September 2012:    Taking Love to the Polls & Our Communities + New Resources!

Dear Friends:

UUs around the country are acting on our faith and bringing love to the polls this electoral season, partnering with UU State Advocacy Networks and community and campus organizations.  We are speaking out about issues affecting our communities, registering people to vote, joining Get-Out-the-Vote mobilizations and efforts to stop voter suppression.

Learn about what you can do: Join our September 12th Elections 2012 Webinar Take Love to the Polls – 7pm Eastern (6pm Central, 5pm Mountain, 4pm Pacific).  The presentation will have speakers from the UUA, UUSC, UU State Networks, and a campus organizer from Turbo Vote. Register here.  You can find more election resources, including funding, online at www.uua.org/elections2012.

We also want to share some new justice resources and campaigns for the coming year.  See our 2012-2013 UU Social Justice Calendar, our September Congregational Justice Bulletin and some new resources below. As always, let us know what your congregation is doing!

In faith, Audra, Craig, Dan, Jessica, Kat, Meredith, Susan, and Taquiena - UUA Witness Ministries Team  

Honoring Indigenous People’s Day, Oct. 8th & New Resources on Doctrine of Discovery:  "Indigenous Peoples Day" reimagines Columbus Day and changes a celebration of colonialism into an opportunity to reveal historical truths about the genocide and oppression of indigenous peoples in the Americas, to organize against current injustices, and to celebrate indigenous resistance. See Ten Ways to Honor Indigenous Peoples Day, and our new resources and study guide on the Doctrine of Discovery including our Justice GA resolution on this doctrine and what we can do about it.

The 2012-2013 UUA Common Read is Dr. Michelle Alexander’s The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness.  The UUA Bookstore is supporting this Common Read with a 10% discount on orders of 5-9 books and 20% off orders of 10 or more books. Your purchase of The New Jim Crow from the UUA Bookstore supports the work of our Association. See Michelle Alexander’s compelling Justice GA workshop (attended by over 500 people) and learn more at www.uua.org/thenewjimcrow.

Reproductive Justice Resources: The new Congregational Study Action Issue (CSAI) for 2012-2016 is Reproductive Justice: Expanding Our Social Justice Calling. Though the official curriculum and study guide don’t come out until November 1, help prepare your congregation with the newly-available Resource Packet on Reproductive Justice. This packet includes small group ministry sessions, a faith development guide, a liturgical calendar, sample worship, a sermon archive, a list of 10 things for congregations to do, and lots of other materials to help UU clergy members and individuals advocate for reproductive justice. Download by entering your email address here!

Support the Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2012, which would raise the federal minimum wage to $9.80 by 2014 and impact millions of working Americans.  People of faith, clergy and religious leaders are stepping up calls on Congress to raise the federal minimum wage and pass the Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2012. Click here to view and sign the statement.

Service Learning Trips to the US Southwest-Mexico Borderlands: The UU College of Social Justice--a joint initiative of the Unitarian Universalist Association and Unitarian Universalist Service Committee--offers service-learning trips for congregations and individuals to the southwest United States and borderlands of Mexico. Learn firsthand about the complex struggles of the immigrant community and help your congregation engage in immigration justice in your own community. These trips are in February and May 2013. Please visit their website for details — and register for a trip today!

Best Practice: UU State Advocacy Networks in Washington, Minnesota, Maryland and Maine are mobilizing on ballot initiatives to protect marriage equality, and a state “DREAM Act” in Maryland. In Florida, UUs have joined the Move to Amend movement to limit corporate influence in elections. Rev. Abhi Janamachi in Clearwater recently spoke at an NAACP sponsored rally aimed at lifting up the voices of ‘the 99%.” The UU Arizona Immigration Ministry is partnering with Ma Familia Vota to reach out to the Latino/a community.  These, and other state networks, as well as congregation-based community organizations and campus ministries are also registering voters, getting out the vote, and taking on voter suppression. To learn more, register for our Elections 2012 Webinar here.

See www.uua.org/justice for resources, campaign stories, and more!