Love Reached Out Globally at General Assembly 2014

By UUA International Resources

The 53rd anniversary of the UUA’s General Assembly was an incredible hub of activity on the international front. With guests from over ten countries in attendance and numerous events, workshops, and celebrations with an international focus, this year’s proceedings were especially historic. Drawing one of the highest attendance rates on record, this year’s annual gathering lent itself to a deep sense of interconnectedness and high visibility of our 30+ attending international partners. [gallery type="rectangular" link="file" ids="6641,6639,6643,6642,6640,6646,6644,6645,6647"]

View more photos from GA 2014!

Workshops

This year's GA saw the first-ever "International Track" option for attendees, featuring three internationally themed workshops and worship services: Reaching Out In Love Through Intercultural Competency, Love Reaches Out – Around the World, and Beyond Borders: Implementing Intercultural Conversations. Each program in the International Track was collaboratively organized by the Coalition of International U/U Organizations.

Introduction of the Coalition of International U/U Organizations & International Guests

The Global Unitarian, Universalist, and Unitarian Universalist (U/U) Story has a long history with many peaks and valleys that occurred in many historical eras. 2014 has been a banner year in terms of hosting leaders of U/U communities from around the world – from places where the Global U/U Story has roots and wings. Representatives from our international partners shared wonderful news about our global faith. Guests included:
  • Rev. Mitsuo Miyake, Rev. Kaoru Miyake & Ms. Izumi Miyake (Konko Church of Izuo, Japan)
  • Rev. Waichi Hoshina, Ms. Hiroyo Murayama & Ms. Ikuye Kase (Rissho Kosei-kai, Japan)
  • Rev. David Gyero, Rev. Karoly Vass, Gizi Nagy & Zsuzsanna Szabo (Hungarian Unitarian Church, Transylvania)
  • Justine Magara (UU Church of Kenya)
  • Rev. Tet Gallardo (UU Church of the Philippines)
  • Rev. Petr Samojsky, Katerina Samojska, Michal Kohout, Marketa Drtinova & Denisa Fialova (Prague Unitarian Congregation)
  • Logan Deimler & Tina Huesing (European Unitarian Universalists)
  • Derek McAuley, Rev. Richard Boeke, Rev. Jopie Boeke, Rev. Andy Pakula, Louise Rodgers, Julian Smith & Christina Smith (United Kingdom)
  • Lara Fuchs (UU Congregations of Basel and Geneva, Switzerland)
  • Vyda Ng (Canadian Unitarian Council)
  • Dorcy Erlandsen (UU Fellowship of Paris, France)
  • Rev. Darihun Khriam (Unitarian Union of North East India, Khasi Hills).

Rev. Mitsuo Miyake of the International Association for Religious Freedom

Unitarians and Universalists and Unitarian Universalists have had unique and important relationships with Japanese religious partners since the end of the 19th century. But in the 1970s, new relationships began to form through the International Association for Religious Freedom. One of those relationships is with Konkokyo, a Japanese Shinto sect which shares many values with Unitarian Universalism, and especially with the Konko Church of Izuo in Osaka, Japan. The founder of that church, Reverend Toshio Miyake, was a close colleague of many UUA leaders in the interfaith struggle for world peace. During plenary, the leader of that church and the current president of the International Association for Religious Freedom, Rev. Mitsuo Miyake, addressed the general assembly with a powerful speech.

UU Holdeen India Program 30th Anniversary

[gallery type="rectangular" ids="6654,6653,6655,6656,6657"] 2014 marked the 30th anniversary of the UU Holdeen India Program. To mark the occasion, a reception and film screening were held, highlighting the work of our partners for the last three decades. Speeches were delivered by UUSC President Rev. Bill Schulz, UUA President Rev. Peter Morales, the founder of the program Kathy Sreedhar, this year's recipient of the Distinguished Service Award, Rev. Dr. Ken MacLean, and partners from India.

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