International News from the UUA (iNews)
Contents:
I. Leaders of Dutch Remonstrant Church visit UUA
The General Secretary of the Remonstrant Church, Reverend Tom Mikkers, and the minister of the Remonstrant congregation in Utrecht, Holland, Rev. Tina Geels, are visiting the UUA and Boston-area congregations this week.
The visit by these leaders serves as an opportunity for two long-time institutional interfaith partners to become re-acquainted after changes in administration leadership.
Read more about their visit, as well as a brief history of the Remonstrant Church!
II. President Morales in Transylvania for ICUU Meeting
UUA President, the Reverend Peter Morales (pictured left, with Bishop Balint of the Unitarian Church of Transylvania), attended the biannual Council Meeting of the International Council of Unitarians and Universalists, in Kolozsvar, Transylvania, earlier this month.
View an online gallery of photos from his visit and read a report detailing achievements, attendees/participants, ICUU staffing changes, and new resolutions passed by the Council.
III. UU Ministry for Earth: 350.org
A Call to Unitarian Universalists from the UU Ministry for Earth: Participate in the October 24 International Day of Climate Action
The next weeks and months are critical for addressing climate change.
By late September, the Senate climate bill will have passed or failed. Passage is needed to send an empowered and credible US delegation to the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen, December 7-18, 2009.
The world's leaders must arrive at that conference with the voices of their people ringing in their ears, calling them to take strong action to lower atmospheric CO2 levels to 350 parts per million (ppm).
Why 350? Scientists generally agree that if we continue to allow the amount of carbon in the atmosphere to top 350 ppm, we can't sustain a planet similar to the one we know and to which life on Earth is adapted. Currently, the CO2 in the atmosphere measures well above 350 ppm.
350 represents more than just a benchmark for a safe climate - there are deep moral and spiritual reasons for getting back below 350. Guided by the 2006 Statement of Conscience regarding the threat of global warming/climate change, UU Ministry for Earth, the UU State Advocacy Networks, the UU-United Nations Office, the UUA Green Sanctuary Program, and the UUA Office for Advocacy and Witness call upon UU congregations to participate in the International Day of Climate Action, October 24.
People in more than 1000 communities around the globe have already announced plans: there will be school children planting 350 trees in Bangladesh, scientists hanging banners saying 350 on the statues on Easter Island, 350 scuba divers diving underwater at the Great Barrier Reef, and thousands more creative actions like these.
At each event, people will gather for a group photo that depicts 350 - and upload that photo to the website www.350.org. As actions take place around the world, all the pictures will be linked via the web-and by the end of the day, a powerful visual petition from the entire planet will be delivered to the media and world leaders.
Learn more about how your congregation/community can organize an action on October 24!
IV. "Charter for Compassion"
The Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) is one among a diverse group of interfaith religious organizations that have partnered with the "Charter for Compassion" community. This collaborative effort seeks to be a witness to the centrality of compassion in all of the world's religions-and to help build a more "peaceful and harmonious global community" through that witness.
In November 2009 the finalized version of the Charter for Compassion will be "Launched" in a major event. Religious people from around the world are invited to join in this launch by sponsoring special events and activities. UU congregations are welcome to participate in any way that they choose.
Learn more about how your congregation can participate. Congregations are welcome use and/or adapt an example lesson plan as a religious education (RE) activity related to the Charter for Compassion Launch: the lesson plan details a one or two-day opportunity for religious education classes to learn about the "Charter for Compassion" and create a work of Art that expresses their understanding of "Compassion."
V. UN Sunday
Celebrating United Nations Sunday 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.
The UU-United Nations Office (UU-UNO)'s theme for UN Sunday 2009 is: A Safe and Dignified Life for All.
The UU-UNO has put together an excellent packet of worship materials to assist congregations in organizing a UN Sunday service. The UUA's International Resources Office also has UN Sunday resources, which reference this packet, organized in the "Faith Without Borders" framework.
Learn more about how your congregation can participate in UN Sunday!
VI. News from the Interfaith Youth Core
October 25 - 27, 2009
Hosted by the Center for Civic Engagement, at Northwestern University
Chicago, IL
Interfaith Youth Core's (IFYC) 6th Conference, Leadership for a Religiously Diverse World, will engage participants in the question of how young people can be the architects of a global movement of interfaith service. This Conference will offer:
- Plenary sessions with dynamic speakers, including religious leaders, young people, activists, policy makers, academics and more;
- The debut of IFYC's premiere interfaith leadership training;
- Interactive workshops and trainings from best-in-class organizations and practitioners from around the world;
- Networking opportunities with leaders in the emerging interfaith youth movement.
IFYC welcomes faith leaders, educators, researchers, student leaders, community activists, civic leaders, media professionals, funding professionals, and policy influencers. Join interfaith youth movement colleagues from across the country as IFYC explores interfaith leadership in today's world!
Register today!
 BRIDGE-BUILDERS AWARDS
One of the highlights of the Conference is the Bridge-Builders Awards Reception, where outstanding work in the interfaith field is celebrated and recognized.
IFYC invites you to submit your nominations for the
Bridge-Builders Awards.
The Awards will be given in four categories:
- The Bridge-Builder Leadership Award goes to a young person, aged 12-25, who has demonstrated leadership in building sustainable, innovative interfaith cooperation in their local community or at a national level.
- The Campus Bridge-Builder Award goes to an individual, event, or program on a campus, or a campus as a whole that has engaged religious diversity positively and exemplified interfaith leadership.
- The Community Bridge-Builder Award goes to an individual, program or organization that builds interfaith cooperation at the community level, with an emphasis on youth leadership and common action.
- The Bridge-Builder Movement Award is an opportunity to recognize an institution or individual who has significantly impacted the interfaith youth movement.
Awardees will receive a free trip to the conference and recognition at the Reception.
Tell IFYC why you think an individual, program, or organization deserves to be honored in 500 words or less no later than October 1, 2009. Please include the nominee's contact information, the nomination award category, and your name with your contact information. Self-nominations are encouraged!
Please submit your nomination via e-mail to Amber Hacker (amber@ifyc.org). Contact Amber for the full nomination guidelines or if you have any questions!
* The IRO would like to give a shout-out to Kyohei Mikawa, pictured second from left above!
VII. News from IARF
Save the date!
"Reconciliation with the Earth, Each Other and the Stranger" is the theme for the U.S. Chapter Conference, which will be held in Clearwater, FL, January 14-17th, 2010. Rev. Bill Schulz and Rev. Paul Rasor are two of the speakers who will be presenting. The work of IARF around the world will be shared along with preparations for the Congress in India in September 2010. Additionally we will have Circle Groups and time for renewing friendships. Registration information will be forthcoming.
VIII. "Long Live the Struggle"
The International Resources Office is pleased to announce the online availability of "Long Live the Struggle," an overview of UUHIP, focusing on Vivek Pandit, director of program partner Vidhayak Sansad.
Learn more about the work of the Holdeen India Program as it brings a sense of hope to the people it works with while providing a model for ending social injustice. "Long Live the Struggle" is available on YouTube in full. A limited number of DVD's are available for free from the International Resources Office (contact international@uua.org for more details).
IX. Sharing Global Faith
Grounded in the goal of world community with peace, liberty and justice for all, Sharing Global Faith invites Unitarians and Universalists from around the world to deepen and enrich our shared global faith.
The international devotional will be distributed on the second Monday of every month starting in April, 2009 and running through September, 2009. Each publication will address a central issue in the development of faith-life and will include thoughtful responses from a diverse geographical selection of U/U spiritual leaders. Topics range from freedom to fellowship, justice to hope. Alongside the monthly e-resource, the devotional's webpage will host additional information about the project and each of the contributors.
Read the most recent devotional online!
X. International Opportunities for UU Clergy
 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!
XI. ICUU Global Chalice Lighting Reading for September 2009
The International Council of Unitarians and Universalists announces the 73rd 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, in Visayan dialect and English, is to be used during September 2009.
Visayan
Hinaot nga ang atong panagtigum mahimong usa ka malipayon kay nag-ambitay kita diha sa espiritu sa kinabuhi.
English
May our coming together be a joyful moment, because we share in the spirit of life.
Revs. Nihal A. Attanayake & Elvira Paras Sienes
Unitarian Universalist Church of the Philippines
www.uuphilippines.org
XII. Events
- October 22-25, 2009: Conference of IARF European & Middle Eastern Region and the European Liberal Protestants Network
at Mannheim and Ludwigshafen (near Heidelberg, Germany)
- October 25-27, 2009: Interfaith Youth Core presents: "Leadership for a Religiously Diverse World", Chicago, IL
- December 3-9, 2009: Parliament of the World's Religions, Melborne, Australia
- January 14-17, 2010: IARF U.S. Chapter Conference, Clearwater, FL.
- March 5 -16, 2010: UUPCC Pilgrimage to the Philippines
XIII. Follow the International Resources Office Online
The latest pervasive, must-have technology since the invention of the cell phone, Facebook and Twitter are everywhere. And they're 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. A comparable number of people join Twitter each day, preferring it's simple, conversational-like platform. Often, folks are joining both to connect to one another.
So, it's about time the International Resources Office joined the (page) ranks of both Facebook and Twitter! 
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. The immediacy of Twitter will allow you to be updated every time a new resource is available, as well as when events of interest will be taking place. Stay connected with the International Resources Office!
XIV. Faith Without Borders
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.
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