Greetings!
Today was Pro Choice Lobby Day at the Minnesota Capitol and UUs joined in to "raise our voice for choice!" We also delivered 120 postcards - signed at the Shelby Knox event - to let  legislators and the Governor see our Unitarian Universalist values in action and know of our strong support for comprehensive sex education in our schools.
Sex education month from the UUA Office of Advocacy & Witness continues through the end of March. We hope you took advantage of Sexuality Education Call-In Days from our last Connection. It's not too late to contact your U.S. and Minnesota representatives with your support for age-appropriate, medically accurate sexuality education. The UUA has an excellent Issue Brief to help you write or call.
Connecting local UUs to larger movements for justice is central to the work of MUUSJA. Supporting this work is now simpler than ever: we've added online donation capability. The button is just to the right, and also on our membership page at muusja.org. If you prefer, you may still make or renew your contribution at any time by check, in person at a MUUSJA event, or by mail. We look forward to seeing you at 1 o'clock this Sunday, March 29th for MUUSJA's Spring Meeting keynoted by Louis J. King, President of Summit Academy and co-chair of H.I.R.E. Minnesota. Louis offers an important message about green jobs with justice and he invites all UUs to join with thousands of economic and environmental advocates at the capitol on Monday, April 20th. Come hear how we can share in the community effort to ensure that the green economy benefits everyone. We will conduct some brief business, release our annual report, and celebrate our issue group successes. See you soon! In faith, Ralph Wyman
MUUSJA Director/Organizer (Pictured above: Jody Beresford, Ralph Wyman, Cecelia Newton, Rev. Wendy Jerome, Cathy Apostle, with Kiely Todd Roska of MN RCRC at the Capitol, March 25, 2009) |
H.I.R.E. Minnesota: Louis King to speak on Green Jobs and Economic Justice
 Spring MUUSJA Meeting
Sunday, March 29th, 1:00 pm
First Universalist Church, Chalice Room
3400 Dupont Ave S.
Minneapolis, 55408
Map
Hear community leader and educator Louis J. King speak about H.I.R.E. Minnesota - the Health
care, Infrastructure and Renewable Energy coalition.
H.I.R.E. is working
to leverage public investments that grow our economy, provide living wages to low-income people and people of color, and promote healthy communities.
King is the President and C.E.O. of Summit Academy O.I.C., which is the
only community-based vocational training and job placement program in North
Minneapolis. Summit empowers adults and prepares youth in the most economically
depressed neighborhoods in the Twin Cities to become educated, employed and
contributing members of the community.
An inspiring speaker, King will help MUUSJA understand how we can
partner with H.I.R.E. to ensure that everyone benefits from the new, green
economy!
MUUSJA Spring Meeting is open to all. Light refreshments will be served, and a short business meeting will precede Louis King's address and Q&A session. FFI call Ralph: 612-998-6624
--==--
 H.I.R.E. is calling for 20,000 people
to converge on St. Paul to demand green jobs with economic justice!
Plan now to attend this major pre-Earth Day rally!! Monday, April 20th, 3-5 pm: Rally for Equity, the Economy, and the Environment - Minnesota State Capitol South Lawn.
Click here if you'd like to register for this April 20th H.I.R.E. event! (Registration requested, not required)
|
| MUUSJA Action News: |
MUUSJA Monthly Conference Call
Our
monthly call would be April 5, but we suggest attending the PSD Annual Conference which ends on that morning. Be
there to connect with other justice advocates in person! Our monthly
call will resume on Sunday, May 3, focusing on the Voter Rights campaign.
 UUs Out 4 Marriage
Monday, April 6
7 - 9 pm
Unity
Church Unitarian
732
Holly Ave, St. Paul 55104
Help Minnesotans and UUs to fulfill the call to
stand on the side of love. You can watch the UUA video "Standing on
the Side of Love" on the UUO4M page of muusja.org. We are planning outreach events and materials, a poetry night, perhaps a Twin Cities Pride 2010+G.A. 2010 event in support of full marriage equality! If
you can't make the meeting but would like to start receiving notes and UUO4M
updates, contact Ralph and ask to be added to the UUO4M Yahoo list.
FFI
Ralph rwmuusja@gmail.com,
612-998-6624.
MUUSJA Board Meeting
Thursday, April 9
7 - 9 pm
Unity Church Unitarian
732 Holly Ave, St. Paul 55104
All
are welcome to attend and to join in conversation at our monthly board
meeting. April ageanda items include strategic planning, building a solid funding base for MUUSJA. Our fundraising committee is seeking new members - you need not be a board member to serve on a committee. Contact Ralph at 612-998-6624 or rwmuusja@gmail.com for information or to request an agenda.
 AUW/MUUSJA Voter RightsSaturday, April 11 1 - 3 pm First Universalist Church 3400 Dupont Ave S, Minneapolis Work
on the Voter Rights proposed Action of Immediate Witness (AIW) & Voter Rights Workshop: "Does Touchscreen Voting Violate the 5th Principle?" for G.A. 2009 in Salt Lake City! Several federal bills on election integrity have
been introduced and need the support of UUs across the nation. An AIW
is a great way to build national UU interest. Mark
Ritchie is also scheduled to appear at GA. FFI Jenny Thomas jjthomas@skypoint.com or Carol Johnson 612-825-3322.
MUUSJA EcoMinds
Tuesday, April 14 (Date subject to change, see next Connection for confirmation)
7-9 pm
First Universalist Church
3400 Dupont Ave S, Minneapolis
Wrap up postcard campaign. Take what we learn on March 29th to move on the H.I.R.E. coalition. Earth Day is April 22. FFI
contact Ralph at rwmuusja@gmail.com
Jubilee Anti-Racism Workshop
Saturday, April 25
First Unitarian Society
900 Mt. Curve
The Asian Pacific Islander Caucus of D.R.U.U.M. (Diverse Revolutionary UU Multicultural Ministries) invites everyone to join them for an all-day anti-racism training. The curriculum is the Jubilee program - in a more compressed 1 day format - and is facilitated by Janice Marie Johnson. Janice has
served with The Mountain Retreat and Learning Center, as a trustee in our UU United Nations
Office, on the UU Commission on Appraisal, and as president of DRUUMM. Registration is $50 ($40 youth/young adult) and also includes Friday night entertainment. Contact Catie Chi Olson for info: (612) 807-6645; (612) 354-3863. Co-sponsored by MUUSJA.
|
Prairie Star District Annual Conference
|
Our Blue Boat Home: Living the Seventh Principle
April 3-5, 2009
Duluth, Minnesota
Last chance for 2009! Conference Information is on the PSD web site. Online registration closes at noon on April 2nd.
MUUSJA works with the Prairie Star District Social Justice Network to support the annual Pre-Conference Social Justice Training. This year's topic is Successful Strategies for Environmental Justice. Pre-conference training is Friday afternoon, April 3rd, and ends in time to attend the evening's conference activities. Training is only $5 if registering for the Conference/$10 as a stand-alone event.
 Panelists have regional, national and international experience in environmental justice to share with us. Breakout sessions will allow interaction and detailed discussions. See the full-color flyer here.
We hope to see you there!!
|
|
UU & Allied Social Justice Events
|
 Dreaming a Welcoming World:
Listening to the Stories of LGBT people
Saturday,
March 28th
8:30 am - 1 pm
UU Society of River Falls
N8010 State Hwy 65
River Falls, WI 54022
A short drive from the twin Cities, this
informal but
informative half-day will present personal stories of 4 people who
happen to be Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender. After the morning session we will join in
further Q&A while enjoying lunch together.
$15 at door/$5 student-low income. Last minute registration welcome, Please call Barb at 715-262-3449 to plan refreshments.
Series:
White
Bear UU 2009 Economic Justice Initiative
Wednesdays, 7:30 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
April 1 - May 13
WBUUC, in the Sanctuary
328 Maple St.
Mahtomedi, MN 55115
map (can be hard to find, use the map!)
Seven week series on a variety of topics, all directly impacting economic justice.
April 1: A
Minnesota
Without Poverty, April 8: Local and regional disparities and potential solutions. Future topics include $10 in 2010, Labor rights, more. FFI: Dan Hoxworth at
651-329-8562, dhoxworth @comcast.net.
 UUSC President Charlie Clements at WBUUC
Sunday Services, April 12
White Bear UU
328 Maple St.
Mahtomedi, MN 55115
map
Charlie Clements is a well-known human rights activist and public
health physician who serves at the President and CEO of the UU Service Committee, an international organization advancing human rights and social justice in the United States and around the world.
JustFair Lobby Day for LGBT Equality
Thursday, April 23
Lobby appointments all day
Rally at Noon
MN State Capitol
UUO4M invites everyone to join together as UUs as we stand on the side of love! Marriage equality is is a proud part of our Unitarian Universalist legacy - help bring this critical piece of equality to all Minnesotans. JustFair lobby day will be the launch of a multi-year effort for marriage equality, and faith voices like ours will play a crucial role! Registration is open now. Details at OutFront.org. And join us at Unity on Monday, April 6th at 7 pm as UUO4M continues to organize UU engagement in bringing fairness to Minnesota!
UUA General Assembly 2009
June 24-28
Salt Palace Convention Center
Salt Lake City
Registration is open for G.A. 2009. We are thrilled to say that the MUUSJA/AUW Voter Rights team has a workshop at this G.A.! And there is so much more to this annual get-together of WE the UUs who make up our Association. The election of a new UUA President is a key piece of G.A. business! Full details on the web. Reduced cost housing has been arranged through a university dorm, and full-time 5-day registration remains at $300 through April 30th.
|
|
|
MUUSJA is dedicated to building the UU social justice movement in Minnesota. Please contact us with your event suggestions, questions about how to get involved, or to update your information with us.
Sincerely,
Ralph Wyman, Director/Organizer
MUUSJA
612-998-6624
rwmuusja@gmail.com
|
|
|
| Thank You! |
We rely on YOU, our members and friends, to fund many of the activities of MUUSJA. Help make MUUSJA a STRONG moral voice for justice by renewing or joining MUUSJA. We now accept secure, tax deductible, online donations via Paypal:  If you prefer to support us with your check, please download this form for mailing in your contribution to: PSD-MUUSJA 122 W. Franklin, Suite 303 Minneapolis, MN 55404 Or call Ralph at 612-998-6624 for more information on memberships and giving. --=-- MUUSJA wishes to thank our funders. We are supported in part by the UUSC and the First Universalist Foundation. The Prairie Star District of the UUA acts as our fiscal sponsor. Donations through PSD are tax deductible. We are grateful for this support and assistance. |
|
State Advocacy Networks:
UU moral voices in the public arena
|
 |
Minnesota is one of a dozen US states to have a UU State Advocacy Network. You know it as...MUUSJA!
But what does it mean to be a State Advocacy Network? Well, like so many things that UUs do - it depends! Each state's network is a bit different. Some have staff, some are all volunteer. Some state's networks have to span two or three districts, others may be inside a district with multiple states.
Some networks focus on health care, some on water justice, many focus on LGBT equality, or on climate change. Most focus on just a small handful of issues at a time to be targeted and effective.
All these Networks have one thing in common: UU State Networks exist to be a public voice for UU values.
The public arena is where crucial decisions are made every day. By educating, mobilizing and organizing the collective wisdom and passion of UUs, we can and do have impacts on public policy - helping move towards the just world we wish to inhabit.
UU networks stay in regular contact with each other, and our partners at the UUA and the UUSC. We work together as often as possible to increase our impact on our common issues.
MUUSJA encourages you to find out more. You can find links to each of the UU State Networks through a single home page: UU State Advocacy Networks.
Take a look! See the good that California, Maryland, Washington state, Florida and others are doing!
This is one way MUUSJA connects you to larger movements for social change.
(Photo: Betsy Allis and Ralph Wyman at the UU Network booth, Portland G.A. 2007)
|
|
|
