Rev. William G. Sinkford, accompanied by his spouse, Maria; UUA JUUST Change Consultancy staff Paula Cole Jones; and UUA International Resource Office Director Eric Cherry, has embarked on a 19-day pilgrimage to Africa.
Paula Cole Jones, UUA staff for the JUUST Change Consultancy, is accompanying Rev. Sinkford on his pilgrimage to Africa.
Rev. Sinkford's pilgrimage will take him to visit Unitarians in Kenya.
UUA President En Route to Africa
November 4, 2008
Rev. William G. Sinkford, President of the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA), has embarked on a 19-day pilgrimage to visit six African countries: South Africa, Uganda, Kenya, Senegal, Ghana and Nigeria. Sinkford is expected to arrive in Cape Town, South Africa, shortly after 6:00 a.m. local time on November 6. He plans to meet with Archbishop Desmond Tutu on November 7.
The four general goals of Sinkford's pilgrimage are:
- To meet with old and new colleagues among the Unitarians and Unitarian Universalists of Kenya, Uganda, Nigeria and South Africa,
- To learn from the experience and wisdom of leaders in Truth and Reconciliation work in South Africa, including Archbishop Desmond Tutu,
- To learn from leaders of social justice and human rights organizations involved in diverse struggles, including: LGBT Rights, Fair Wages, HIV/AIDS, Women's Rights, and Socially Responsible Investing,
- To visit the UNESCO World Heritage site and witness to the Atlantic Slave Trade: Île de Gorée.
Shortly before he departed, Sinkford posted a message on the blog set up to record thoughts during this journey. He wrote, "As an African American, the continent of Africa has a special power for me. Although on neither side of my family tree can I trace my ancestry far back into the days of slavery, I know that I stand on the shoulders of my African ancestors who survived so much. This pilgrimage will bring me into contact with my personal history. I am both excited and anxious as I prepare for this encounter."
Maria Sinkford, spouse of the President, shared her thoughts on the eve of the trip in another blog post. She wrote, in part, "It is an understatement to say that my knowledge of the history and politics of the six countries we will visit is inadequate. I can only hope that I can bring to this trip the eyes of a mother and a social worker. My hope is that I will be able to remain open to all the new sights and experiences I will encounter."
Paula Cole Jones, a member of the UUA staff for the JUUST Change consultancy who will accompany Sinkford on the pilgrimage, wrote, "I have traveled to Africa three times with my husband and our scuba diving club. On each trip, I found a part of myself that I did not know was missing... The goals and itinerary for the journey are exciting and full of possibility. I am eager for the opportunity to help build new bridges in our global community and to support people who are working to strengthen communities in Africa. It will be an honor to meet Archbishop Desmond Tutu and to hear him speak of “Truth and Reconciliation.”
Also traveling with the Sinkfords and Cole Jones is Rev. Eric Cherry, Director of the UUA's International Relations Office. Unitarian Universalist (UU) Sunday School classes are invited to “link-up” with Reverend Sinkford during his journey on three Sunday mornings. The first webcast will occur on Sunday, November 9, at 11:00 a.m. Eastern, 10:00 a.m. Central, 9:00 a.m. Mountain, 8:00 a.m. Pacific time. Check for information on technical requirements to join the webcast and ask President Sinkford questions.
The UUA's Sinkford in Africa site will be regularly updated with news stories and information, and the blog will offer new first-person posts, photos and videos as the pilgrimage progresses.
For more information contact international @ uua.org.
Last updated on Tuesday, November 4, 2008.
