Tag: social justice

Some Options for Action

September 28, 2021 • Mary Bennett

Reversing the climate crisis

Study these resources and then choose some to act on:

Project Drawdown – Climate Solutions by Sector

“Project Drawdown’s mission is to help the world reach “drawdown”—the point in the future when levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere stop climbing and start to steadily decline, thereby stopping catastrophic climate change—as quickly, safely, and equitably as possible.”

82 Partial Solutions

All We Can Save Project – a feminist initiative

“Our mission: To nurture a welcoming, connected, and leaderful climate community, rooted in the work and wisdom of women, to grow a life-giving future.”

Discussion circles

Emotional and mental health support

Photo: Sky smoky from forest fires near Osoyoos, BC, summer 2018.

Dismantling racism

In British Columbia:

Donate to the Indian Residential School Survivors Society

In Canada:

Ask the CUC Board and Staff to describe the work that is being planned to advance the strategic priorities approved by delegates at the 8 May 2021 AGM in these four areas of social justice:
– Truth, Healing and Reconciliation
– Dismantling racism
– Climate justice
– Refugee support

Encourage the CUC to continue to implement its 2020 strategic priorities, notably
– Advance social justice initiatives, including truth, healing, and reconciliation amongst Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples

Ask the CUC to invest more resources in support of anti-racist work.

Photo: Sculpture by Virgil Smoker Marchand at the Desert Cultural Centre in Osoyoos, BC. 2018

A Proud History: Reflecting on Decades of Same-Sex Ceremonies at The Sanctuary

July 28, 2021 • admin

The first same-sex ceremony of union at UCV was conducted nearly half a century ago in 1972 by Reverend Dr. Phillip Hewett, who served for over three decades as minister of the Vancouver Unitarians. In this Q&A, former lay chaplain Katherine Roback explains more of this important history.

The Sanctuary is aptly named because for many years our heritage building here at Oak and 49th was one of the few places in Vancouver that would officiate marriage and other ceremonies for same-sex couples. What was the earliest ceremony that you can remember?

Katherine Roback: The earliest same-sex wedding I officiated was in 2003, the minute weddings honouring 2SLGBTQ+ couples became legal in B.C. Those were busy years, as many couples came here from the United States and other countries where their love could not yet be legally recognized. Prior to that, I was officiating commitment ceremonies for couples who wished for a beautiful ceremony honouring their love.

How did the Vancouver Unitarians deal with push back or opposition to 2SLGBTQ+ equality both in general and within the multi-faith community?

I don’t believe there was any resistance within the congregation. In fact, we had an LGBTQ+ program called “Unison” and opened it up, with strong requests, to the whole congregation. As far as opposition in the multi-faith community, couples from many denominations (or none at all) came to Vancouver Unitarian Church to have their love respected and legalized.

Minister Hewett was decades ahead of many others in performing same-sex ceremonies. Could you talk a bit more about his role?

Rev. Phillip Hewett actually founded the Lay Chaplaincy Program in Canada in 1972, as he was overwhelmed performing up to eight weddings in a day. This program trained and licensed lay people to officiate ceremonies. He began officiating gay and lesbian ceremonies of union and entered their ceremonies in the official record of Provincial weddings, to legitimize them. He signed certificates of marriage for each couple.

In our tradition, what’s the distinction between ministers and lay chaplains?

A minister is ordained by their congregation after completing their theology degree and being called to serve the congregation. A minister marries members of the congregation.

A lay chaplain is a Unitarian who shows special qualities that can serve anyone wishing a beautiful wedding — non-members of the church.

Could you explain the difference between a marriage ceremony and some of the other ceremonies for couples offered by Unitarian chaplains?

What makes a marriage ceremony legal are four components that include the couple’s vows, the signing of the marriage license, and the pronouncement by the officiant — and enthusiastic cheers!

We also perform Ceremonies of Union — just like a legal wedding, but without the signing of the license. Our lay chaplains are also honoured to create, together with couples, ceremonies of all kinds for all occasions, such as a ceremony where couples renew their vows of love and commitment.

Why do you think Unitarian Universalists in Canada, the U.S., and elsewhere, have often played a leading role in movements for 2SLGBTQ+ equality?

Rather than dogma and creed, Unitarian Faith is founded on a set of principles to live by. The UU First Principle affirms and promotes “the inherent worth and dignity of every person.” That says it all.

Statement on the 8th Principle by UCV Board President Diane Brown

May 18, 2021 • UCV Admin

Dear Unitarians,

Leadership does not mean “objectivity” or not taking a stance; leadership means defining yourself within the values of the organization and sharing that perspective and why you believe it. It also means listening. I am, as President, committed to doing both.

Full disclosure; I believe in the proposed 8^th Principle and I am not going to pretend otherwise.

I know there is concern out there about recent events at the CUC. I would just like to add that my work on the UCV Board is to move us forward in a way that is truly inclusive and progressive, that furthers and deepens our stated collective vision.

That means we will be encouraging dialogue within our congregation, hosting an 8^th Principle Forum, requesting everyone read the Dismantling Racism Study Group report and it’s recommendations which are attached below and on the website, and dedicating a service to the 8th Principle. In this way, more people can fully participate in discussion and understanding of the 8th Principle as a crucial next step.

The lack of inclusion of more voices, and the technicality that brought about the demise of this recent attempt to adopt the 8^th Principle, will not exist, and we will all be able to walk forward together.

Moreover, we at UCV do not have to wait for the CUC to adopt the 8^th Principle. After substantive discussion, we ourselves can put it to a vote, hopefully providing vision and leadership to our sister congregations.

Finally, Rev Lara shared some history with me that I would like to share with you all now.

There is some very interesting history around how the existing 7 principles were affirmed. There were only going to be 6 of them, as people felt that interdependence was implicit in them, but others felt it necessary to explicitly name our responsibility and connection to the planet and its inhabitants. Now the 7th principle is a covenant to action for the environment and all non-humans on our Blue Boat Home.

The proposed 8th principle may seem to be implicit in the wording of the other 7, but recent studies https://cuc.ca/dismantling-racism-study-group/ and decades of experience have proven otherwise, so the people who are most impacted are asking to have it spelled out.

We Unitarians dream of a future where all of the principles we affirm to promote no longer need to be written, because they are simply lived. But we are not there yet.

In active faith and hope,

Diane Brown

UCV Board President

O Canada 2021 – Twelve days of honouring celebrations?

May 1, 2021 • Keith Wilkinson

by Keith Wilkinson

For 2021, let’s celebrate a whole collection of summer holidays (holy days) for one grand summer festival honouring all people and other beings while bearing witness to the challenges that call Unitarians to keep on working for justice…

My covenant group met on Canada Day in 2020 and we shared some thoughts about what we liked and disliked about Canada Day. There were many things we appreciated about Canadian culture and political systems, and also many areas where we felt we still fell short and needed to keep on working. Following are some celebrations we could perhaps honour next year leading up to a more complete and satisfying celebration of Canada Day. (Ah…but who amongst us might take the lead!)

2021 Jun 20	Sunday	World Refugee Day This event honors the courage, strength and determination of women, men and children who are forced to flee their homeland under threat of persecution, conflict and violence.
Jun 20	Sunday	Fathers Day Father’s Day is an unofficial holiday to celebrate fathers around the world—although the date for celebration varies.
Jun 21	Monday	Summer Solstice from a scientific viewpoint It’s the scientific start to summer in the Northern Hemisphere, when this half of the world tilts toward the sun. Litha – Summer solstice from a Wiccan viewpoint The Solstice Teaches Us A poem from the UUA Worship Web
Jun 21	Monday	National Indigenous Peoples Day A day to celebrate and learn more about the cultural diversity of the First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples in Canada.
Jun 21	Monday	International Day of Yoga Yoga is practiced in various forms around the world and continues to grow as a sport and a lifestyle. Traditional yoga has a meditative and spiritual core in addition to the physical exercises. The result is a wide variety of schools, practices, and goals within the yoga community. It is because of yoga’s holistic approach to body and mind that the UN decided in 2014 to dedicate June 21 to this ancient tradition. “Yoga is a sport that can contribute to development and peace. Yoga can even help people in emergency situations to find relief from stress.” said Ban Ki-Moon, UN Secretary-General.
Jun 23	Wednesday	Public Service Day The United Nations’ Public Service Day is held on June 23 each year. It recognizes that democracy and successful governance are built on the foundation of a competent civil service. The day aims to celebrate the value and virtue of service to the community.
Jun 23	Wednesday	International Widows’ Day International Widows’ Day was introduced to address poverty and injustice faced by widows and their children in many countries. It was officially recognized by the United Nations in 2010 and is observed annually on June 23.
Jun 24	Thursday	Fête nationale du Québec (FR) Fête nationale du Québec (EN) AKA Ste-Jean-Baptiste Day (EN) The people of Québec celebrate their national holiday with more than 750 celebrations held across the province on 23 and 24 June. Organized by nearly 20,000 volunteers, the festivities of the Fête nationale include more than 1,050 events and 360 bonfires, in addition to some of the largest public gatherings in Québec.
Jun 25	Friday	Day of the Seafarer In 2010, the International Maritime Organization (IMO), decided to designate June 25th as the International Day of the Seafarer as a way to recognize that almost everything that we use in our daily lives has been directly or indirectly affected by sea transport. The purpose of the day is to give thanks to seafarers for their contribution to the world economy and the civil society; and for the risks and personal costs they bear while on their jobs.
Jun 26	Saturday	International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking to raise awareness of the major problem that illicit drugs represent to society. This day is supported by individuals, communities and various organizations all over the world.
Jun 26	Saturday	International Day in Support of Victims of Torture Rehabilitation centres and human rights organizations around the world celebrate the UN’s International Day in Support of Victims of Torture on June 26 each year. The day serves as a reminder to people that torture is a crime. This event gives everyone a chance to unite and voice their opinions against human torture. Organizations, including the International Rehabilitation Council for Torture Victims and Amnesty International, have played an active role in organizing events around the world to promote the day. Activities may include photo exhibitions, the distribution of posters and other material to boost people’s awareness of issues related to human torture, and television advertisements.
Jun 27	Sunday	Canadian Multiculturalism Day Discover the significance of multiculturalism in Canada — ensuring that all citizens keep their identities, take pride in their ancestry and have a sense of belonging.
Jun 30	Wednesday	International Asteroid Day June 30 is the anniversary of the *Tunguska* impact, also known as the Tunguska event. On that day a large explosion occurred in the sky over the Podkamennaya Tunguska River in Siberia, Russia. It destroyed about 2,000 square kilometers (770 square miles) of the forest in the area, flattening about 80 million trees. The area is sparsely populated, and there were no official reports of human casualties. It is thought that an asteroid or a comet was responsible for the blast. The Tunguska event is considered to be the largest asteroid impact on Earth in recorded history.
2021 Jul 1	Thursday	Canada Day – UCV’s Patrick Dubois’ 2020 Musical Tribute What do we need to do as Canadian Unitarians to help make Canada Day a time of celebration for all people and not just a settler’s celebration?

On-going

The Butterfly Way Project – The David Suzuki Foundation

Environmental Rights

Climate Solutions

Further information on 2021 holidays worldwide:

United Nations Holidays

timeanddate.com

UUA Worship Web – a poem on summer

Also:

Animal Rights Awareness Week – (Mid June) 13-19 June 2021?
Fish are Friends, Not Food Week! – (Last Week of June) 20-26 June 2021?
National Pollinator Week – 20-26 June 2021?

It’s still not too late! UU Opportunities for Deeper Involvement

February 24, 2021 • Keith Wilkinson

This is an April update of information originally posted in February 2021.

(Image credit: UUA United Nations Office – UUA UNO)

Defending Democracy in an Autocratic World

A Blog posting from Jan 2021 by Bruce Knotts, Director of the UUA United Nations Office
Bruce will be one of the leaders of the UCV Sunday Service on 2 May 2021.

UK Annual General Assembly was on 24 Apr 2021. Some sessions may be online.

- UK General Assembly of Unitarian and Free Christian Churches
- See some of the People from the UK GA

CUC’s National Conference
Friday, May 14 – Sunday, May 16

Register now to be part of our national community and connections! The Confluence Lecture, Lighter Side musc & comedy night, Memorial Wall, Bridging Ceremony, workshops and networking sessions, Sunday service, and MUSIC!

All information at https://sites.google.com/cuc.ca/cucconference2021/home
CUC AGM – Sat morning, 8 May 2021 >>> Details of Meeting

UCV’s seven voting delegates for the 2021 CUC AGM are:

Lynn Armstrong, Diane Brown, Galen Elfert, Hans Elfert, Olivia Hall, Geoff Rempel, Keith Wilkinson. (KIersten Moore is on the CUC Board and will be participating but not as a UCV delegate. Lynn Armstrong is a member of the CUC Nominating Committee.)

The meeting will be held via Zoom, 10 am – 1:30 pm, Pacific Time, Saturday 8 May 2021. Any UCV member may attend to observe, but not vote.

AGENDA includes:

Proposed adjustments to the method of calculating the Annual Program Contribution based on membership numbers and donations
Setting CUC’s 2021-22 Goals, namely:

1. Strengthen and nurture community resilience so our Unitarian Universalist congregations and communities are connected to each other, and thrive spiritually, theologically, organizationally, economically, and socially in a diverse, multi-generational context;
2. Enhance religious exploration and spiritual growth grounded in the vision, principles, sources, and aspirations of the Canadian Unitarian Universalist (UU) movement;
3. Advance socially responsible actions to live out our vision of interdependence, love, and justice to bring benefit to Canadian and global communities;
4. Strengthen local, regional, national, and global networks of collaborative and interdependent UU conSetting CUC’s 2021-22 Proposed Strategic Initiatives, namely:

Within the above goals, the following strategic priorities are recommended for 2021-2022

1. Ensure sound financial management, including sustainable revenue generation, to continue the work of building vital Unitarian communities;
2. Strengthen the national fabric of our UU community by:
  - Nurturing and enhancing innovation and sustainability;
  - Enhancing and optimizing connections and relationships among UU communities in intentionally inclusive ways; and,
  - Ensuring that the CUC and its congregations and communities are well positioned to welcome and embrace those who seek Unitarian Universalism.
3. Advance these social justice initiatives:- Truth, Healing and Reconciliation
  – Dismantling racism
  – Climate justice
  – Refugee support
4. Develop, curate and focus on Canadian resources to advance religious exploration and spiritual growth in a multigenerational context.

You’ll also have the opportunity to see and hear oral and video reports from the CUC about what has been happening across Canada in UU circles over the past year.

Delegates will be expected to attend an online orientation session on how to vote using zoom.

More…

(Photo Credit: Keith Wilkinson, Mustangs along the Fraser River near Lytton from a UCV field trip with Cole Harris.)

A Few Books on climate, indigenous, racial, and social justice

James Daschuk, 2019 (2^rd Edition), Clearing the plains: Disease, politics of starvation, and the loss of aboriginal life.

Melinda Gates, 2020, The moment of lift.

Kazuo Ishiguro, 2021. Klara and the sun.

Elizabeth Kolbert, 2021, Under a white sky: The nature of the future.

Wendy Wickwire, 2019, At the bridge: James Teit and an anthropology of belonging.

Isabel Wilkerson, 2010, The warmth of other suns: The epic story of America’s great migration.

Shoshanna Zuboff, 2019. The Age of Surveillance Capitalism.

Our Moral Priorities

October 17, 2020 • Keith Wilkinson

Support COVID Relief in NE India – a Faithify Crowd Source Initiative.

This is an initiative sponsored by the International Convocation of Unitarian Universalist Women.

More details below…

The current COVID-19 pandemic and the on-going global climate crisis may leave us a bit bewildered about where and how to act in a constructive way. What should our priorities be? Like each of us, I eventually find a way forward that suits my character, temperament, and pocketbook. Socially, spiritually, and economically, I find ways to support: a) my family, b) my friends, c) my religious community d) other creatures, e) my neighbourhood, f) my city, g) my province, h) my country, i) my planet, j) myself – not necessarily in that order! Within each of these I look for ways, large or small, in which I can contribute, ways suited to my gifts. And in this manner, it seems to me, each one of us maps out our unique ethical path.

There are times when many of us need to be headed in roughly the same direction on critical issues if we are to make a helpful contribution to our own well-being and that of our planet. One of those directions, I believe, is toward climate justice. There are many specific paths within this direction that a person can follow, but we need to head generally the same way as others and be supportive of each other in order to get there. I can’t think of anyone in our Unitarian community who isn’t doing something to move in this direction toward climate justice.

A more urgent issue is provision of global relief to help people cope successfully with COVID-19. Refugees fleeing from wars, oligarchies, and disastrous climate changes also need help. While governments and charitable organizations help, how do we, as individuals, pick from amongst the many options for helping?

Following are descriptions and links to a few programs related to the global Unitarian Universalist community that are addressing these needs. Perhaps you can find something in the short list below that appeals to your spirit and character to which you can contribute money or service immediately.

Some primary options for giving

COVID-19 Relief

Donate to UCV by texting 1 778 771 1707 and adding a note to direct your donation to:

Burundi Partner Church COVID-19 Relief Fund

**Directions for giving by text are outlined at the end of this posting.

You can also give to this fund electronically, or by mailing a cheque to the UCV Office.
For directions for electronic giving as well as pledging options, go to the UCV Website and click on Give near the top right hand side of the page which will take you to our Giving Page.

Donate through a crowd source initiative in support of COVID relief for Unitarians in NE India. Go to the following link and follow the instructions:

Support COVID Relief in NE India – a Faithify Crowd Source Initiative.

This is an initiative sponsored by the International Convocation of Unitarian Universalist Women.

Other UCV Crisis Support Initiatives

(Give by text, electronically, or by cheque to UCV)

Sheilah Thompson Refugee Fund
(Used by the UCV Refugee Committee as backup where needed for specific groups of refugees)

Refugee Funds for a particular family/group
(Used by the UCV Refugee Committee to support specific refugee groups or families. UCV is currently supporting 3 such groups: Al Humaid, Issa and Rosa, & Mohammed Ali Alian.)

Green Fund
(Allocated by the Board in consultation with the UCV Environment Team to support specific environmental initiatives, some related to improving UCV’s carbon footprint, and some directed to the larger community.)

Emergency Relief Fund
(Directed by the UCV Board in consultation with selected committees for global relief work.)

Support for CUC initiatives via UCV

CUC Sharing Our Faith Fund
(Money contributed each year from across Canada to help selected congregations offer special programs for which they apply. UCV has been a beneficiary of this fund in recent years.)

To give to UCV by text, enter 1 778 771 1707 on your smartphone

If it’s your first time donating by text, you’ll be given a link and asked to supply your payment method (credit card, debit card, or bank account) and details about that. This payment source will then be linked with your phone number.

Then simply text the amount you’d like to give to this number. For example:

Text [ Give $5 ]

This will send $5.00 immediately to the UCV open collection.

Once you’ve donated, you’ll receive a text confirming that your donation has been received successfully. You’ll also be given the option to cancel the donation if you’ve made an error.

You can also direct text donations to specific UCV funds. To do this, text the amount followed by a short description of where you want the money to be directed. For example:

Text [ Give $5 to Burundi COVID-19 Relief ]

This will direct $5 immediately to the UCV Burundi Partner Church COVID-19 Relief Fund.

All of your text donations will be combined with any other donations you have made to UCV and will be reported to you at the end of the year for income tax purposes as Charitable Donations.

CUC May 2020 National Conference & AGM Highlights

May 27, 2020 • Keith Wilkinson

Featured image – Susanne Maziarz, Music Director at Neighbourhood Unitarian Universalist Congregation, Toronto; co-leader with Rev Wayne Walder of a cross-Canada ceremony of remembrance, We are together, at the national gathering on 17 May 2020.

*12 more photos at the end of this post!

CUC eNews Coverage here.

CUC May 2020 National Conference Highlights

Video of the CUC Cross Canada Sunday Service One Storm, Many Ships
(edited video, 90 minutes). The wonderful story for children of all ages read by Kiersten Moore has been deleted from the saved video pending copyright approvals from Disney.
CUC 2019 Annual Report (pdf document, 56 pages)
The annual report is full of information about CUC’s work and how you might participate. It’s very worthwhile reading!
Attendance at 4 meetings via Zoom & YouTube: 150, 170, 200, 1,000
(Numbers are approximate because more than one person may have been on one connection and some people had more than one connection!) Details of events follow.
If you’re interested in participating in these events in the future, contact the UCV UU Connections Committee – currently Keith Wilkinson, Lynn Armstrong, Kiersten Moore, & Emilie Adin. Text or phone Keith at 604-838-5643 or Lynn at 778-835-2546 or watch for a newly updated UCV Directory of Small Groups, Committees, and Teams, anticipated soon!

Plenary session – Thurs 14 May 2020, 150 participants; informal discussion of the resolutions being presented at the Sat AGM.

Gathering Ceremony – Fri, 15 May 2020, 170 participants, virtual banner parade with photos sent from many congregations across Canada, with music added, assembled by Amber Bellemare in Montreal.

Cross Canada Service – Sun, 17 May 2020, 1,000 participants, four ministers, many musicians and singers
Video available on CUC’s YouTube channel.

Annual General Meeting – Sat, 16 May 2020, 200 participants (97 delegates, 100 observers, 45 congregations)
See the CUC Annual Report for details.

Reviewed CUC’s expected investment performance with the investments manager;
(investments at the end of Dec 2019 were valued at $6.1 million);
Approved an operating budget of $812,000 (compare this to UCV at $600,000);
Approved changes in procedures for electing board members;
Elected new board members;
Approved 2020-21 goals and strategic priorities;
Responded to questions about the International Council of Unitarians and Univeralists (ICUU) conference still scheduled for Montreal in October 2020;
Received reports regarding a few of the many initiatives outlined in the Annual Report:
- Youth and Young Adults (Annual Report, pp 23-26)
  plus CazUUm – CUC youth zoom conference (34 participants)
- Truth Healing and Reconciliation Initiative (Annual Report, pp 29-31)
- Social Justice Action (Annual Report, pp 26-28)
- Dismantling Racism (Annual Report, p 35)
- Polyamory Task Force (Annual Report, pp 36-55 – the full 19-page report from the task force on this complex subject, including recommendations for the CUC.)
Celebration of special awards:
- Sharing our Faith Awards – Awards to support emerging programs in several congregations (Durham, Mississauga, Edmonton)
- Northern Lights Award – support for a major initiative, this year for Northwest Toronto Co-housing Project (involving Unitarian fellowship of Northwest Toronto)
- Shining Lights Award – for new innovative programs (see CUC website for details)
- Theological Education Fund Award – Co-sponsored by CUC and UUMOC (UU Ministers of Canada) for support of ministerial students (grants made to two ministerial students ths year)
- Knight Award – Awarded to Rev Frances Deverell for dedicated service on social justice issues including work with the Canadian Unitarians for Social Justice CUSJ
- See the above links or email the CUC office for more details about any of the CUC award programs.