News and updates from the UU-UNO to keep you informed.
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Dear ,
New Year's greetings to you! This new year has brought a strong reminder of the fragility of life on Earth as parts of our beautiful blue planet are burning, drowning, and trembling due to human inaction to address the climate crisis. Meanwhile, people are showing up to unite against authoritarian governments that seek to divide communities. This time is truly challenging us to engage our deepest values and follow those values up with action. Courage, friends.
Here are the minutes from the January Envoy call when we spoke about recent developments at the UN concerning human rights. Our next monthly meeting will be in February: You can RSVP here.
In the coming weeks I'll be reaching out to Envoys to check in on their Blue Ribbon Status. Feel welcome to send me a note if you'd like to know how your congregation is doing towards achieving the Blue Ribbon Award this year. As a reminder, the requirements for Blue Ribbon status must be met by March 31st.
In faith, love, hope, and justice,
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Allison Hess
International Engagement Associate
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FOR YOUR NEWSLETTER Some recommended text to put in your congregation's newsletter.
Across the world, Unitarian Universalists are showing up to call for a global shift in climate policy towards justice, sustainability, and zero emissions. As part of this larger movement, we are called to support communities that are on the front lines already experiencing the effects of rising seas, natural disasters, and more from this climate crisis. This will be the topic for the upcoming UU United Nations Office's Intergenerational Spring Seminar, All In For Climate Justice: People, Power, Planet.
From April 16-18 in New York City, participants (age 14+) will learn how to act towards a more sustainable and just world. With a focus on global and local efforts to organize for climate justice under the leadership of indigenous communities and youth leaders, the Seminar will ground UU participants in UU responses to the injustices of the climate crisis and equip them with skills to return to their communities as activists. Learn more and register by March 2, 2020 at www.UUA.org/UNSpringSeminar.
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Please complete the following tasks by the end of February.
- Check in with Allison regarding your Blue Ribbon status. How's your congregation's progress towards accomplishing the 4 requirements before the March 31 deadline?
- Send Allison a note if you're planning to attend the upcoming UUA MidAmerica Regional Assembly in Rockford, IL April 18, the UUA Pacific Southwest District Assembly in San Luis
Obispo, CA April 24-26, 2020, or the CUC National Conference in Halifax, NS May 15-17.
January Review: (1) Submit a sermon for the Dana Greeley Award, (2) Register with a group for the Intergenerational Spring Seminar.
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Panelists at High Level Interactive Dialogue for the International Day of Education hosted at the UN Headquarters in New York City January 24, 2020.
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TIME TO ACT
The following "Time to Act" suggestions for January 2020 will be related to the Twelfth Sustainable Development Goal: Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns - focusing on target 12.5 (By 2030, substantially reduce waste generation through prevention, reduction, recycling and reuse.) SDG 12? WHY IT MATTERS!
- This is a great opportunity for congregational action towards sustainability!
- Is your congregation already a Green Sanctuary? If yes, you'll likely have already done many of these suggestions; but are congregants following suit at home?
- Invest in reusable storage containers at your congregation and use those to store leftover coffee hour snacks instead of using plastic wrap or tin foil.
- When the congregation buys supplies, always choose the ones with the least amount of packaging especially plastic. For example: avoid tea bags in individual wrappers, and candy or granola bars with wrappers that are not recyclable.
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INTERGENERATIONAL SPRING SEMINAR April 16-18, 2020 - New York City
I hope to see lots of Envoys at the UU-UNO's 2020 Intergenerational Spring Seminar, All In For Climate Justice: People Power Planet! Please be aware of the deadline for Early Registration: February 3, 2020. And remember: Envoys get a $50 discount as well with the code ENVOY. Registration is open through March 2 and those who are attending should consider applying to serve as a Collaboration Group
Leader. We have some funds available to cover reduced registration fees for some participants; applications for reduced registration are due on February 17.
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YOU COULD WIN $500 2019-20 Dana Greeley Sermon Competition
Did you host a UN Sunday service this fall that featured an inspiring sermon related to the theme Equity in Action: Gender in an Intersecting World? Or perhaps whoever spoke at your UN Sunday service inspired you to write up some ideas of your own? I encourage you to submit a sermon that addresses the theme of intersectional gender equity to the Dana McLean Greeley Sermon Competition. You have a chance to win $500 and have your sermon featured on our website and social media. Submissions should highlight the work of the United Nations and the UU-UNO and are due February 12, 2020.
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UU THE VOTE Join the campaign for electoral justice and engagement
Often people ask us what they can do to help the work of the UU-UNO. The most important thing that we can all do is vote - and help others to register to vote - for local, state, and national governments that will promote respect for human rights, the rule of just and equitable laws, sustainable development, and all the values we hold dear. These shared values include decriminalization (inclusive of racial justice and immigration justice), climate justice (with indigenous partnership), gender-based and LGBTQ equity (inclusive of reproductive justice), and electoral and voting justice. An American government with its mission to the United Nations working
for our shared values will make the UU-UNO’s job at the United Nations much easier and more effective.
All our values, our work for justice, the communities we love, and the beloved community we seek to create are under attack. Our religious community must speak with moral courage and act with prophetic clarity and determination in the 2020 U.S. electoral cycle. In this political moment, UUs are called to join forces with all people who want to organize our communities and our nation to #VoteLove and #DefeatHate. Let’s UU the Vote in 2020.
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FROM THE INTERNATIONAL BLOG Find more at www.UUA.org/international/blog
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Remembering the Past and Mending the Present: the Value of Indigenous Truth & Reconciliation Committees
By Lindsey Mayer, Climate Justice InternThe United States has made little effort to improve its relationship with Native Americans compared to what other countries have done with indigenous populations. Starting in the 1600s Native American history has been.......
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Bouncers and Sleep Deprivation at COP25
By Ahti Tolvanen, Envoy & COP25 delegateWhen I arrived at my hotel in Madrid the lobby was abuzz with a crowd of young people from Asia and Romania who had arrived to join Friday's march of half a million people to demand climate action. The most visible public voice was Greta Thunberg, the Swedish.....
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When War Was Declared Illegal: The Kellogg-Briand Pact
By Joanne Dufour, Disarmament VolunteerOona Hathaway and Scott Shapiro begin their book, The Internationalists, with the following description of the historic event on August 27, 1928: "On that day, crowds gathered outside the Quai d'Orsay to watch world leaders arrive at the Clock Room in the immense.......
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NEWS: UNITED NATIONS
Keep yourself and your congregation informed about important news coming from the UN
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This work is made possible by the generosity of member congregations and individual donors.
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