Harvest the Power 2020
On October 1st, Harvest Moon rose shortly after sunset in the Northern Hemisphere. This burst of evening light provides an extended time for farmers to harvest summer crops and plant new seeds for the Fall season.
What and how have you grown this summer --- personally, in connection to your community, and in connection to movement uprisings for justice?
Unitarian Universalists are invited to mark this seasonal transition by reflecting on this question in the Harvest moonlight, and setting intentions to Harvest the Power of community this Fall through a sprint of collective action and faith formation weaving together all Unitarian Universalist justice ministries. This is a shared endeavor between UUA, Side with Love, UU the Vote, and UUMFE
October 21st-27th is the Week of Action with UU the Vote
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UU The Vote for Climate Justice
Sunday, October 25, 2:30 pm - 3:30 pm
Join Special guests Joanne Pérodin Climate Justice Program Manager of The New Florida Majority, Nicole Pressley UU the Vote National Campaign Manager, and Allison Hess UUA International Engagement Associate. This event is sponsored by The New Florida Majority, UU The Vote, Create Climate Justice, The UU Association Office at the United Nations and The UU Ministry For Earth.
Register Now or view it later.
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UU the Vote – Florida and National Efforts
UUs have made over 1.3 million voter contacts - working with frontline groups - building relationships for the long haul. In Florida - New Florida Majority (NewFM) - started with just Florida UUs making calls in Broward County and elsewhere where primaries included races for state attorneys in every county and sheriff in many. Guided conversations were about police violence, criminal legal reform, and systemic racism.
UUtheVote started by calling people of color and later assisted NewFM to expand its base by calling white people who had indicators that would resonate with UU values. (party affiliation, independent, ballot initiative supporter, zip code location, answers from previous phone banks, canvasses). Later national phone banks focused on issues of voter suppression, helping people make a voting plan, Get absentee ballots etc.
In October, 120 folks from Florida have participated in phone banking including volunteers from UU Miami and All Faiths Fort Myers.
Two million contacts by the UUtheVote initiative (UUs and the lead partners) is the goal for Election Day.
UUtheVote in partnership with New Florida Majority has scheduled two more national phone banks - Sign up here for the final Get Out the Vote phone banks to Florida on Oct. 27 and/or Nov. 2
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UN Day in Gainesville
“The Future We Want; The United Nations We Need”
Saturday, October 24, 9:00 am - 1:00 pm, on ZOOM
This annual event is co-sponsored by the UU Fellowship of Gainesville Social Justice Council
Theme: “The Future We Want; The United Nations We Need”
Featured Panelists:
• Dr. Kwame Akonor, Author, Associate Professor, Seton Hall University
Topic: “Re-imagining the United Nations”
Enforcing Human Rights, Challenging Institutional Racism, Creating a 21st Century Security Council
• Sophia Rodriguez, UNA-USA Fellow; International Relations, University of Florida
Topic: “A World of Global Justice”
• Envisioning a world of equality & justice for all.
• Jeffrey Weisberg, Executive Director, River Phoenix Center for Peace Building Topic: “International Peace” International peace begins with peace building in the local community, schools, prisons, law enforcement. Register here until Oct. 23 to attend on Zoom at no charge!
Partners at work:
UU Fellowship of Gainesville and UUtheVote are partnering ---
Voter Caravans urged citizens to vote early this year by participating in car caravans. having been and encouraging voting. The last Caravan will be October 25, 2:15 pm drive through Northeast Gainesville. Signs were taped to car windows encouraging voting.
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Turn, Turn, Turn: UUA Southern Region Virtual Assembly 2020
Saturday, November 14, 11:00 am - 3:00 pm
Join your Southern Region staff team and sibling Unitarian Universalist congregations in the Southern Region for a day of collaboration and learning! UUA President Rev. Dr. Susan Frederick-Gray will be our keynote speaker in the morning.
Afternoon workshops include:
• Widening the Circle of Concern with Kathy McGowan and Rev. Nato Hollister
• What's Next? The Changing Congregational Landscape with Natalie Briscoe and Connie Goodbread
• Small Group Ministry and Membership Paths with Cameron Young and Lillian Drab-Braddick
Registration fee: $20 per person. Register today!