International News from the UUA (iNews)

Please enjoy this week's edition of iNews! If you'd like to unsubscribe, please click here.

Contents:

• Interfaith Youth Core
  
• UUGAC Newsletter
  
• Faith Without Borders
  
• Japanese Ambassador's Visit to All Souls Church
  
• International Opportunities for UU Clergy and Seminarians - Extended Deadline!
  
• UU-UNO's Intergenerational Spring Seminar
  
• News from the ICUU
  
• Go Public: A Global Community Conversation on Cancer Control
  
• Darfur Postcard to President Obama Campaign
  
• UUPCC Student Sponsorships
  
• ICUU Global Chalice Lighting Reading for April 2009
  
• Events
  
• International Resources Office on Facebook
  
• Faith Without Borders
  
• Inspired Faith - Effective Action Blog
  
• International Engagement Database
  

This spring, Interfaith Youth Core (IFYC) is trying something new. They are turning their spring fundraising campaign over to the young leaders of their movement so that supporters can really see what IFYC is all about. During this campaign, young people from the IFYC network will share the skills, inspiration and stories that have come out of their experience with IFYC programs.

Listen to their stories and pledge to support their work by making a gift to IFYC today.

My name is Kyohei. This is my story.
I grew up in Japan, knowing only my own Buddhist tradition and my own Japanese culture. It was hard to picture a world outside of the temples and the streets of Tokyo. In 2006, I participated in the World Council for Religion and Peace. It was an eye-opening moment for me. For the first time I met people of different faiths and realized how important it is that we work together. I knew that I needed to be a part of the interfaith movement.

So, I moved to the United States and learned English to study interfaith cooperation as a seminary student. But, I wanted to do more than study interfaith cooperation. I wanted to be a part of the real work involved, so I turned to Interfaith Youth Core. IFYC gave me the resources, skills and support I needed to transform my interest into action. This May, I am running a Day of Interfaith Youth Service focused on the environment. This will connect students of different faith traditions from 5 seminaries and colleges in my community. We will work with 40 high school students from low-income neighborhoods to teach them about why it is critical to protect our environment and how they and their faith communities can help.
This is only the beginning for me. When I am done with my studies I will return home and, with the help of IFYC, create an interfaith movement in Japan.
Please continue to support IFYC's work toward making interfaith cooperation a global reality.

A member of Rissho Kosei-kai, Kyohei Mikawa hails from Japan. Currently a visiting student at Meadville Lombard Theological School in Chicago, Kyohei is developing a project called "World Web Conference of Religions for Youth in 2015."

In July 2008, Kyohei visited the International Resources Office at the UUA to share and hear feedback about his project with our office.

Click here to make a donation to IFYC!

In this issue are updates about the UUGAC's newest red ribbon congregation in Juneau, Alaska, advocacy updates, and "A Global Perspective: AIDS in Africa and Us."

The UUGAC's February 2009 newsletter is now available online. You can read it online, or you can subscribe to their mailing list to receive updates directly to your inbox by emailing Ann Pickar at apickar@cs.com.

Flower Communion
Celebrating Flower Communion is an excellent opportunity for Unitarian Universalist (UU) congregations to express their commitment to our Sixth Principle: We Covenant to Affirm and Promote the Goal of World Community with Peace, Liberty and Justice for All.

Click here to find a few suggestions for bringing Sixth Principle Ministry to life in relation to your Flower Communion service in the seven areas of the Faith Without Borders program.

Faith Without Borders Workshops
The International Resources Office staff is available to lead International Engagement workshops for Districts and Clusters, please contact the office for additional information.

Upcoming FWB Workshops at District Annual Meetings:
April 25, 2009 Albany, NY
May 2, 2009 Jersey City, NJ
May 2, 2009 Mesa, AZ

In the aftermath of the US bombing of Japan, the children of All Souls Church reached out to the children of Hiroshima with a gesture of a peace and reconciliation. The exchange that ensued is a remarkable story that can provide insights into our work today for peace and restorative justice.

Following Sunday worship services on Sunday, April 5, 2009, All Souls Church will exhibit the restored "Hiroshima Children's Drawings" and tell the story of the relationship between the children of All Souls and the children of Hiroshima in the wake of the dropping of the bomb.

The Japanese Ambassador to the United States and his cultural attache will also be in attendance.

Visit the All Souls Church website for further information!

Tsubaki Grand Shrine Scholarship Program

The Tsubaki Grand Shrine Scholarship is available to Unitarian Universalist seminarians (in candidate status) attending non-UU theological Schools who have an interest in international and interfaith engagement. Scholarship recipients will be provided with expenses for travel to the Tsubaki Grand Shrine (TGS) in Suzuka, Japan, as well as room and board at the Shrine for two to three weeks. Starr King School for the Ministry has a similar program, and Meadville/Lombard is in the process of developing one.

TGS is one of the oldest Shinto shrines in Japan, dating back to the first century BCE. The long-standing relationship between Unitarian Universalism and TGS has its roots within the International Association for Religious Freedom.

This scholarship was established by Guji Yukiyasu Yamamoto, the 97th guardian priest of the shrine, to:

• promote international and interfaith understanding,
• provide opportunities for Unitarian Universalist seminarians to develop a deeper understanding of shrine Shinto tradition, customs, and practices, and
• further develop close relationships between the Tsubaki Grand Shrine and Unitarian Universalists.

Find out more information about the scholarship and its application process! The April 1st deadline has been extended until April 15th!

UUCP Sabbatical Program

Experienced UUA ministers are invited to consider applying to spend 3- 4 months of a sabbatical with the Unitarian Universalist Church of the Philippines (UUCP), providing skill development in these and other areas:

• Nurturance of the UU faith through teaching and articulation of theological concepts.
• Youth and Young Adult Ministry
• Project development, management and community work.
• Church administration, leadership and financial management.

Successful applicants should expect to be engaged in this ministry for approximately 20-hours/week. Contexts will include worship services, traditional classes and less formal discussion groups. The unique skills that a successful applicant brings to this ministry will also be integrated.

The organizing and implementing body for this program will be the UU Church of the Philippines' Religious Education Committee. The UUCP will provide sabbatical program participants with housing and local transportation. Other expenses will be the responsibility of the applicant, with some assistance available from the UUA.

Read more about the UUCP Sabbatical Program and how to apply!

Don't forget to register for the UU-UNO's Intergenerational Spring Seminar!

Save the Date - April 16-18, 2009 (Youth program begins on the evening of April 15)

"All in the Name of Faith: Rights, Religion, and Responsibility" Join the UU-UNO in exploring the role religion plays in our global fight for Human Rights. Attend to hear excellent speakers, leave empowered with tools to create substantive change in your communities.

Click here to register!

March 2009 ICUU Newsletter
The March ICUU newsletter "The Global Chalice" is now available online for download.

In this quarter's edition: a call for participants at the upcoming ICUU meeting in Koloszvar, an update about the ICUUW, an executive summary from the ICUU, a news item about increasing Chinese interest in Unitarian Universalism, an update from John Clifford about Kenyan UU's, and much more!
Click here to download a PDF version of the newsletter.

ICUU Council Meeting in Koloszvar, Transylvania
September 1-5, 2009
The ICUU Executive unanimously agreed to accept the invitation from the Transylvanian Unitarian Church to hold the next Council Meeting and associated International Gathering in Kolozsvár, the city of their Headquarters and College. On many western maps, the city is identified as Cluj, Romania.

The Council Meeting will run from Tuesday 1 September, 2009 (arrivals) to Saturday 5 September (departures). A full day pilgrimage to Deva, site of the prison where Dávid Ferenc (Francis David) died, is being planned -- this might be just before, just after, or during the Council Meeting (the dates of the CM might be adjusted slightly if the Deva trip is during the meetings).

All Member Groups are entitled to send one voting delegate to the Council; Groups with more than 3000 individual adult members are entitled to a second voting delegate. There will be a sponsorship fund to assist travel and accommodation for delegates from developing economies. Additionally, individual Unitarians, Universalists, and Unitarian Universalists may attend the International Gathering at their own expense; these individuals may observe the Council Meeting but not speak or vote at business sessions although they may participate in the other aspects of the programme.

Please click here for further information!

Go Public: the first-ever Global Community Conversations on Cancer Control invites people everywhere to come together and take part in a groundbreaking series of informal yet crucial conversations about cancer and cancer control.

Starting February 4th, 2009 (World Cancer Day), hundreds of conversations will be taking place around the world between people whose lives have been touched by cancer in many different ways: oncologists, radiologists, nurses, researchers, patients, survivors, family members, and many more. Held in boardrooms, living rooms, kitchens and community centres worldwide, these people-powered conversations, which anyone can host, will help shape the agenda of the Global Leadership Forum for Cancer Control (taking place in Ottawa, Canada in September 2009). The Forum is dedicated to understanding and harnessing the power of public engagement in bringing about change for cancer control.
Read more here

The Go Public campaign was brought to our attention by Sarah Moyal, a member of the First Unitarian Church of Hamilton, in Hamilton, Ontario (Canada).

During his Presidential Campaign, President Obama made very strong statements concerning the future of Darfur in Sudan. He said the United States must have "unstinting resolve" to solve the crisis there. So far, we have seen no movement on his part to act. The UUA, a member of the Save Darfur Coalition, is asking you to send a postcard to President Obama to help end the violence in Darfur. You can send your postcard electronically and request hard copies for your congregation by visiting the Darfur Action Center.

Rev. William G. Sinkford, President of the UUA, encourages every UU to sign their postcard to President Obama. He believes this is an issue for all Americans, especially UUs should learn more about. President Sinkford says, "We felt called to speak out, to shine the light of truth into a region overshadowed by the worst form of government oppression… Neither innocence nor ignorance can excuse us from acting, but despite the outcries from the United Nations and much of the world community, the killing continues. We must do more." See his complete remarks here!

Many Unitarian and Universalist families around the world live on less than $1 a day. Education is one long-term strategy to break out of the cycle of extreme poverty, but going to school often means walking several kilometers each way, buying uniforms, supplies and often paying tuition. This is beyond the reach for many families.

UUPCC has joined together with U*U organizations in the Philippines, India and Transylvania to identify potential students and to monitor and maintain the personal connections between student and donor(s). We have agreements in place to assure fairness in the selection process and accountability of the use of funds.

Every student who graduates from high school or college will be expected to pay back, over a number of years, 20% of the total received once they have a job. This will provide an additional source of funding for future sponsorships.

Read more about how you and/or your congregation can sponsor a student by clicking here.

The International Council of Unitarians and Universalists announces the 68th in its monthly series of global chalice lighting readings. Congregations worldwide are invited to participate.

All ICUU-affiliated groups have been asked to submit brief chalice lightings for the project. Every month, a reading will be distributed to Unitarian and Universalist congregations around the world. We ask each congregation to use the reading for at least one worship service in the designated month, identifying it as the "Global Chalice Lighting" for that month and naming the group which submitted it. Readings will be circulated in English and, where different, in their original language.

It is hoped that the ICUU Global Chalice Lighting Project will enhance the worship experience in our congregations and raise awareness of the international dimensions of our religious movement.

This Global Chalice Lighting, written for the ANZUUA celebration of All Heretics Day, is to be used during April 2009.

English

We light this chalice to honour those before us
Whose courage to challenge dogma
Has made our path easier.

We ask that the light from this flame
Inspires us all to make our journey
Towards truth, love, beauty and justice.

We pray that the warmth from this flame
Reaches those who feel threatened
By living their heretical beliefs.

Derek McCullough
Australian and New Zealand Unitarian Universalist Association

French

Nous allumons ce calice en l'honneur de ceux qui nous ont précédés
et dont le courage, défiant les dogmes,
a rendu notre chemin plus facile.

Que la lumière de cette flamme nous inspire tous
Et oriente notre voyage vers la vérité,
l'amour, la beauté et la justice.

Nous prions que la chaleur de cette flamme
atteigne tout ceux qui se sentent menacés
parce qu'ils vivent selon des croyances dites hérétiques

~traduit en français par Noëlle Colle (Assemblée fraternelle des chrétiens unitariens AFCU)

Portugese

Nós acendemos este cálice em honra daqueles que nos precederam
Cuja coragem, desafiando os dogmas,
Tornou o nosso caminho mais fácil.

Que a luz desta chama nos inspire,
E oriente a nossa viagem rumo à verdade,
O amor, a beleza e a justiça.

Nós oramos para que o calor desta chama,
Chegue a todos aqueles que se sentem ameaçados,
Porque eles vivem segundo crenças consideradas heréticas.

~traduit en portugais par Paulo Renato Garrochinho (Portugal)

• April 3-5, 2009: April European UU Retreat in SPA, Belgium
• April 5, 2009:All Souls Church presents "Hiroshima Children's Drawings"
• April 15-18, 2009: British Unitarian GA in Chester, England
• April 16-18, 2009: UU-UNO Spring Seminar: "All in the Name of Faith: Rights, Religion, and Responsibility"
• June 24-28, 2009: General Assembly, Salt Lake City, UT
• September 1-5, 2009: ICUU Council Meeting in Koloszvar, Transylvania
• October 16-26, 2009: UUPCC Pilgrimage to the Philippines
• October 22-25, 2009: Conference of IARF European & Middle Eastern Region and the European Liberal Protestants Network at Mannheim and Ludwigshafen (near Heidelberg, Germany)
• December 3-9, 2009: Parliament of the World's Religions, Melborne, Australia

The latest pervasive, must-have technology since the invention of the cell phone, Facebook is everywhere. And it's growing.

Combining the best features of email, MySpace, and other Web 2.0 technology, 374,000 people join Facebook each day to connect, reconnect, and interact.

So, it's about time the International Resources Office joined the (page) ranks of the Facebook-o-sphere (or maybe it's Facebook-o-verse?)!

The versatility of the Facebook layout allows for our office resources to be neatly listed and easily navigable. You can find out about upcoming events, learn more about the Faith Without Borders program, and hear announcements about new resources available on our homepage.

Introduced at General Assembly, the "Faith Without Borders" program invites congregations to integrate a commitment to faithful global citizenship into many aspects of congregational life.

Participants in the program will receive resources, consultation and celebration from the International Resources Office. For more information, click here.

As part of the UUA's Advocacy and Witness Staff group, the International Resources office contributes to the Inspired Faith - Effective Action blog. Visit the blog for postings on a wide variety of issues. Or, subscribe to an rss feed of international-related posts.

The IRO maintains a database of the many varieties of international engagement that UU congregations are involved with. To date we have records from approximately 150 congregations in the database. Is your congregation one of them? If so, we'd love to update your entry. If not, we'd love to include information about your congregation's international engagement.

Contact Nicole McConvery to check/update your congregation's status in the database.

Or, if you'd like to be in contact with other congregations who are involved with international programs that are similar to yours, let us know and we'll provide you with a report.