Vice presidents: How to take Justice GA home
How do we take the Justice General Assembly home? That was the focus of Sunday afternoon’s plenary report from UUA Executive Vice President Kay Montgomery and Vice President for Ministries and Congregational Support the Rev. Harlan Limpert. “The act of coming here has been a declaration that living our Unitarian Universalist faith is inherently about [...]
Hinojosa describes ‘two Americas’ in Ware Lecture
Maria Hinojosa, National Public Radio broadcast journalist, presented the Ware Lecture at General Assembly Saturday night, telling several thousand Unitarian Universalists there are two Americas. Places like Arizona, she said, are “an America where people live in fear of any kind of authority. Imagine looking at officers and feeling fear because the police have the [...]
Phoenix UUs know pain, fear of deportation
During the Saturday afternoon plenary the General Assembly heard from Isabel Chairez, a Phoenix resident who spent three months in a Maricopa County jail last year while pregnant. She said she witnessed oral abuse, was only fed twice a day, and did not receive adequate prenatal care. She was released a month before giving birth [...]
Talking about immigration with children and youth
Gail Forsyth-Vail, adult programs director of the Unitarian Universalist Association, assembled a panel of three religious educators to discuss how Unitarian Universalist congregations could talk about immigration issues with children and youth. Even though immigration is a complicated issue for adults, said Jessica York, youth programs director for the UUA and one of the panelists, [...]
Widow of slain officer supports immigrant rights
Almost five years ago, Julie Erfle’s husband, a Phoenix police officer, was shot and killed in the line of duty by an undocumented immigrant who had previously been deported. The death of Nick Erfle was a catalyst for anti-immigrant legislation in Arizona. But Julie Erfle, a member of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Phoenix, became [...]
Opening Ceremony ends with outdoor rally
The Opening Ceremony of the Justice General Assembly spilled out onto the streets of Phoenix, Ariz., Wednesday night, as hundreds of Unitarian Universalists processed from the Convention Center to Heritage Square singing, “Freedom is Coming.” At a park one block away, people gathered for the outdoor conclusion of the first-night events, filling the plaza with [...]
Team trains to facilitate witness events
About 100 General Assembly participants gathered Wednesday afternoon for a three-hour public witness training session at the Phoenix Convention Center. The group included a diverse mix from across the country, including youth, young adults from the SALT (Spiritual Activist Leadership Training) group, and the District Presidents Association. Wednesday’s session was designed to train the group [...]
Ariz. partners glad we’re here, anxious about court ruling
The Unitarian Universalist Association’s immigration justice General Assembly, which takes place this week in Phoenix, Ariz., appears destined to coincide with a U.S. Supreme Court ruling on the Arizona law that provoked the UUA’s emphasis on immigrant rights in the first place.
Witness and worship on tap at Justice GA
General Assembly 2012, the long-awaited “Justice GA,” is here. Unitarian Universalists will converge in Phoenix, Ariz., June 20 for five days of social justice education, witnessing, and worship. Expect a different GA than others you’ve been to. This one will be light on business sessions and heavy on social justice work. Virtually every GA event [...]
Board seeks input on 2012 Justice GA
The Unitarian Universalist Association Board of Trustees held a workshop Friday afternoon inviting people to share their concerns and ideas for the 2012 Justice General Assembly in Phoenix, Ariz. About 80 people gathered at the “UUA Board Conversation Space: Planning for Phoenix 2012” session. A steady stream of people stood at the microphone to offer [...]
