|  

2019 General Assembly Reporting

Minimize

  

UUJEC Board at General Assembly 2019 in Spokane, WA

The board of Unitarian Universalists for a Just Economic Community met for an annual retreat in downtown Spokane for two days to discuss the upcoming Green New Deal conference in Washington, DC this fall, membership recruitment, and what could be done differently in order for UUJEC to stay in the sight of its membership and other interested parties.  


The board agreed that what we’re doing is working. That means discussing the Green New Deal, putting on conferences, and maintaining the social media accounts with regular posts are helping UUJEC to remain relevant and abreast of the current conversation about justice issues.



The board also engaged in an hour long discussion about board member Carl McCargo’s idea of addressing racism in our faith movement and beyond. The gist of Carl’s idea is to focus on and bring attention to the positive and historical accomplishments of African Americans that are not addressed enough in society. Focusing on cultural oneness, Carl’s presentation on his knowledge and information is the centerpiece of what could be a workshop at General Assembly 2020 in Providence, RI sponsored by UUJEC and another partner. 

Rev. Dr. Adam Robersmith spoke to us at our annual retreat this year in Spokane. Adam is the minister of the Universalist Church West Hartford in West Hartford, CT.  Adam addressed the Green New Deal as a biology major who understands the planet in ways that allowed him to speak about the elements of our planet. As we listened, Adam talked about the changes we all could make and how capitalism plays a role in the health of the planet. Rev. Dr. Robersmith also took questions and engaged all of us in a very intimate and welcoming way. 

 

Build the Movement Toward a Green New Deal by Dick Burkhart

 

Climate catastrophes are hitting ever harder and closer to home while 2/3 of the US population has fallen behind economically over the last two generations despite a doubling of the economy. It’s the old story of the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer. That’s why our working class has lost trust in the leadership of our society. That includes most of us and the science that informs us.


The Green New Deal is a home run on both counts: The carbon-neutral infrastructure it will create is exactly what we need to clamp down on greenhouse gas emissions. At the same time we’ll be investing in working people, with rewarding jobs and universal benefits, regaining their trust, building a more equal society. Demagoguery and scapegoating will lose their force. We’ll leave a more hospitable world to our youth and future generations.

 

The Green New Deal is a vision, not a blueprint. We know we need a rapid transition to clean, renewable energy, leaving the fossil fuels in the ground. But national politics is not yet there to pass detailed programs, and that’s the point: Spread the knowledge about the climate emergency, yes, but also, to rebuild trust and political will by extending a helping hand to the many who have been left behind.


Instead of spending our resources on the fancy lifestyles and projects of the rich, on a bloated military, and on pervasive consumerism, think about a lot fewer mansions, yachts, and extravagant parties and vacations, but a lot more solar panels, wind mills, public transit, walkable and bikeable communities, and affordable and energy-efficient housing, health care, and education. Now add to that a more localized economy and a massive expansion of regenerative agriculture to take CO₂ out of the atmosphere.           Submitted by Christopher Sims

2018 General Assembly Reporting

Minimize

UUJEC at General Assembly in Kansas City, Missouri 2018


View the presentation materials Sally Jane Gellert created for our GA Debrief webinar held in July. The pdf is available here

Read Rachel Bennett Steury's GA report to her congregation as a pdf here

Also review the two AIWs UUJEC developed: Join the Poor People’s Campaign and Tax Breaks for the People, Not the Rich


 


                   

Contact US: uujec@uujec.org  Webmaster: webmaster@uujec.org  By Mail: UUJEC-Bannor 2701 West Fitch Ave. Chicago IL 60645

UUJEC Privacy Policy - Our subscriber and membership information remains confidential. We use your information to send you news of events and updates that we think would interest you. We also use it to contact you for financial support during our fundraising campaigns. UUJEC does not sell our mailing list to any organization or company. If you are receiving mail from UUJEC and would prefer not to, please notify us by email (uujec@uujec.org) to have your information removed from our mailing lists. If you would like to sign up for our email list and have not done so already, please sign up here.