GA Updates & Announcements
In preparation for this Justice General Assembly (GA), the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) & Unitarian Universalist Service Committee (UUSC) have organized service-learning trips to the US-Mexico border with BorderLinks: April 20-23 and May 25-28, 2012.
The UUA Board of Trustees is urging a repudiation of the Doctrine of Discovery, and will place a resolution on the 2012 General Assembly Agenda.
Steve Newcomb, Doctrine of Discovery expert and author of Pagans in the Promised Land, will speak at General Assembly (GA).
The UUA Board of Trustees has nominated two candidates for Moderator: Jim Key of Beaufort, SC and Tamara Payne-Alex of San Jose, CA. The moderator's chief role is presiding at General Assemblies and at meetings of the Board of Trustees. It is the UUA's highest volunteer position.
Proposed Congregational Study/Action Issues (CSAIs) for 2012-2016:
- Climate Action and Adaptation Plans: Why Greenhouse Gases and their Effects Matter to Us
- Ending Slavery
- Exploring Class Barriers
- Families, Population, and the Environment
- Reproductive Justice: Expanding Our Social Justice Calling
Mexican American broadcast journalist Maria Hinojosa will deliver the 2012 Ware Lecture.
The 2012 GA Music Coordinator is Kellie Walker of the Valley Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Chandler, AZ.
This year's choir director is Keith Arnold of the Jefferson Unitarian Church, Golden, CO. Our accompanist will be Connie Jahrmarkt of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Phoenix, Paradise Valley, AZ.
Cooking Together: Recipes for Immigration Justice Work, the GA 2012 resources project, offers a blog community for religious professionals, lay leaders, and people of all ages who are passionate about engagement with immigration justice work.
Rev. John T. Crestwell, Jr., Associate Minister of Outreach, Leadership, and Evangelism at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Annapolis, MD, will preach the Sunday Morning Worship.
The General Assembly Program Development Group is calling for programming proposals—education and preparation that will build the capacity of Unitarian Universalists to stand in opposition to systemic racism and to witness on immigration, racial and economic justice. Proposals were accepted through November 30.
Human rights defender and social entrepreneur Rev. Karen I. Tse will deliver the 2012 Service of the Living Tradition sermon.
The preliminary schedule for GA 2012 has been posted.
Justice General Assembly (GA) Design Meeting:
Representatives of the General Assembly Planning Committee (GAPC), Arizona Immigration Ministry (AZIM), UUA Staff and Administration, GA 2012 Accountability Group and the UUA Board of Trustees met in Boston for two days in September, 2011. With respect and grace, we made significant progress addressing outstanding questions with regard to our upcoming Justice General Assembly. Together, we created a preliminary schedule for GA 2012, clarified roles and responsibilities, and built strong working relationships.
At its August 25 meeting the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) Board of Trustees appointed two people to fill the vacancies on the GA Planning Committee.
The Committee on Committees of the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) Board of Trustees has accepted applications to fill two vacancies on the General Assembly Planning Committee (GAPC). Each appointee will complete the remainder of a term that ends after General Assembly 2013, and will be eligible for re-appointment to three more 2-year terms. The deadline for applications was August 1.
From the General Assembly Planning Committee (GAPC):
It is with sorrow that the General Assembly Planning Committee received the resignations of Chair, Lynda Shannon and Vice-Chair, Barbara Atlas, following a very successful General Assembly in Charlotte, at the closing meeting of the GAPC. Both Lynda and Barb were committed to completing a successful GA 2011 before resigning. The contributions of both have been unique and valuable. General Assembly benefited especially from Lynda Shannon's work on the worship experience at General Assembly and particularly the Charlotte General Assembly worships. The General Assembly Planning Committee elected Rev. Dr. Walt Wieder as Chair, with Tim Murphy and Bart Frost as Vice Chairs and Kathy Charles as Secretary. The General Assembly Planning Committee is committed to the upcoming Justice General Assembly and working in collaboration with the UUA Administration, the Board of Trustees, and all stakeholders in GA and our faith.
In Faith, Kathy Charles, Secretary, GAPC
Delegates overwhelmingly voted in favor of a bylaw amendment that would eliminate Actions of Immediate Witnesses (AIWs) at the 2012 Justice GA in Phoenix. The amendment also reconstitutes AIWs with the 2013 GA, reducing the allowable number of AIWs to three from six. UU World reporting.
A responsive resolution was adopted calling on members of congregations and religious professionals to learn Spanish as part of their commitment to a multicultural Unitarian Universalism. The resolution was introduced by the Rev. Orlanda Brugnola.
A responsive resolution was adopted calling on the Board of Trustees, UUA staff and the GA Planning Committee to facilitate a youth and young adult “action ministry” to train people around the issues that UUs will be involved with in Phoenix next summer. The resolution was introduced by Rob Smith, of Valley UU Church in Chandler, AZ.
During her Moderator's Report to the the 2011 General Assembly, Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) Moderator Gini Courter asked for “tenderness, patience, and tenacity” as the planning for the 2012 GA goes forward.
Delegates to the 2011 General Assembly adopted a Statement of Conscience on Ethical Eating, calling on UUs to “eat ethically” by becoming aware of the ways that our food choices affect our health and the planet’s health.
UU World: In Charlotte, Board looks ahead to Phoenix GA, June 22, 2011.
At its January 2011 meeting, the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) Board of Trustees approved the formation of a General Assembly (GA) 2012 Accountability Group. The 15-member group is charged with working with the board, the UUA administration, the GA Planning Committee, Arizona UU congregations, and external partners, particularly Arizona community groups, to fulfill the vision of a Justice GA as described in the 2010 GA business resolution.
For more information contact generalassembly@uua.org.
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Last updated on Wednesday, February 1, 2012.
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