Phoenix General Assembly 2012
WHEREAS the state of Arizona has recently enacted a law—SB 1070—that runs counter to our first Principle, affirming the worth and dignity of every person; and
WHEREAS the Association stands in solidarity with allies mobilizing in love against this divisive and oppressive legislation; and
WHEREAS we have been invited to enter into an historic partnership with Puente and National Day Laborers Organizing Network (NDLON) to work for human rights and against racial profiling; and
WHEREAS the UUA Bylaws specify that the power to call and locate a General Assembly belongs solely to the UUA Board of Trustees;
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Assembly hereby:
- calls on the UUA Board to gather Unitarian Universalists for the purposes of witnessing on immigration , racial and economic justice—a “Justice” General Assembly, in which business is limited to the minimum required by our bylaws—in June 2012, to be held in Phoenix, Arizona;
- calls on the UUA administration to work with leaders in Arizona UU congregations to establish an Arizona immigration ministry to partner with other groups in Arizona working for immigration reform to strengthen those partnerships in preparation for our arrival in 2012;
- recognizes that people with historically marginalized identities will be exposed to increased risk and inaccessibility, and therefore instructs the UUA Board to work in accountable relationship with Diverse Revolutionary Unitarian Universalist Multicultural Ministries (DRUUMM), Latina/o Unitarian Universalist Networking Association (LUUNA), EQUUAL ACCESS, Transgender Religious Professional Unitarian Universalists Together (TRUUST) and other stakeholders to identify measures that can be taken to increase safety and accessibility at the 2012 “Justice” GA;
- calls on the UUA Board to direct the economic impact of our presence in Phoenix toward our partners and allies as much as is feasible; and
- calls on the UUA Board to continue providing the resources needed to build the capacity of Unitarian Universalists to stand in opposition to systemic racism in our congregations, local communities, and in our own lives.