save the date!
Please register here:
Cedar Lane UU offers Sanctuary Support Training
As you know, Cedar Lane Unitarian Universalist Church has provided physical Sanctuary for Rosa Gutierrez Lopez since December 10. Since then they have set into motion specific protocols and support systems to provide security, hospitality, and comfort for and with Rosa and her family.
Cedar Laners have been present 24/7 from the beginning. They feel confident in the protocols they have put in place, and they are ready to accept offers from other area churches to provide volunteer support to Rosa in Sanctuary as long as she needs it.
To that end, they are offering training for those who are willing to be present and share the responsibilities and delights of walking with Rosa through this extraordinary time. This notice is sent to all who previously attended Sanctuary Support training as well as those who might do so in the future. Please spread the word throughout your congregations and network contacts. It will take about 250 volunteers monthly in shifts to make this effort sustainable.
The next TWO volunteer trainings at Cedar Lane will be for DMV Sanctuary Congregation Network partners, including UUCR. They are the same program offered at two different times for participants' convenience.
Sat., Mar. 2, 9-11 a.m.; sign in & refreshments at 8:30 a.m.
Tue., Mar. 5 (Mardi Gras), 7-9 p.m.; sing in & refreshments at 6:30 p.m.
This training is vital and necessary to know what’s required to keep Rosa safe and comfortable. She will participate at each training. Volunteers who are interested in helping Cedar Lane Crew Leaders in the areas of daytime and nighttime companionship, transportation, and weekend/holiday companionship for the children are most needed at this time, but there are opportunities for many different types of participation. Spanish speakers are encouraged to participate. Everyone must be background checked before they can serve and Cedar Lane will execute that process.
A covenant will be available for signature if you are prepared to sign it at the training.
Donations to Cedar Lane’s Sanctuary fund are also most welcomed. You can donate by clicking here and selecting Sanctuary Support in the drop-down menu.
Come to learn more about how we all can be a part of the community supporting Rosa!
RSVP is critical. Register here.
Joint us as we live out our values and our 5thprinciple!
REGISTER NOW!
River Road UU Congregation is partnering with the MD/Poor People’s Campaign and DoTheMostGood MoCo (DTMG) to lead a non-partisan Democracy Bootcamp at River Road Unitarian Universalist Congregation on September 22 from 10:00 am – 1:30 pm.
Participants will learn skills that can enable and support our democracy. Ashwani Jain, former White House staffer, will be the keynote speaker, along with Danielle Blocker from the MD/Poor People’s Campaign.
Learn from Organizers How to Take Effective Actions
Participants will have a chance to attend 3 of the following workshops. There will also be stations for writing postcards to newly registered voters and getting information on the districts in which you reside.
Phone banking how-to’s
Canvassing how-to’s
Voter registration
Provisional and absentee ballot basics
Tips to involve and help new/young voters
Social media for activists
-AND- You will also have a chance to sign up for voter canvassing with the MD/ Poor People’s Campaign in low voter turnout areas.
We each have a role in maintaining our democracy.
This event is free to the public. Nosh provided.
Please RSVP to ensure adequate provisions: democracybootcamp.eventbrite.com
For questions, contact Vonna Heaton,
Are you interested in accompaniment training?
We've had several requests for another Accompaniment Training in NOVA. This training is for those who wish to accompany compas to ICE check-ins or court appearances.
With that in mind, here are two requests:
1) If you attended last year's Accompaniment Training through the DMV Sanctuary Congregation Network but have never been contacted to do accompaniment, please email me separately. There have been dozens of accompaniment requests sent out, but we've heard from several people who were trained that they have not been contacted since the training.
2) If you have not been trained but would like to be, please email me separately. Please also gauge interest in your faith communities and let me know how many people you think might attend such training from your congregation. We need at least 20 interested folks to do the training.
Mary Lareau, mLareau@uucf.org
White Supremacy, Racism, Anti-Semitism, and the Neo-Nazi Movement
A teach-in will be organized by D.C. Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton and Maryland Congressman Jamie Raskin on Friday, August 10 at 3:00 pm. This Teach-In on White Supremacy, Racism, Anti-Semitism, and the Neo-Nazi Movement: A Joint Congressional Townhall Meeting will feature leading experts in the field.
These experts will include special guests from the Southern Poverty Law Center, the ACLU, and the Anti-Defamation League. The event will also feature a special presentation by Reverend William Barber.
De-escalation Training for August 12th DC Events
Showing Up for Racial Justice (SURJ) Montgomery County (MoCo) and the Rapid Response Team are training de-escalators to provide community-based support and safety throughout DC the weekend of the Unite the Right Rally on August 12. This opportunity is open to folks of all risk and experience levels. The training will be held Saturday, July 28th 6-8pm in Bethesda. Sign up here https://fs27.formsite.com/fhT7nI/form3/index.html to get the details, and contact RRTraining@protonmail.com with any questions.
SURJ Northern Virginia (NoVA) is also hosting a De-Escalator Train-the-Trainer on July 29th, 4-7 pm, held at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Fairfax. Sign up here https://fs27.formsite.com/fhT7nI/form2/index.html to register, and contact surjnova@gmail.com with any questions.
Unitarian Universalist Ministry for the Earth Report from General Assembly
One outcome of General Assembly was the passing of an Action of Immediate Witness (AIW).
The ultimate purpose of passing UUA General Assembly resolutions, statements, and actions of immediate witness is not the statement itself, but the consequent actions and solidarity that the words inspire. Here is information from the most recent issue of the UUMFE E-News, which is dedicated to leaning into the call for solidarity NOW with Indigenous Water Protectors that was affirmed on June 24, 2018. This powerful resolution was adopted thanks to the passion and dedication of many, many people --- especially the Rev. Karen Van Fossan (Minister of the Bismarck-Mandan UU Church & Fellowship).
CONNECTION
Write to Water Protectors in Jail
At the 2018 UUA General Assembly, an Action of Immediate Witness was passed affirming “solidarity with Water Protectors, including defendants, inmates, and their loved ones” and a commitment “to extend relationships of solidarity with Water Protectors, leveraging our spiritual, financial, human, and infrastructural resources in support of Water Protectors, especially those who face ongoing charges and prison sentences, and their loved ones.”
To support UUs in carrying out this Action of Immediate Witness, here is information from the Water Protector Legal Collective website about four Indigenous Water Protectors facing federal charges. Be sure to bookmark their website and regularly check for updates.
INSPIRATION
Winona LaDuke’s speech after PUC Line 3 decision
In a powerful speech (view here) following the approval of a route for the Enbridge Line 3 pipeline by the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission, Winona LaDuke calls on Water Protectors to come to Minnesota to protect the water against Line 3, saying “What I will tell you is we are not backing down. We are here, we will stand here because we have been here for 10,000 years. We’re the home team, and we’re not going anywhere.”
ACTION
#RiseTogether #NoPipelines Week of Action
From July 16th-31st frontline resistance campaigns across the continent will be taking action simultaneously to stop pipelines and extreme energy projects. During these weeks of action, we are calling on people to join us in solidarity by organizing actions targeting the banks funding these pipeline projects, or by joining the frontlines and taking action directly with us.
Across Turtle Island, Indigenous people and frontline communities are leading the fight to stop oil and fracked-gas pipelines. These pipelines and all fossil fuel extraction endangers the communities they pass through, contaminate the air and water, contribute to global climate change and continue the colonization of native lands.
EDUCATION
#ItTakesRoots Solidarity to Solutions Week
In September 2018, the San Francisco Bay area will be a massive meeting and mobilization space for climate activists of all sorts, beginning with the Peoples Climate Movement Rise For Jobs, Climate, & Justice national mobilization on September 8th and continuing through September 14
The Indigenous leaders in the It Takes Roots Alliance and featured in this webinar feel that the Global Climate Action Summit agenda does not include their voices or visions for just climate solutions, and so they are organizing a separate event in coalition with grassroots movements and the most-impacted communities in the Bay Area to showcase and demand greater solidarity to solutions.
It is important that Unitarian Universalists, who just collectively expressed a commitment to solidarity NOW with Indigenous water protectors at the 2018 UUA General Assembly, consider this seriously in discerning where and how we will show up in San Francisco in September.
Black Lives Matter UU video
Here is a link to a powerful video from Black Lives Matter co-founder Alicia Garza http://rvdr.me/B3
Microaggressions: more than just race
Here’s a video to help understand a little better what Microaggressions are all about (watch out for some salty language!).
White fragility
And here’s an essay from best selling Beacon Press author Robin DiAngelo on White Fragility. (Feel free to check out her book as well!)
Weekly Class Offered at UUCR this summer: Choices for Sustainable Living
The term “sustainability” is used so freely, it’s difficult to understand what it can mean. At its essence, sustainability embodies hope for a healthy, just and bright future for us all. Choices for Sustainable Living provides participants a powerful opportunity to explore sustainability more deeply and learn its unique meaning from individual, societal and global perspectives. Choices for Sustainable Living helps you discover new ways of living and together, making change more possible and powerful.
Choices for Sustainable Living is an eight-session course. This course will be held from June 21 to August 16 at UUCR on Thursday evenings from 7:30 - 8:45pm. We will not hold class on July 5 given the holiday. Space is still available; please click here to register by June 20.
Each course session includes Readings, Discussion Questions, Group Activities, and Personal Reflection. Participants in this course will:
Explore various meanings and visions of sustainability.
Consider the ties between their own lifestyle choices and their impact on Earth.
Commit to actions that help create ecologically sustainable organizations, lifestyles, and communities.
The course focuses less on defining sustainability than envisioning sustainability — what a sustainable world would look like and how can we create it together. This course focuses on the choices you have, in your individual daily life, to contribute to a healthier, more just and more sustainable world. It also focuses on the choices you have to exercise bigger positive impact, by being a leader or agent of change in your communities and in larger systems.
Wanted: Volunteers for the Women's Shelter
The Office for Women & Domestic and Sexual Violence Services is holding several orientation sessions this summer for those who would like to volunteer. Sessions include an introduction to OFWDSVS, the services it provides, and the population it serves; description of the opportunities for volunteers to contribute to the agency's mission; and a summary of the application process and the requirements necessary to become a successful candidate. Dates and locations are at Volunteer Orientation.
UUA Proposed 8th Principle to "Accountably Dismantle Racism and Other Oppressions"
A movement is underway to inform our congregations on the proposed 8th Principle. Refining and adopting the principle at the UUA level is expected to take approximately two years. Check out the website describing its origins and stay tuned for more information about related activities we will undertake with neighboring congregations.
Energy Star for Congregations
UUA Green Sanctuary has a new blog post detailing a new Energy Star Guide for Congregations.
Boots on the Ground: 'Bridge of Hope' Helps Homeless
Minority Veteran-Woman founded and run non-profit Bridging Hope has earned a remarkable reputation in the extended Greater Washington D.C. and Metropolitan Baltimore, MD area for helping those in great need like Veterans and their families, individuals recovering from drug and alcohol and mental health, the homeless, and children facing hardships.
Organization of Hope/Bridging Hope announces the grand opening launch of a new mobile hygiene project for the homeless on June 4, 2018, at corners of North Front and Lexington Streets starting at 11:00 am. The mobile support program will provide showers, toilet, laundry and a place to take care of other hygienic needs for homeless people to promote both their health and dignity. Secondary services include providing substance, mental health, and alcohol assessments, housing assistance, workforce development referral, and much more as needed. Regular community Pop-up vendors will expand OOH’s continuum of care and volunteer to provide haircuts, salon services, and other work that can help boost self-esteem and let those often overlooked that people do care about their plight and are willing to help.
“This is a real community concern since being able to be clean and use the bathroom comfortably is absolutely a human right,” commented founder, renowned speaker and community leader Dr. Patrecia Williams. “OOH's mission is much more than providing hygiene; our goal is about eliminating barriers with a continuum of care services creating opportunities and reconnecting people with HOPE which, in turn, boosts resilience critical to overcoming adversity.”
Apart from this latest effort to help the homeless, some of the ongoing work Organization of Hope have become best known for include highlights like:
operating Doggy World, which sets veteran's pets up with volunteer foster home while they are deployed, keeping their four-legged best friends safe and sound;
Adult Care, for aging and elderly seniors;
Foster/Group Home services for children who are orphaned or who are in the care of the state;
a Behavior Health Program with Transition and Halfway House, for those working on overcoming addiction and mental health, homelessness, legal-involved and educational barriers and are taught by professionals and housed in a safe, secure environment;
a Business Incubator focused on helping individuals become more prosperous through smart and sound entrepreneurial training, guidance and support.
Founder and Executive Director of Organization of Hope and Managing Director of Bridging Hope, Dr. Patrecia Williams has an impressive resume when it comes to starting and successfully running critical projects. This natural ability, coupled with remarkable experience such as:
Twenty-six (26) years of service as an Army non-commissioned officer serving with distinction;
Selected to serve on the President of the United States’ National Malcolm Baldrige Examiner Program nine-times; and
Served over 10 ten years as a GS-15 with Headquarters, Department of the Army, Pentagon, Office of the Secretary of the Army.
Coupled with these experiences, has given Dr. Williams both a unique perspective and an unbreakable work ethic when it comes to seeing her current vision of community enrichment manifest.
A Reentry Citizen Now Working Full-time, recently said in a five-star review of Organization of Hope's Services, “I just want to thank OOH for all their work in helping me to get back on my feet. We all fall short sometimes, and I am just thankful that there are people out there who genuinely are trying to help.”
For more information, be sure to visit http://www.organizationofhope.org or call us at 1.855.9.OOH.HOPE, or 443.449.6018 or email us atinfo@organizationofhope.org
Online Training: How to Organize an Event
Join the Union of Concerned Scientists for an online training designed to help you organize an event that makes an impact. The more people stand up for science, the more likely it is that our elected officials will be forced to take action. But we need your help to make a difference!
Online Training: How to Organize an Event that Makes an Impact
Date: Wednesday, May 16
Time: 7:00–8:00 p.m. EDT / 4:00–5:00 p.m. PDT
Join a New Online Course on Sustainable Living, May 9th
Facilitated by North West Earth Institute staff, this online course will run Wednesday mornings from 9-10amPST/12-1pmEST. We’ll meet online for eight consecutive webinar-style discussions, ending Wednesday, June 27th. Cost is $45, which includes the course book, the online Choices EcoChallenge and online course registration fee. Learn more here. You may also apply your May coupon code (MAYSAVE10) for this course.
Simple Ways You Can Help Protect Biodiversity
UUSJ Webinar Features Corporate Tax Evasion as a Driver of Poverty and Economic Inequality
UU's for Social Justice conducted an informative webinar with Robbie Silverman of Oxfam America during April about the increase in the number of global billionaires, dynamics that suggests, and trends in economic inequality. Mr. Silverman focused on how corporate tax evasion deprives governments of necessary resources and enables many big companies to pay little or no tax. Copies of his presentation can be found here. The webinar is one of a series that UUSJ and UUs for a Just Economic Community co-sponsor.
New UUA Resource for Congregational Leaders
Called LeaderLab, it contains everything you need to answer those pesky “what’s the best way to…” questions that are ubiquitous in congregational life.
https://www.uua.org/leadership
You can search it in the same way you would search WorshipWeb, and find articles, videos, blogposts, whole courses and more.
For resources specific to our UUA region, see this link:
Interested learning more about native plants?
Check out the new native plant guide for northern Virginia in the resources section of the Plant NoVa Natives Website at https://www.plantnovanatives.org/
The guide is available as a free pdf download.
Environmental Justice Resource
The Millennium Alliance for Humanity and the Biosphere:
Responding to the human predicament.
Reducing the threat of a shattering collapse of civilization.
The MAHB Mission
Foster, fuel and inspire a global dialogue on the threat of collapse and how interconnected biogeophysical and socio-economic systems contribute to, and are affected by, the existential threats facing humanity.
Develop and implement strategies for shifting human cultures and institutions towards practices that promote a future in which people can live peaceful and productive lives.
Our proposed 8th Principle
Would you like to be more informed about the proposed UUA 8th Principle?
“We, the member congregations of the Unitarian Universalist Association, covenant to affirm and promote: journeying toward spiritual wholeness by working to build a diverse multicultural Beloved Community by our actions that accountably dismantle racism and other oppressions in ourselves and our institutions.”
There is a lot more information on this subject that can be found here:
10-Apr-2018: Katie Couric's new National Geographic docuseries is still available for FREE Screenings for Unitarian Universalist Justice Ministry Central East Region!
videos, training
There is still time to bring Katie Couric's new National Geographic docuseries AMERICA INSIDE OUT WITH KATIE COURIC to your UUCR this spring!
The entire six-episode series is available at no cost to you for screenings through the end of May. There is even an opportunity for you to bring an episode to your community before its broadcast premiere!
Here is more information about each episode.
Here please find how to request a screening.
If you have any questions, or would like to preview an episode before confirming an event, please let me know.
I look forward to hearing from you!
Best,
Kait Halibozek
Living in a Sea of Plastic
Have you checked if the fish you eat has been labeled plastic free? If you have not yet, soon, you might have to.
The plastic pollution crisis that we are facing is ever more present in our ocean. Did you know that?
MARINE PLASTIC FACT: Every minute, one garbage truck of plastic is dumped into our oceans.
MARINE PLASTIC FACT: Many fish humans consume have ingested plastic.
Fish and other marine creatures often can’t distinguish plastic items from food; the plastic they consume blocks their digestive systems and can often result in starvation. Marine wildlife faces other harmful consequences of plastic pollution as they often get ensnared in bags and other items.
When you throw away a piece of plastic, you might think that you are just disposing of a simple piece of garbage and someone else will take care of it. What if it ends up in the ocean? Do you ever think about that?
The volume of plastic dumped in the ocean is so huge that is difficult to picture. It covers areas that are bigger than some large countries, such as Mexico, or states like Texas. This pollution has a tremendous impact on marine life. Can you imagine if someone dumped tons and tons of garbage inside your dining room, living room and bedroom?
In this week’s blog, A Sea of Plastic, you will learn the fate of a few plastic items and the outsized impact they are having in the ocean, its creatures and us.
Click here to see our TOP 10 FACTS about Plastics in the Ocean.
Ready to take action?
SIGN OUR PETITION to demand that governments do more to prevent that our oceans are destroyed by plastic pollution.
Download our Earth Day 2018: Plastic Pollution Primer and Action Toolkit designed to help individuals, organizations and educators like you to learn more about the issue and organize your friends, family and community to End Plastic Pollution this Earth Day.
Together, we can help to END PLASTIC POLLUTION.
Sincerely,
Earth Day Network
Solar Panel Discounts | Thermal Camera Rentals | LED Light bulb Exchanges
Fairfax County is committed to protecting our environment and providing a high quality of life that is sustainable for future generations. To help residents achieve their energy-saving goals as well, Fairfax County is linking residents to unique solar panel opportunities, rentable thermal imaging cameras, and free LED lightbulbs. Together, we can work to build and maintain a green, sustainable and energy-efficient culture in Fairfax County.
To help homeowners and businesses reduce the cost of investing in solar energy, Fairfax County is sponsoring a "Solarize" initiative from April 2 through May 31, 2018. Like a Groupon for solar, the program offers one-time, low prices with companies chosen through competitive bids. You can sign up for a free onsite solar assessment and potentially qualify for a deal on solar panels. Learn more.
Summer Institute in Oberlin, Ohio
Are you looking for an intentional, intergenerational community where you can live fully as a Unitarian Universalist and grow, relax, play, recharge and reconnect for a week including a vibrant community of around 100 young adults? Attend workshops and hear inspiring speakers, take part in a variety of fun and creative activities, hang out with family or friends or spend time in deep conversation? Summer Institute is the place for you!. Each year Summer Institute creates an intentional intergenerational UU community at Oberlin College in Oberlin, OH. This year we Confront the Challenge of Climate Change with our theme speaker Dr. David Orr, July 8-13. There is programming for all ages. Learn more at omdsi.org.
Climate Change Lessons
Did you know one tree can remove 26 pounds of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere annually, the equivalent of 11,000 miles of car emissions? That’s the same distance of the Arctic Terns’ marathon migration from the Arctic to Antarctica!
Whether you have one tree or a yard full of flora, native plants offset rising greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide and save you time, water, gasoline and more. In the face of climate change, which Audubon science shows is the number one threat to North American birds, birds need all the help we can give. Switching from lawns to native plants will not only provide beauty, support pollinators, and encourage biodiversity—it will build up birds’ defenses and increase their resilience to the dangerous effects of warming temperatures.
Want to know more about how we can fight climate change and help birds, people, and the earth? Find out here.