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Wink: Youth Office Editorial

by Marissa Gutiérrez
Youth Ministry Associate

According to the Mayan calendar, 2012 is the year that the "fourth world" cycle will come to a closure, marked by some significant event. While many argue that the calendar predicts the end of the world at this time, others believe it will be the commencement of a golden era. In explaining this several years ago, someone once told me, "Something is happening, Marissa, can't you feel it?"

I am not an astronomist and really have a limited understanding of the Mayan calendar in general. However, I do know that something is happening. On March 24, 2006, over half a million immigrant rights supporters marched in the streets of Los Angeles, CA against anti-immigrant legislation (House Bill 4437). Several smaller protests erupted in cities all throughout the United States during the same weekend. On March 28, 2006, an estimated three million marched in the streets of Paris, protesting a new labor law (the First Employment Contract) that would allow employers to fire employees under twenty-six within their first two years. I cannot explain why these events are happening, but I understand that some truly incredible pieces of history have just taken place.

With that said, what a thrilling time to be alive…how amazing it is to be an active citizen of the world! Whether or not you were directly affected by these demonstrations, I invite you to take a step back and share some of the feelings I am experiencing. Within just these last few days, we have seen the rise of two different movements which, although focusing on different issues, share the common struggle of fighting for traditionally marginalized groups of individuals.

Examining these examples, I hope that we can learn from the leaders of these movements. These are pretty amazing people: Leaders who have risen up because they had no other choice but to struggle for their own rights and the rights of their brothers and sisters. I hope that you can incorporate some of these examples of leadership in your own lives and in the work that you are doing. Making a change within your own community is one of the best ways to be in solidarity with these movements taking place in other parts of the world. Whether it is starting a youth group at your church, or working towards getting your high school to establish a Gay-Straight Alliance, step up to leadership.

Over the years, the leaders of the Young Religious Unitarian Universalists (YRUUs) implemented some incredible changes. Do not forget that it is the youth who have lead the movement towards making the Unitarian Universalist Association an anti-oppressive, anti-racist, multicultural institution. We must not forget this leadership and must learn from it so that we can continue to make social change not just within our denomination, but in our own communities as well.

I am not a fortune teller. Therefore, I don't know what will happen in 2012. No one does. Although there are a lot of things I would like to see happen (an end to world poverty, an anti-oppression/anti-racism curriculum in every classroom throughout the continent), I know that they probably won't happen. At least not just yet. But by stepping up as leaders, you have more say in shaping the world you wish to see. What changes do you envision for your own community? For the rest of the world? What kinds of skills can you share as a leader? As a leader, what will you do to make a positive impact on the world?

I invite you to step up and ask these questions of yourself.

For more information contact youth @ uua.org.

Last updated on Saturday, April 19, 2008.