Additional Organizations

There are many key organizational partners that Unitarian Universalist (UU) congregations have developed relationships with that are not directly related to Unitarian Universalism. If your congregation has a relationship of this sort with an organization that does not appear in this index, please contact the International Resources Office (international @ uua.org).

ANSWER-NEPAL (American-Nepali Students’ and Women’s Educational Relief)

ANSWER-NEPAL was founded in 2001 by Earle Canfield—a member of the Church of the Larger Fellowship—after successfully sponsoring a “street girl”, Uma, through private school in Kathmandu. After 3 years, she had become fluent in English, had made up for being placed back two years initially, and was obtaining top marks. From wanting to simply learn to read and count, she begain to feel she wanted to be a doctor. Today, Uma is in nursing school along with other young women in our program. Six years after founding and many refinements, the organization has over 400 children in 100 schools and colleges all over Nepal. All of these children are college bound.

ANSWER is a nonprofit, non-partisan, non-religious organization that believes in empowering low caste children by introducing them to quality education. Education for ANSWER does not mean literacy nor basic education, but 12-15 years of education through college with careful academic and career counseling.  Its mission is to educate children from the lowest castes and provide them with real lifelong careers so that they will be come the vanguard for real change in Nepal. They will be the ones pushing for universal, compulsory education and government scholarships, etc.

UU congregations throughout the United States are participating in ANSWER's programs by sponsoring students.  For more information, please visit the ANSWER website.

The Casa Collective

CASA, Colectivos de Apoyo, Solidaridad y Acción, responds to the call for international solidarity with grassroots indigenous and campesino movements by maintaining two centers in Mexico for education, support and activism: one in Chiapas and another in Oaxaca. We seek to further social justice and sustainable development in Mexico and the United States through education, network building and facilitating first hand experience of globalization and human rights issues. We collaborate with other non-governmental organizations and local communities according to the needs, demands, and methodologies they express.

UU Minister, the Reverend Colin Bossen (cbossen @ mindspring.com), is one of founders of the Casa Collective. And, multi-generational groups of Unitarian Universalists—among other faith groups—have participated in Casa Collective programs. Visit their website for more information, or contact the International Resources Office (international @ uua.org).

Child Haven International

Child Haven International was established in 1985 by Unitarian Universalists Bonnie and Rev. Fred Cappuccino. The organization assists children and women who are orphaned or severely destitute and who have no where else to turn. They operate eight homes in four countries—India, Bangladesh, Nepal and Tibet and look after a total of 1100 children, 150 women, and 30 seniors. Please see a UUWorldarticle that describes how Fred and Bonnie are dedicating their lives to children.

The organizations two goals are:

• To provide the necessities of life—food, shelter, clothing, and health care in a loving environment; and
• To provide education, vocational training and employment assistance so that our children and women can enter local society as self-reliant adults.

Among the opportunities for congregational involvement with Child Haven is a Cultural Intern Program. Individuals can apply to volunteer as Cultural Interns in Child Haven homes for a minimum of three months.

Please visit the Child Haven International website for more information, or contact the International Resources Office (international @ uua.org).

Developing Indigenous Resources

Developing Indigenous Resources (DIR) strives to improve life-standards in the most neglected areas of developing countries.

Its chief expertise is in developing the resources of communities so the residents are empowered to solve their own most serious problems.

It believe the best solution to a problem is brought to it by the people who have the problem, and therefore the best course of action is to develop indigenous resources.

It is a charitable non-profit 501(c)3 incorporated in the State of California founded by Unitarian Universalist, Dr. W. Frederick Shaw. 

International Bridges to Justice

In recognition of the fundamental principles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, International Bridges to Justice (IBJ) is dedicated to protecting the basic legal rights of ordinary citizens in developing countries. Specifically, IBJ works to guarantee all citizens the right to competent legal representation, the right to be protected from cruel and unusual punishment, and the right to a fair trial.

Founder and CEO—and Unitarian Universalist Minister—Reverend Karen Tse, writes,

“Human rights in this day and age isn’t about the extraordinary, it’s not about the impossible, it’s about building the simple building blocks and being committed to just doing the everyday grunge work of putting the system in place, so that we can really create a culture where the rule of law is in the fabric of society.”

Please see a UUWorld Article about International Bridges to Justice.