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May 21, 2010
Contents:
I. Ministerial Training Opportunity in UK
The London district of Unitarian Churches (UK) is seeking qualified Unitarian Universalist (UU) seminarians interested in providing short-term (3-12 month), supervised ministerial services to London-area congregations. UU seminarians in Candidacy with the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) are invited to apply for this opportunity.
Preference will be given to applicants who have successfully completed other ministerial field education and CPE units.
The term of service is between 3 and 12 months. The London District will provide the seminarian with housing in East London-or alternative accommodation nearer to the congregation-as well as a small stipend to be agreed. Supervision will be provided by local Unitarian ministers who are in Fellowship with the UUA. All other expenses are the responsibility of the seminarian.
View further details about this opportunity and apply today!
II. UU Church of the Philippines
Rev. Eric Cherry made a recent visit to the UU Church of the Philippines, attending their Annual Meeting.
A highlight of the trip was witnessing a UU Holy Union/Religious Commitment ceremony in Manila that was supported by the UU community in Quezon City. It's uncertain whether or not a similar religious commitment ceremony had ever been held in The Philippines, but this was the first UU Holy Union ceremony, and so undoubtedly one of the first religiously blessed gay/lesbian commitment ceremony's in the Philippines.
During his travels, Rev. Cherry visited the UU Church of Caican, which is partnered with the UU congregation in Honolulu, Hawaii. He learned that the church is threatened by sea-level rise, due to global climate change; its partner congregation in Honolulu has been making contributions towards building a protective sea wall and all congregations interested in contributing to this effort are invited to contact the International Resources office for further details!
III. News from Burundi and Uganda
Reporting from East Africa
Community Capacity Building workshops - led by Dr. Richard Ford - were held with UU congregations in Burundi and Uganda earlier this Spring. An inspiring report on the CCB workshop entitled "Two Communities, One Goal: Enabling Churches to Become Agents of Community Development in East Africa," is now available online!
Related UUPCC Virtual Conference Call
Tuesday, June 8, 8:00 pm EST
"An Africa Update on Burundi and Uganda"
Presenters: Richard Ford, Cathy Cordes, Jill McAllister and George Davenport.
Join this call for an overview of the presenters' recent travels to visit with the Unitarians and UUs in Burundi and Uganda, including their experiences meeting congregations, touring a school in Uganda, and conducting two Community Capacity Building workshops, one in each country.
Visit the UUPCC's website for details on how to participate in the call!
IV. IARF Spring Newsletter
The International Association for Religious Freedom (IARF) has its May 2010 newsletter now available online (PDF).
Check it out for news and updates on: the upcoming World Congress this fall; report from State-Level Young Adult Conference on Human Rights, Human Rights Education (HRE) program, and India Chapter 13th National Conference, which took place earlier this spring; HRE Philippines Update - 2010 progress report; and more!
V. EUU Fall Retreat
The Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Paris is happy to invite all to attend the European Unitarian Universalist Fall Retreat! The retreat will take place October 29-31, 2010, in Mittelwihr, France (near Colmar) in the Alsace region
UUA President Rev. Peter Morales, will be present as the retreat's theme speaker; he will speak about "Building a Religion Beyond Belief," which will explore religion not as a set of beliefs but as what we love, and will address the role of religious community.
Further details about the EUU's Fall Retreat are available online; registration information will become available in the coming weeks!
VI. UU-UNO Envoy Social Justice Training
The UU United Nations Office (UU-UNO) is sponsoring an Envoy Social Justice Training on Saturday, June 5, 2010, from 10am to 4pm, at the River Road UU Congregation in Bethesda, MD.
Participants will have the opportunity to learn community organizing strategies and share stories about best practices in their congregations.
LEARN ABOUT THE UU-UNO'S PROGRAM INITIATIVES ON:
- United Nations Sunday
- UN Religious Education
- Every Child is our Child
- Women, Security, & Peace
- LGBT Human Rights
- Climate Change
- And more!
Cost: $30 (includes breakfast, lunch, and materials)
Registration Deadline is May 28, 2010
REGISTER ONLINE TODAY!
For more details, contact Holly Sarkissian, UU-UNO Envoy Coordinator at 212-986-5165 or holly@uu-uno.org.
VII. News from Churches for Middle East Peace
2010 Advocacy Conference | June 13th - 15th, 2010 | Washington D.C.
You are invited to CMEP's 2010 Advocacy Conference to learn, increase your skills, network and advocate for peace with justice in the Holy Land. The conference will be June 13th - 15th at the Kellogg Conference Hotel in Washington, DC.
Psalm 34:14 and 1 Peter 3:11 "Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it." inspired this year's conference theme. This Hebrew Bible and New Testament command to action is at the heart of what CMEP does to be proactive in promoting the right of people in the Holy Land to live in peace and security, free of fears of harassment, oppression, and violence The conference will provide knowledge, skills and networking opportunities for every participant to pursue peace on Capitol Hill and at home.
Conference rates are: $150 for standard registration, $110 for students, and $85 for Monday, June 14th only registration. A limited number of volunteer scholarships are also available,
Learn more about the conference and register today!
VIII. UUHIP: Partners for Justice in India Video
The UUA International Resources Office is happy to announce the release of "UUHIP: Partners for Justice in India," a great introduction to the work and philosophy of the Unitarian Universalist Association's Holdeen India Program.
UUHIP works with key leaders and organizations of India's most marginalized and disadvantaged peoples in their struggle to secure human rights and economic and social justice. The program supports the efforts of those peoples excluded or oppressed on the basis of gender, caste, ethnicity, religion or sexual orientation, especially dalits (untouchables), adivasis (tribals), migrant, bonded and child laborers, domestic and home-based workers, and scavengers, helping them to participate fully in the social, economic and political life of India.
Available online for free, as well as on DVD, the video features profiles of 5 Holdeen India Program partners as well as reflections by Program Direction Kathy Sreedhar, former UUA President Rev. John Buehrens and UU minister Rev. Abhi Janamanchi.
For those interested in obtaining a DVD copy of the video, please contact the International Resources Office.
View "UUHIP: Partners for Justice in India" online!
IX. Flower Communion Resource
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.
The UUA's International Resources Office has a Flower Communion resource available online. 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.
View the Flower Communion resource online!
X. Attend the IARF Congress in September!
The International Association for Religious Freedom (IARF) will be hosting its 33rd World Congress September 4-7, 2010 in Kochi, India.
Held every four years, the theme of this year's congress is "Beyond Conflict to Reconciliation: the Challenge of the 21st Century" and the keynote speaker will be the Dalai Lama. Learn more about this special event!
IARF Council members recorded video greetings, welcoming all to this year's congress: 11 Reasons to Attend the IARF's 2010 World Congress
IARF CONGRESS | COCHIN, KERALA, INDIA
SEPTEMBER 1-7, 201O
The Dalai Lama will be keynote speaker for the 33rd IARF Congress, which takes place September 4-7.
UUA President Peter Morales will participate.
Pre-Congress/Congress events include:
- A tour the last week in August.
- September 1-4: International Assoc. for Liberal Religious Women (IALRW)
- September 1-4: Interfaith Issues - Joint program with World Congress of Faiths (WCF)
including worship, small group discussions, and excursions (to be confirmed in March).
- September 4-7: IARF CONGRESS - www.iarf.net
The 33rd Congress of the International Association for Religious Freedom will be a very special occasion for participants. The theme is "Beyond Conflict to Reconciliation: the Challenge of the 21st Century."
An international list of speakers includes: His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, Dr. Karan Singh, President of the Temple of Understanding, Ms. Asma Jahangir, UN Special Rapporteur on Religion or Belief from the United Nations, Dr. Sheikh Ali, Muslim interfaith leader.
Registration information is available online. The UUA has ten voting delegates so if you are interested in being one, contact the Rev. Eric Cherry at the International Resources Office. There will be important issues to vote on regarding the future of the organization.
Also, the International Association for Liberal Religious Women will be celebrating its 100th year with a special program for women. Don't miss these exciting events and of course, don't miss that unique welcome given by Indian hospitality to its guests! Please contact Doris Hunter, chair of the US Chapter, IARF if you have questions about the coming 33rd Congress of IARF.
XI. ICUU Monthly Global Chalice Lighting
The International Council of Unitarians and Universalists announces the 81st 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 Yoruba and English, is to be used during May 2010.
Yoruba
Alafia mbe l'okan ti
Ife nse Oluto;
Ife dara julo l'ebun
O nmu 'wa rere pe.
English
Peace reigns in the heart that
Love co-ordinates and directs.
Unrestrained love is the greatest gift,
As it prolongs good behaviors and attitudes.
Olafemi Matimoju
First Unitarian Church of Nigeria
XII. Events
- June 5, 2010: UU-UNO Envoy Social Justice Training, Bethesda, MD
- June 7, 2010: UU-UNO Presents: Ubuntu Uganda: An Evening with Bishop Christopher Senyonjo, New York, NY
- June 8, 2010: UUPCC Virtual Conference Call: "An Africa Update on Burundi and Uganda"
- June 13-15, 2010: Churches for Middle East Peace 2010 Advocacy Conference, Washington D.C.
- June 23-27, 2010: UUA General Assembly, Minneapolis, MN
- July 9-13, 2010: U-U Ministers Conference, Eindhoven, the Netherlands (visit www.icuu.net)
- July 13-17, 2010: The Third ICUU International Theological Symposium, Eindhoven, the Netherlands (visit www.icuu.net)
- September 1-7, 2010: IARF Congress in Kochi, India
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