JUUstice Washington

A Unitarian Universalist State Action Network

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Take Action

Below are some actions that need your support.


Immediate Action Needed


Standing with the People of Afghanistan and Haiti

Posted on 17. September 2021 by Deb Cruz

Northwest Immigrant Rights Project is deeply concerned about the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan and stand in solidarity with Afghan people everywhere. We are grateful for the local community partners who are working to support Afghan people who have recently had to flee their country and have been arriving in our state. For those of you who are interested in assisting with local efforts, Aneelah Afzali from MAPS-AMEN has created an email list for volunteer opportunities. You can sign up for updates at this link. And we also want to encourage you to support the Emergency Afghan Refugee Fund for Washington State. We also stand in solidarity with the people of Haiti. In addition to ongoing political upheaval, violence, and the COVID-19 pandemic, conditions in Haiti have only worsened in recent months with the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse and more recently, a massive 7.2 earthquake that has claimed over 2,200 lives. Even as Haiti faces these natural and political crises, deportation flights from the U.S. of Haitian nationals have continued. We recently joined over 300 organizations and advocates in urging the Biden Administration to immediately halt deportations and extend further protections to Haitian immigrants. The letter to the administration may be viewed here.

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Join a Unitarian Universalists for a Just Economic Community Task Force

Posted on 17. September 2021 by Deb Cruz

The UUJEC is, of course, very interested in democracy. We need more of it in our own operations. Participating in a task force that conducts our work is a good way for you to promote justice in the denomination and in the world. Please, examine this task force list to decide where you can make your best impact on the world. When you find one (or two), click on the adjacent survey monkey link. Ehttps://www.surveymonkey.com/r/9CSTZM3ach link opens an eight-question survey that asks when and how you can meet with other interested members.   Program Task Forces:

  Health Care     Leader: Judy Deutch     https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/9CSTZM3

The Health Care Task Force works for health equity. We're concerned about access to health care and the quality of health care. This task force works with the UUA to implement the Action of Immediate Witness, COVID-19 Pandemic: Justice, Healing, Courage. As part of this program,  we support  Medicare for All and congregation-based organizing for personal and social wellness.

Green New Deal    Leader: Lucy Hitchcock    https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/9YZVWSP

The Green New Deal task force explores and educates on the natural, industrial, social, political and economic causes and consequences of climate change and the actions of prevention and restoration in which we can engage. The GND task force sponsors a webinar once a month, assembles resources on our web pages, and invites participation in our work and community.

Reparations for Racism      Leader: Carl McCargo       https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/9CB9W6Z

The Reparations for Racism task force 1) studies the economic impacts of slavery and racism and 2) promotes restorative justice for those who have lost so much. The workshops this task force sponsors at General Assembly are very popular.

Housing Justice        Leader: Sally Gellert                   https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/9JYGXCC

This new task force will address such issues as homelessness, exploitation of renters and borrowers, and discrimination in home sales and valuation.  

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Petition Congressional Parliamentarian for Path to Citizenship Decision

Posted on 17. September 2021 by Deb Cruz

The chance to get a path to citizenship for millions of people— youth, farmworkers, and other essential workers— is very close!
A process for citizenship is being debated in Congress at the moment and a key person, called the parliamentarian, will decide if citizenship language will enter the budget reconciliation bill.
Take action
No matter what she decides on the citizenship language, we will be demanding that Congress authorize a path to citizenship now! The Senate will vote on this bill in the next few weeks, and we have to demand our senators not let this opportunity pass. Send a message to your senator to demand that she take leadership and ensure that we will have a path to citizenship on this bill.
En soladaridad,
Cariño Barragán Talancón
Policy and Advocacy Manager

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Community Advisory Committee for Law Enforcement Oversight (CACLEO) Needs You!

Posted on 10. September 2021 by Deb Cruz

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Six Ways to Aid Afghan Refugees

Posted on 25. August 2021 by Deb Cruz

Today, the WA Immigrant Solidarity Network stands in complete solidarity with the Afghan people. We urge the Biden-Harris administration to live up to their promise of centering human rights in foreign policy and provide refuge to ALL refugees who seek safety.   What you can do:

  1. Send a letter to your member of Congress demanding the Biden-Harris administration lift the cap on Afghan refugees immediately.
  2. Sign up to support Afghan refugees in Washington. Anything from clothing to housing, to mental health support is appreciated.
  3. Donate funds to support Afghan refugees in Washington. The Muslim Association of Puget Sound (MAPS) is fundraising to provide much-needed resources to refugees.
  4. If you live in the Seattle/Tacoma area, volunteer to support local Afghan refugees. Lutheran Community Services is recruiting volunteers for apartment set up, rides from the airport, and more.
  5. Sign this MoveOn petition. This petition calls on President Biden to lift the cap on Afghan refugees.
  6. Sign this petition and send another letter to Congress about lifting the cap on Afghan refugees, with a specific focus on wartime allies.
WAISN is an organization made by and for immigrants. Many of us came here because the safety of home disintegrated, forcing our families to make the hardest choice of their lives: to leave home. Thank you for taking action!

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Call to Action: Show up for our siblings in Haiti & Afghanistan

Posted on 25. August 2021 by Deb Cruz

The Church Council of Greater Seattle asks you to show up for our siblings in Haiti & Afghanistan

 

***CALL TO ACTION: Sign onto this letter and demand the Biden administration lift the cap on Afghan refugees NOW****

Links to Donate and Volunteer Here

  From climate change-fueled disasters to political violence, our siblings across the globe are in crisis. Find a few ways to lend concrete support to the safety and wellbeing of our siblings in Afghanistan and Haiti via the button below, two nations experiencing two very different yet equally world-shattering crises. Our prayers and solidarity are with our human family the world over as we work together toward a safe, just future for us all.  

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Democracy Can't Wait Rallies to Push Passage of the For the People Act, Aug. 10, check for local time, place

Posted on 06. August 2021 by Deb Cruz

This Tuesday, August 10, thousands of people across the country will attend a Democracy Can’t Wait rally in their community to demand Senate action on the For the People Act, a once in a lifetime bill that will ensure fair districting, make voting easier and more accessible, and take on dark money in politics. Now is the time to show up, loudly and relentlessly, to fight for our democracy. Will you? Despite some positive signs (as reported by The Washington Post), we’re at a make it or break it moment in the fight to defend our democracy, and we cannot afford to wait any longer for Senate action: → Next Thursday, August 12, the census data will be released, allowing states to begin drawing new maps for state and federal districts. If passed before the deadline, the For the People Act will ensure fair districting and ensure our communities can thrive for the next 10 years and beyond. When it comes to our districts, we draw the line. And the stakes have never been higher. → The freedom to vote is under attack by extremist state lawmakers across the country who want to put up deliberate barriers to make it harder to vote -- especially for people of color. In response to this urgent threat to our democracy, people all across the country have been raising their voices and showing up every day to fight for the passage of this bill, on the streets and through phone banking, writing letters to the editor, and organizing actions. Now the Senate needs to step up, do their job, and pass the For the People Act to protect our votes and our democracy before the August 12 deadline. That’s why on August 10, local rallies across the country will take place, joining in power for one massive national day of action to send a strong and clear message: democracy CAN’T wait. We need the Senate to stop stalling and take decisive action now. Check out the map of dozens of rallies across the country and sign up to attend a Democracy Can’t Wait rally in your community! Every single fight for the advancement of civil rights in our nation’s history has been met with resistance and required Americans to rise up to demand change. We must do our part to make our message impossible to ignore. Sign up now to attend a Democracy Can’t Wait rally near you. And, if for some reason you can’t attend a rally, we still have other ways for you to take action:

  1. Call your senators and keep calling every single day demanding that they get this done.
  2. Check to see if your state legislators are signed onto this letter. If they are, thank them. And if they’re not, ask them why the hell they’re on the sidelines.
  3. Record a video asking your senators to eliminate the filibuster and stop voter suppression. And urge your friends, family, and colleagues to get involved in this fight.
Together we can and will win this fight. Let’s go do it. In solidarity, Indivisible Team

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Eastside Advocacy Hub

Posted on 06. August 2021 by Deb Cruz

The Eastside Advocacy Hub  is a place to check for current calls to action and find out how you can provide important support for local change efforts. We provide information on racial equity and social justice advocacy issues that we’re tracking. Find out what’s coming up in our communities and how you can help when it’s time.  You can share actions that you know about., and information about the decision-makers in our community. Do we have representatives with the lived experiences and identities to drive equity and inclusion efforts? You can lead – let us help you!

This centralized resource for East King County RACE AND SOCIAL JUSTICE ADVOCACY is built, maintained, and powered by community. Would you like to help keep this resource strong? Contact us – thank you! Eastside Advocacy Hub

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Georgetown-to-Austin Moral March for Democracy, July 28 to 31, 2021, Texas and Online

Posted on 26. July 2021 by Deb Cruz

The Poor People’s Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival, the Texas Poor People’s Campaign and our partners invite you for a Georgetown-to-Austin Moral March for Democracy — culminating in a Rally at the Texas State Capitol on Saturday, July 31 @ 8am PDT.
RSVP on Action Network here We demand Congress act now to stop attacks on democracy:
  • End the filibuster
  • Pass all provisions of the For the People Act
  • Fully restore the 1965 Voting Rights Act
  • Raise the federal minimum wage to $15/hr
  • Permanent protections, dignity & respect for all 11 million undocumented immigrants
 
  Schedule of Events  July 21 @ 1pm CT – News Conference Announcing Georgetown-to-Austin March for Democracy July 25 @ 4pm CT – Joint worship service at Community of Faith Church in Houston, TX with Greenleaf Christian Church and Friendship-West Baptist Church. July 27 @ 6pm CT – Mass Meeting & Service: Launching the Georgetown-to-Austin Moral March for Democracy @ Christ Lutheran Church, 510 Luther Dr., Georgetown, TX July 28-30 – March begins at 7am CT each morning and finishes for the day in the early afternoon July 31 – March begins at 9am CT to the State Capitol for a mass rally at 10am CT In the spirit of the Selma-to-Montgomery March of 1965, we are marching to send a message to Washington, D.C.: We demand the U.S. Senate and the White House act now to stop the attacks on our democracy. We want all of our rights, and we want them now! We must resist the extremist and monied powers that want to deny, abridge, and undermine all of our votes. The fight for voting rights and economic justice are one in the same. Join us for this historic march in Texas! This march and rally is part of A Season of Nonviolent Moral Direct Action led by the Poor People’s Campaign and dozens of partners. Go to action.poorpeoplescampaign.org for more information and updates. The Texas Poor People’s Campaign is working with these partners for the Georgetown-to-Austin March for Democracy. The list is growing every day! Border Network for Human Rights/Reform Immigration for Texas Alliance, Black Voters Matter, Texas AFL-CIO, Workers Defense, Powered by People, Next Generation Action Network (NGAN), LUPE- La Union Del Pueblo Entero, Wilco Patriots, Nonviolent Austin, Personal Attendant Coalition of Texas/ADAPT of Texas, YWCA Greater Austin, Faith Forward Dallas, Friendship-West Baptist Church, Dallas, Community of Faith, Houston, Temple Beth Shalom, St. James’ Episcopal Church, Austin, TX, Proyecto Santiago, Beta Psi Omega Chapter, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc, Clean Elections Texas, , Austin Airwaves, Texas Drought Project, ACT (Anti-racists Coming Together), Round Rock Black Parents Association, Interfaith Action of Central Texas, Wheeler Baptist Church, Houston, St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, Austin, ELCA World Hunger & Bread for the World, San Gabriel Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Georgetown, The Congregational Church of Austin, Coalition Against Pipelines, Pax Christi San Antonio, Unite Here Local 23, About Face: Veterans Against the War – South-Central Texas. RSVP Here for In-Person & Online Actions  

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Immigration Days of Action, July 17 to 31, 2021

Posted on 26. July 2021 by Deb Cruz

The Interfaith Immigration Coalition and the Welcome With Dignity campaign are hosting Days of Action from July 17-31 to create awareness and end Title 42 and expand asylum protections. The Biden Administration is expected to make a series of announcements on a Trump-era anti-asylum policy known as Title 42 which has been used to block asylum since March 2020, sending families back to dangerous situations and blocking their legal and moral right to seek asylum. #Faiths4Asylum has a Prayer Vigil Toolkit, an action letter to send to your Congressmembers, and a Welcome with Dignity Pledge you can sign. 

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Side With Love Organizing School for Teams - July 30th Application Deadline

Posted on 26. July 2021 by Deb Cruz

It Starts With Faith: Organizing School for Teams? There’s still time. Complete the brief application by July 30th! Organizing School will support  20-30 teams with the goal of aligning all of our faith organizing to build power and impact in 2022. The teams will have access to organizing coaches and be invited to participate in national leadership roles in our upcoming Side With Love Action Center. If you are looking for ways to advance racial justice through your congregation or social justice teams, this year’s Organizing School is for you! 

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Good Trouble: John Lewis Democracy Vigils, Saturday, July 17th, 2021 (Various Locations/Times)

Posted on 14. July 2021 by Deb Cruz

Good Trouble: Candlelight Vigil for Democracy organized by John Lewis MobilizationJoin us for The Good Trouble Vigils for Democracy on July 17 - the one year mark of the passing of Rep. John Lewis - as we carry on his legacy by hosting candlelight vigils nationwide to demand that Congress act to protect our freedom to vote and rebuild our democracy.
Six months have passed since the failed attack on our nation and our democracy on January 6th. Since that day, anti-voter laws have been passed in states all over the country and the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent rulings have made clear that it will not act to protect the sacred right to vote. This summer, Congressional districts risk being redrawn in a way that will allow politicians to choose their voters - rather than the voters fairly choosing who represents them. We have reached an inflection point in which we must force our elected officials to act now or risk losing the very foundation of our republic. But there is hope for us to stop this undercurrent of corruption and rebuild American democracy so that the freedom to vote is protected, billionaires don’t control our political systems, and our representatives actually respond to we the people. To do this, we must pass the For the People Act, the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, and D.C. Statehood - and we can’t let anything, including the Jim Crow filibuster, stand in our way! We must and will win this Fight! Vigils in Washington State: 9:30pm PDT Bellingham, WA See details 7pm PDT Shoreline, WA See details 7:30pm PDT Seattle, WA See details 5pm PDT Virtual event · Join from anywhere Hosted in Olympia, WA See details 7:30pm PDT Montesano, WA See details

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Deadline for Democracy: June 28 - July 10, Pressure Congress for Voting Equity

Posted on 01. July 2021 by Deb Cruz

Yesterday, we launched our big plan for the upcoming congressional recess from June 28 - July 10: Deadline for Democracy. And now we’ve got just a few weeks to plan hundreds of events, drive thousands of signups, and get everything ready to put pressure on all 100 senators for real democracy reform. A red and blue graphic. On the right is a woman wearing a medical mask and speaking into a megaphone. On the left it says "Deadline for Democracy June 28 - July 10 We must mobilize like never before to show our Senators that there is overwhelming grassroots support for voting rights!" If you missed yesterday’s email with all the details, read on below for the rundown of what we’re planning for this crucial recess. If you’re ready to support us right now, click here to donate $10 to help us support events nationwide, build toolkits, create graphics, run ads, and more to make this recess a success and accomplish all our goals. Why Deadline for Democracy? To put it simply, we’re running out of time to implement all the most important democracy reform policies we’re fighting for. To make sure that measures like voting rights protections, fair redistricting, election security, and more are in place in time for the 2022 election cycle, laws like the For the People Act need to be on the books by August. With a fleeting Democratic trifecta in power, we need to use these next few weeks to build massive public pressure for democracy reform and demand bold, transformative action for a democracy that works for everyone. Congressional recesses are a key time for our activism -- with senators in their home districts, constituents can host rallies, earn press attention, and get creative to show our senators just how crucial these reforms are. And Indivisible activists know how to do just that: we’ve been doing it for years. How are we supporting this mobilization? Indivisible organizers and volunteers nationwide are already hard at work planning virtual and in-person events in their communities to keep building the momentum we need to win (there are already 79 events on our map -- check it out and add your own on the Deadline for Democracy website!). And here at Indivisible National, we’re getting ready to provide the resources, support, and tools they’ll need to make their plans a success. Here are some of the ways we’re investing to make this recess the biggest one yet:

  • Running digital ads to recruit volunteers and get the word out about our key priorities
  • Buying materials and sending out swag boxes to volunteers around the country to give them everything they need to run successful events
  • Printing personalized postcards for groups to send to their members of Congress in support of top democracy reform bills
  • Hosting a shiny new website on behalf of dozens of partner organizations
  • Running exclusive targeted peer-to-peer texting programs in priority states to build attendance
  • Plus spending hundreds of hours writing policy resources, creating digital toolkits, and more to get everyone in the movement on board.

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2nd Call for Support:  Bring Sk'aliCh'elh-tenaut Home!

Posted on 01. May 2021 by webmaster

Netse Mot:  Support Lummi Nation and Xw’ullemy (the Salish Sea) 

2nd Call for Support:  Bring Sk'aliCh'elh-tenaut Home!

JUUstice Washington has signed . . .
Board of Trustees of the Bellingham Unitarian Fellowship has signed . . .
Bellingham Unitarian Fellowship’s Social and Environmental Justice Committee has signed . . .

Have you?

We are being called upon as groups and organizations to support the effort to bring Sk’aliCh’elh-tenaut home to the Pacific Northwest.  Specifically, we are being asked to sign a request to Governor’s Inslee (WA) and Brown (OR) and B.C. Premier John Horgan to sign a proclamation to support the efforts to bring her home.  This is different than the petition to Miami Seaquarim for individuals that went out earlier.
Please sign by 24 May 2021 as a group or organization.  The desired goal is present it to the Governors in June during Orca Action Month for signing.  Here's the link to the form to be signed by your group, congregation or organization.  The text of that proclamation is listed below.
I realize that many of us have specific procedures and protocols that we are required to adhere to, especially as faith-based congregations and we may not be able to achieve congregational resolutions by the 24 May deadline.  Please try where you are able to do so.  If you are not able to come forward with a full congregational resolution or organizational support, then by all means, request that your various racial, Indigenous-related and/or environmental justice teams and Indigenous teams to sign on as their respective groups.
For those of you unfamiliar with the story of Skk’aliCh’el-tenaut, here’s brief synopsis.
In 1970, a number of young Southern Resident Orca relations were violently captured from their native Salish Sea waters and sold to aquariums. Only one of these qwe’lhol’mechen survives to this day. Sk’aliCh’elh-tenaut, who has also been called “Tokitae” and “Lolita” in captivity, remains the star attraction of Miami Seaquarium, where she is held in the world’s smallest orca tank, subjected to relentless sun and extreme social isolation.
The Southern Resident Orcas of the Salish Sea are culturally and spiritually significant to the Coast Salish peoples whose territories overlap with that of the orcas. In particular, the Lhaq’temish people of Lummi Nation consider these orcas to be family. The Lummi term for orcas is qwe’lhol’mechen, meaning “the people under water,” and ancestral teachings hold that there are kinship bonds between the Lhaq’temish and orca peoples.
In 2017, Lummi Nation was called to work to bring Sk’aliCh’elh-tenaut home. In 2019, Lummi elders Squil-le-he-le (Raynell Morris) and Tah-Mahs (Ellie Kinley) invoked their legal, cultural, and spiritual rights in calling for her release and homecoming, and announcing their intent to sue on the grounds of the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) should negotiations not be successful. They are represented by Earth Law Center on the legal front, and are working with the Whale Sanctuary Project on the operational front. There is now a comprehensive plan that details how to safely and responsibly bring Sk’aliCh’elh-tenaut out of captivity and back home to the Salish Sea. The plan is grounded and guided by Lummi culture and oversight, and is a living document that will change according to Sk’aliCh’elh- tenaut’s needs as they change over time. The ongoing health and well-being of Sk’aliCh’elh- tenaut, her Southern Resident Orca family, and the Salish Sea are centered in this plan.
Other background resources are:
Sk’aliCh’elh-tenaut, Sacred Sea: for a living Salish Sea at sacredsea.org
Here’s a heart-wrenching and warming explanatory video:  https://vimeo.com/266726774
Background.Sk'aliCh'elh-tenaut.4.1.21
https://juustwa.org/program-areas/issues/first-american-indian-nations/our-work/totem-pole-journeys/tokitae/ and https://juustwa.org/program-areas/issues/first-american-indian-nations/our-work/totem-pole-journeys/tokitae/tokitae-totem-pole-returns-home/
You can also google “Tokitae” and view other websites, articles and videos regarding Lummi Nation’s work to bring her home.
 

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Netse Mot: Bringing Sk'aliCh'elh-tenaut Home!

Posted on 19. April 2021 by webmaster

An orca breaches in view of Mount Baker in the Salish Sea in the San Juan Islands (AP, 2015/Eliane Thompson)

Netse Mot 2021-Call to bring Sk'aliCh'elh-tenaut Home

2021 will focus on the return of Sk'aliCh'elh-tenaut (Tokitae/Lolita) to the Pacific Northwest from Miami Seaquarim in Florida.  In the 1970s Southern Resident Orca youth were forcibly and violently taken from their pods and shipped out to aquariums and parks all over the world. Sk'aliCh'elh-tenaut (Tokitae/Lolita) was taken to Miami Seaquarium where she is the last surviving Orca youth taken.  Lummi Nation has been trying for decades now to have her returned but Miami Seaquarim is refusing to release her.  In 2019, two Lummi women, Squil-le-he-le and Mah Tahs working with Earth Law Center, invoked the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) and announced their intent to sue Miami Seaquarium if the Seaquarium.  To date (April 2021), Miami Seaquarim is still refusing to release Sk'aliCh'elh-tenaut. Squil-le-he-le and Mah Tahs are calling upon us to respond as well.
  1. For individuals, they are asking that we sign the petition established by Earth Law Center that is collecting signatures to go to Miami Seaquarim and its parent and affiliates—Palace Entertainment and Parques Reunidos Servicios Centrales SA.
  2. For groups and organizations, they are asking that we sign a request to Governor's Inslee (WA) and Brown (OR) and BC Premier John Horgan to sign a proclamation to support the efforts to bring her home.  Please sign by 24 May 2021.  We'd like to present it to the Governors in June during Orca Action Month.
  3. We are also being asked to reach out to other Indigenous connections we may have and invite them to sign the Indigenous Statement of Solidarity.  The request also includes a video of ceremonies in solidarity.  If you have connections with an Indigenous group, please ask them to contact  Julie at info@sacredsea.org.
More info can be found at sacredsea.org or our other webpages on the Totem Pole Journeys dedicated to her at https://juustwa.org/program-areas/issues/first-american-indian-nations/our-work/totem-pole-journeys/tokitae/ and https://juustwa.org/program-areas/issues/first-american-indian-nations/our-work/totem-pole-journeys/tokitae/tokitae-totem-pole-returns-home/

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UUs and Elders Build Momentum for Drawdown Initiative, Now to June 2021

Posted on 14. April 2021 by Deb Cruz

For the past few weeks, UU Ministry for Earth and Elders Climate Action have been busy with the UU Project Drawdown Initiative 2021. UU DD 21 mobilizes teams or individuals to earn points for taking a variety of actions for climate and environmental justice. You can SIGN UP and take part in the challenge at any time until June, when the collective efforts will be compiled in a video to be shared and celebrated at UUA General Assembly. Get inspired with these highlights of progress so far.

Learn More

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Letter Writing to NoDAPL Political Prisoners, April 6, 2021, 4pm, Online

Posted on 05. April 2021 by Deb Cruz

Join the Unitarian Universalist Association, UU Ministry For Earth, UU Service Committee and Love Resists for a letter writing campaign to show solidarity with Steve Martinez, a NoDAPL political prisoner who has been recently incarcerated after refusing to face a grand jury for a second time. Steve, an Indigenous water protector, was first subpoenaed to a federal grand jury in 2017 for his participation in the NoDAPL resistance movement and refused to comply then as now. This recent targeting came as a disconcerting surprise to many who have been supporting water protector political prisoners for the past four years. On the call, hear from Water Protectors and UU organizers about Steve’s current legal situation, and write your own letter to Steve and other NoDAPL political prisoners. Register here Another way to support is to DONATE to Steve Martinez’s GoFundMe.  

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JUUstwa Offers Bystander Intervention Training, April 23, 2021, online

Posted on 24. March 2021 by Deb Cruz

On Friday evening, April 23rd from 6 p.m. to roughly 7:30, the JUUstice Washington’s Interrupting the School to Prison Pipeline racial justice action team will be offering an online Bystander Intervention trainer.   Courtney Wooten is the developer and presenter of the training.  For more information, see Suburbia Rising

 

The intention of the training is twofold.  The session will provide online training to members of the ISPP committee, but more importantly, the committee invites Washington State UU congregation to designation a member of the congregation to experience the training and use the experience to consider asking Courtney to offer this or other trainings that Courtney has developed to their respective congregations.  If your congregation would like to send a representative, please contact John Hilke at jchilke@comcast.net so that he can include your representative on the Zoom invitation list for the training.

 

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FARM WORKFORCE MODERNIZATION ACT (FWMA) IS BAD FOR FARMWORKERS-Please Add Your Opposition

Posted on 22. March 2021 by Deb Cruz

On Thursday March 18th the Farm Workforce Modernization Act passed the house with a 247-172 vote; the majority of votes in favor coming from Democrats. C2C and Farmworker organizations nationally have opposed this legislation since it was introduced in 2019 during the Trump administration. We are deeply concerned that Democrats are giving in to political pressure to move quickly on immigration bills; with a dangerous tradeoff that will set in place the long-term implications of the FWMA. We remain opposed to the FWMA as it is written. We urge our supporters to reach out to your senators and tell them to vote “NO” on this bill. While it is being touted as a bipartisan effort to attain a path for citizenship, what is being left out of the conversation is that this bill’s “path” sets up an 8-year period of exploitation that farmworkers have to survive in order to eventually qualify for citizenship. Workers who are injured during the eight-year process will be disqualified. The ultimate recommendation for citizenship will have to come from employers, which further entrenches the longstanding power imbalance between workers and farm owners. Two dangerous long-term mandates in this bill are forcing agricultural employers to use E-Verify, the faulty audit system that has resulted in massive detention and deportation. This will put millions of undocumented people living and working in the United States at risk. The other mandate is linking legalization to the exploitative federal H2A (guest worker) program, and permanently expanding it, making it harder for workers to organize and easier for corporate agriculture to obtain and exploit cheap labor, instead of hiring farmworkers already living in the U.S. Read our joint statement with the Food Chain Workers Alliance here. Sign on to Oppose FWMA Here! Call and write your senators THIS WEEK and ask them to vote NO on the FWMA. Find your senator’s contact info here!

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There’s a Right Track and a Wrong Track for the Future of WA State Rail

Posted on 17. March 2021 by Deb Cruz

Tom White, one of the lead authors of the Amtrak Cascades LRP, and Solutionary Rail Project Lead Bill Moyer, wrote this article about the future of rail in our State:

by Thomas White and Bill Moyer

Washington state has two potential tracks toward a 21st century rail future, with starkly different outcomes.

One provides higher speed, climate-friendly passenger service linking as many as 13 communities on the Cascadia corridor, with increased capacity for freight trains. It has been in development since 1991 and some elements have already been completed. It would provide clean, electrified Amtrak Cascades passenger service at up to 110mph along existing lines. The phased effort would rapidly create jobs, upgrade service and cut carbon pollution. It could be completed in a decade.

Tragically, this shovel-ready plan is being ignored while another flashy vision grabs the spotlight. That is the “ultra-high-speed rail” (UHSR) project proposed by Washington State Governor Jay Inslee’s administration and developed by WSP, a giant engineering firm. It offers a maximum of five stops along the route. To facilitate speeds up to 220mph, it would require an entirely new passenger-only corridor acquired through costly land acquisitions and the controversial use of eminent domain, with many environmental challenges. While science tells us we need to dramatically cut carbon pollution this decade, UHSR would take many years before the first track is put on the ground and decades more to completion — if it happens at all.

READ THE REST OF THE ARTICLE

The Amtrak Cascades Long Range Plan (LRP) can deliver a proportionate, achievable and impactful transportation solution for our State. And it can serve as a Solutionary Rail pilot project, a huge step for lowering greenhouse gas emissions, tire and air pollution, congestion, wear and tear, and much more.

@Washingtonians: there's still time to reach out to State Legislators & ask that the Amtrak Cascades LRP be funded.

Please, if you haven't done so yet, contact your two state Representatives AND your state Senator, asking for:
  1. State funding to update the Amtrak Cascades Long Range Plan
  2. Legislators to work with WSDOT to request that Federal Railroad Administration grant programs be generously funded by the federal government.

Send this letter ("Legislative Sponsors Needed") by email:

  • Click to download the suggested text
  • Copy and paste the subject line and text
  • Send today to each of your State legislators

More info HERE

If you write to your elected officials, please fill out the form at the bottom of the page HERE (or send an email to info@solutionaryrail.org with the names of legislators you contacted) so we can track who has been contacted. If you hear back, please let us know. If your legislator asks for additional info, we can put them in contact with experts to answer all their questions.

Let's do this, Washington!

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Take Action

There are many small and large things that you can do to contribute to changing the face of justice in our times.  Any of the below actions can be applied to just about any issue at any point in time.  Don’t hesitate in taking those small steps that will lead us forward!

  • Write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper on a justice issue that you are concerned about.
  • Comment on a bill, write a letter or call your legislative representative (state or federal) and let them know where you stand on policy issues and legislative initiatives.
  • Attend events at your congregations and in the wider community, educating yourself on the issues.
  • Attend rallies or demonstrations to let the community know how you feel about what’s currently happening.
  • Sign up with organizations that work to address issues you care about so you will get notices to sign petitions or provide comments.
  • Start a group within your congregation or community to work on justice issues.
  • VOTE!  Take your responsibility to vote seriously and encourage others to do so, too!

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