Pictures of Peace from Children of First Unitarian Church of Albuquerque, New Mexico.
2008 December's Action of the Month
Pictures of Peace
Introduction
There are people actively working for peace together. Unitarian Universalists, along with other people of faith and conscience are working for a better world where we can imagine peaceful resolutions to conflict and equal access to resources. People are working for a world where every child is loved and every elder is honored. People are working for a world of justice and peace for all.
This work is difficult. By imagining a world of peace, we help ourselves make the first step toward creating that world. That is why, now, in the Holiday Season and with a new Government, we are giving ourselves the opportunity to imagine that world of peace and justice. Please come together as families, friends and members of a religious community to develop pictures of peace for the future. Your images will be used at General Assembly 2009 during plenary sessions.
Now is also a crucial time for Unitarian Universalism as a movement. The Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) is currently exploring what UU peacemaking looks like. We encourage you and your community to participate in this conversation by downloading the rough draft of the Statement of Conscience on Peacemaking and sharing your feedback. This year, the Commission on Social Witness requires at least 25% of UU congregations approve of the Statement of Conscience being voted upon by the General Assembly. Your congregational feedback helps us reach that crucial goal.
Take Action
Make Pictures of Peace
- Churches and fellowships are encouraged to host intergenerational arts and crafts time to imagine a world of peace and justice.
- Click here to download the curriculum guide for Pictures of Peace
Upload Pictures of Peace
Please share your pictures with the UUA using one of the following methods:- Scan your pictures into a digital format.
- Email your photos to peacemaking @ uua.org.
- Upload your photos to the UUA's "Pictures of Peace" Flickr group. A Yahoo! ID is required to upload photos.
- Upload your photos to the UUA's Facebook page. You must have a Facebook profile and be a fan of the UUA's Facebook page in order to upload photos. Please write in the caption that your photo is from "Pictures of Peace" and that you give the UUA the right to reprint, distribute, and otherwise use the photo. Please also write the name, city, and state of the congregation where the photo was taken.
A selection of photos and images will be used by the UUA to create a YouTube video and a slide show at General Assembly 2009. But your pictures of peace can only be used if we get a copy of them.
Deliver Your Pictures of Peace to your Member of Congress
- Have your minister draft a cover letter introducing your congregation/community.
- How to Organize an In-district Lobby Visit (PDF)
- The UUA's Legislative Objectives for the 111th Congress (PDF)
- Contact the Washington Office of Advocacy so that we can visit your Member of Congress in DC and make sure their DC staff know what is happening in their district/state
- Identify your Members of Congress and their in-district offices at:
Statement of Conscience (SOC) Rough Draft
Discuss the SOC Rough Draft to start the conversation or host a pulpit editorial.
- Draft Language of SOC November 2008
- SOC Congregational Poll
- SOC Congregational Feedback Resource (PDF)
- UUA Social Justice
- Peacemaking Study/ Action Issue
- UUA Commission on Social Witness
Give Feedback before February 1, 2009. Feedback form available November 15.
This year, the Commission on Social Witness requires at least 25% of UU congregations approve of the Statement of Conscience being voted upon by the General Assembly. Your congregational feedback helps us reach that crucial goal.
For more information contact peacemaking @ uua.org.
Last updated on Monday, January 5, 2009.
