Justice News, Events and Action Alerts Update
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♦ = Action Requested ♦ = Event ♦ = News ♦ = Article
JUUstice Washington Organizational News
♦♦♦ JUUstice Washington supports kids’ climate law suit. The JUUstice Washington Board of Directors has voted to to become signatories on an interfaith amicus brief to be filed on behalf of the youth in Aji P. v. State of Washington. This case has been brought by Washington youth to demand the State take action on climate change and to treat climate change as an issue that belongs within the Public Trust. It was dismissed by the lower courts and is now going through the appeals process and will be filed in either the WA Supreme Court or in the WA Court of Appeals (if the WA Supreme Court declines to hear the case). We will be encouraging and working with WA UU congregations to prepare for and join future briefs in this case. More information can be found at Our Children’s Trust.
In similar news, Juliana v. US is being heard on June 4th before the Ninth Circuit (Federal) Court of Appeals in Portland, Oregon on June 4th, 2019. In this case, Levi Draheim, an eleven year old UU from Florida, is a plaintiff. “Their complaint asserts that, through the government’s affirmative actions that cause climate change, it has violated the youngest generation’s constitutional rights to life, liberty, and property, as well as failed to protect essential public trust resources.” Our Children’s Trust is calling for people to organize events locally and encourages you to mobilize on the day of this hearing. More
See the Climate Justice Act Team section below for more details on UUMFE’s PNW speaking tour that will include Levi Draheim, Aly Tharp (UUMFE) and Leonard Higgins (valve turner UU out of Portland).
♦♦♦ Save the date for our Fall Justice Summit, October 20th in Olympia WA. More
UUA News
♦♦♦ We’ll see you at GA. June 19-23, Spokane WA More
News from Our Action Teams
First/American Indian Nations Solidarity (FAIN) Action Team Fain Calendar
♦♦♦ The Tokitae Totem Pole is returning home to the Lummi Nation and the Pacific Northwest.
Tokitae, herself, is not. Even though the Miami Sequarium will not release her to come home, the Tokitae Totem Pole will return, carrying her Spirit with it. The Tokitae Totem Pole, on its trip home, will be stopping in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Portland, Tacoma, Seattle and Bellingham. Please attend and gather together to welcome the Tokitae Totem Pole home and show your support not just for Tokitae, but for the health and welfare for her Southern Resident families and the Salish Sea they call home.
See the Tokitae Totem Pole Homecoming Journey Schedule here.
♦Truth and Reconciliation
On May 19, 2019, the Bellingham Unitarian Fellowship (BUF) passed a Truth and Reconciliation resolution at its Congregational Meeting. FAIN will be moving to get other UU congregations to do the same, especially those in the State of Washington. The resolution can be found here.
Climate Justice Action Team Climate Justice Calendar
♦♦♦ Transitioning to an Ecological Civilization with Guest Speaker Dr. David Korten, June 7, Kirkland. David will share about how our collective cultural stories are shifting to make way for the transition to an Ecological Civilization. Through systems of governance, economics, culture and religion, we can bring people and planet into balance, nurture innovation and creative expression. Presentation with discussion. No cost or RSVP. All are welcome! More
♦♦♦ Unitarian Universalist Ministry for Earth (UUMFE) is on a speaking and fundraising tour to UU communities throughout Oregon and Washington, featuring three special guests: Levi Draheim, Aly Tharp, and Leonard Higgins.Levi, Aly, and Leonard will facilitate a series of lively evening and afternoon events from June 11-18th — sharing stories, reflections, details about their work, and calls to action. More
♦♦♦ Connect with UU Ministry for Earth at These GA Climate Justice Events, June 20-23, Spokane WA THURSDAY, JUNE 20
1:30-2:30 pm – Community Arts & Embodied Prayer for Ecological Justice: Offered by UU Ministry for Earth & Church of Our Common Home
4:30-5:30 pm – Mobilizing for Climate & Environmental Justice: Offered by the UU Coalition to Create Climate Justice
FRIDAY, JUNE 21
12 – 1:30 pm – Poster Session: Organize & Create Climate Justice
SATURDAY, JUNE 22
1:30 – 2:30 pm – Who Are We? The 2020 Challenge: Organized by The 2020 Taskforce More
Intersection of Climate Justice and First Nations
♦♦ Check out this Environmental Justice Practitioners’ webinar. Dina Gilio-Whitaker spoke about recently-released Beacon Press book, As Long as Grass Grows: The Indigenous Fight for Environmental Justice, from Colonization to Standing Rock. This book provides the history of Native peoples’ resistance to environmental injustice and is a call for environmentalists to learn from the Indigenous community’s rich history of activism. More
Legislative Advocacy Legislative Advocacy Calendar
♦ Review of the 2019 Legislative Session. Faith Action Network reports that your advocacy and support throughout the 2019 session made significant, tangible changes for our neighbors in Washington state – with the most bills and budget items in decades to affect social change in a positive and equitable way. More
Economic Justice Action Team Economic Justice Calendar
♦♦♦ Conversation as part of the WA Poor People’s Campaign Truth & Poverty Tour. June 1, Edmonds WA
Learn about the national priorities and demands of the Poor People’s Campaign and updates on WA state’s strategy. Leave with clear steps on how to make changes in your community. More.
♦♦♦ Workshop: Homelessness in our Community, June 11, Bothell WA Learn what it means to be living homeless. Come away with an increased understanding and useful tools in any situation. RSVP is appreciated but not required. More
Refuge, Immigrant and Migrant Solidarity (RIMS) Action Team RIMS Calendar
♦ Victory for Immigrant Rights: Keep Washington Working Act to be signed into law
The Keep Washington Working Act (Senate Bill 5497) enhances public safety and promotes fairness to immigrants and protects the privacy and civil rights of all Washington residents. This new law prohibits local law enforcement from routinely questioning individuals about immigration status, notifying ICE that a non-citizen is in custody, and detaining someone for civil immigration enforcement.
Criminal Justice Reform Action Team
♦♦ Reforming Debtors Prison in Washington State makes sense (and dollars!) On a given day in Washington State, up to 50% of the people in county jail are there because they are poor. Cash bail enforces a guilty until proven innocent structure on the poor. It does not have to be this way. JUUstice Washington supported bail reform in the 2019 legislature, but we were not successful at passing the bills. This issue may stand a better chance in the 2020 if we ask our legislators to pay attention to common sense solutions. More