Unitarian Universalist FaithAction NJ

TINY CONGREGATION DOES HUGE WORK

by UU FA OfficeDecember 2, 2019December 5, 2019 Leave a comment

This article was written by UU FaithAction Board member and UU Congregation of the Palisades member, Liandra Pires. If you would like to submit an article on the social justice work your congregation is doing, please reach out to Toby Tyler at wtyler3@optonline.net

The UU Congregation of the Palisades (UUCP) was founded as an intentionally diverse congregation and we have lived up to our legacy by continuing to focus on racial and social justice through our Racial and Social Justice Team. The team was originally chaired by May and Al Stawsky, then Al Stawsky with the passing of May, and is currently led by Liandra Pires. About one-third of our congregation is a member of the team and many of our congregants do additional justice work on their own.

We have had several speaker events with prominent presenters. Topics have included “Black History and the New Jim Crow”, “What Do We Do Now About Healthcare?”, “Why Should Marijuana Be Legal in New Jersey?”, and “Voter Suppression and Criminal Justice in New Jersey” among others.

In addition to our events, these are some of the recent programs that we have participated in: Juneteenth celebrations, campaigning to get the vote out for candidates, letter writing campaigns to representatives in support of various bills, writing holiday cards to asylum seekers, preparing ‘Welcome to America’ backpacks to be distributed to migrants at the border, serving food in shelters, and collecting items for holiday toy drives.

Many of our members also work on their own in endeavors such as working in soup kitchens, collecting money and delivering food to our local food pantry, bringing bedding and other items to animal shelters, working with immigrants through Sanctuary and visiting asylum seekers in detention centers, marching for environmental causes, and attending conferences on racial and social justice.

Please take a moment to visit our website: uucpalisades.org

If you would like more information about UUCP’s Racial & Social Justice Team, contact: communications@uucpalisades.org

NJ UU Gun Violence Prevention Task Force Works to Save Lives and Reduce Racial Disparities

by UU FA OfficeDecember 2, 2019December 10, 2019 Leave a comment

This article was written by former Gun Violence Prevention Task Force Chair Jeannine Clayton-Coyne. Imagine a bill with the promise of significantly fewer firearm suicides (currently 40% of NJ firearm fatalities) and accidental gun injuries and fatalities. NJ Bill S 2240, Safe Storage of Firearms is that bill. Could the recommended penalties for non-compliance address racial disparities endemic to the NJ justice system? A subcommittee of the GVP Task Force took on this challenge.

This fall at the NJ FaithAction Issues Conference, Bill A3696, the NJ Assembly version of the Safe Storage of Firearms Bill was discussed. Some participants voiced concerns about the impact of the 4^th degree crime penalty on the African American Community. The UU FaithAction Gun Violence Prevention Task Force felt compelled to address these concerns. A subcommittee of the task force was formed for this purpose. This included Rob Gregson, Jeannine Clayton Coyne, Kathy Allen Roth and Helen Ewan.

The subcommittee engaged in much discussion, soul searching and research. It consulted with African American GVP activists and leaders. This resulted in a modified penalty structure. The subcommittee moved from supporting a penalty of 4^th degree crime for all infractions to a 3-tiered penalty. The new structure ranged from community service for a first offense without injury to 4^th degree crime for offenses resulting in an injury or fatality.

Next, Rob Gregson and Jeannine Clayton Coyne met with other GVP groups, including the Coalition for Peace Action, Brady and the Lutheran Episcopal Advocacy Ministry. Within a couple of meetings, this coalition agreed to adopt the penalties recommended by the NJ UU GVP subcommittee.

On November 12^th, this coalition, plus a representative from the Princeton Jewish Center, met with Senator Linda Greenstein. Senator Greenstein is the Chair of the Law and Public Safety Committee. The coalition of eight members made their case to a fully engaged Senator. Senator Greenstein asked a number of questions. By the meeting’s end, Senator Greenstein committed to support the bill with recommended amendments and the penalties that were modified from the current NJ Assembly bill. The goal is to get this bill passed into law by the end of this legislative session, January 13, 2020.

The UU Gun Violence Prevention Task Force anticipates strong opposition from a subset of the Second Amendment advocates. Strong support by all NJ UUs will be needed, both through written advocacy, as well as attendance at the NJ Senate hearing. To date, only one state, Massachusetts, has a Safe Storage of Firearms Bill. Let’s join together to demonstrate that NJ leads the nation in gun safety!

UU FaithAction’s Legislative and Educational Priorities 2019/2020

by UU FA OfficeNovember 4, 2019November 4, 2019 Leave a comment

UU FaithAction NJ has determined their Legislative and Educational Priorities for 2019/2020 based on the annual Issues Conference held October 19, 2020. Congregants from throughout New Jersey convened at the Central Unitarian Church in Paramus to discuss social justice issues and vote on what legislation UU FaithAction would prioritize. They re broken down based on Task Force.

UU FaithAction NJ First Annual Eco-Gala

by UU FA OfficeOctober 25, 2019January 14, 2020 Leave a comment

Thank you so much for your support of FaithAction and your interest in our first ever Eco-Gala. The response has been enormous and we have sold out. If you would like to check back with us by email between January 6-8, in case some ticket holders inform us they are unable to attend, you are welcome to reach out to Clara Jenkins, our Outreach Coordinator at admin@uufaithaction.org. Because this will be a busy time for our staff, she will only respond if there is the opportunity to buy a ticket.

Annual Fall Issues Conference held on October 19, 2019

by UU FA OfficeAugust 13, 2019October 22, 2019 Leave a comment

The UU FaithAction NJ annual Fall Issues Conference was held on Saturday, October 19 at Central Unitarian Church in Paramus. This well-attended event featured a panel of criminal justice experts. If you were unable to attend, you can still read the reports by clicking on the link below.

Get Conference Packet Information Here: https://www.uufaithaction.org/?page_id=8284&preview=true

Isolated Confinement Bills Signed!

by UU FA OfficeJuly 12, 2019 Leave a comment

WE DID IT!! Isolated/Solitary Confinement as we know it in NJ and across the U.S. has been fundamentally changed for the better.

Real human lives will be directly affected. Many, many people will now have an increased chance of returning to their families and neighborhoods without the additional trauma of isolated confinement added to their list of struggles to overcome.

by UU FA OfficeJuly 12, 2019January 22, 2024 Leave a comment

UU Montclair congregant Jerry Fried created a video during a MoveOn.org detention/immigration protest at the Elizabeth NJ Detention Center. Speakers include our own Rev. Rob Gregson of UU FaithAction.

Watch Video

New Jersey Energy Master Plan: New Jersey’s Green Deal…or Not?

by UU FA OfficeJune 25, 2019 Leave a comment

The state just released its “visionary” Energy Master Plan, a proposed roadmap for reaching 100% clean energy by 2050. Why does this matter to Unitarian Universalists? Our shared 7th Principle, “Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part,” reminds us that humans are not the center of the universe, and that we have both an ethical and practical obligation to care for the natural world and to do our best to reverse the effects of climate change.

A state Energy Master Plan helps us get there, right? Well, not exactly: the plan defines clean energy to include nuclear energy and fossil fuels balanced by an equal amount of carbon removal. Carbon removal refers to removing CO2 from the atmosphere, as opposed to reducing CO2 emissions, and sequestering it someplace deep underground. This is not a well-established technology, and research is needed.

There will be three public meetings for citizens to comment on the plan: one in July, one in August, and one in September. Plan to go if you can; if you can’t go, you can also email the BPU at emp.comments@bpu.nj.gov.

The Environmental Justice Task Force (EJTF) of UU FaithAction will be providing information about the Energy Master Plan over the summer. For more info. and to get on the EJTF monthly call to learn more about our UU response to environmental issues, please contact Task Force chair, Nancy Griffeth at ndgriffeth@mac.com

The stakeholder meetings are scheduled as follows. Please make an effort to attend one and do your part to halt climate change!

Trenton 7/17: Stakeholder Meetings 1 & 2: Wednesday, July 17, 10a.m.-1p.m. and 1:30p.m.-4:30p.m., State House Annex, Committee Room 4, 131-137 West State Street, Trenton, NJ 08625

Newark 8/8: Stakeholder Meetings 3 & 4: Thursday, August 8, 1p.m.-4p.m. and 4:30p.m.-7:30p.m., Larson Auditorium, Seton Hall Law School, One Newark Center (GPS- 1109 Raymond Boulevard), Newark, NJ 07102

Camden 9/12: Stakeholder Meetings 5 & 6: Thursday, September 12, 1 p.m. – 4 p.m. and 4:30 p.m.- 7:30 p.m. Black Box Theater, The Kroc Center, 1865 Harrison Ave, Camden, NJ 08105

Maria and her two children are safe (for now)

by UU FA OfficeMay 30, 2019July 11, 2019 Leave a comment

ICE wants to deport our friend, Maria Gomez Ramos, caring mother of two US citizen children. Her 4 year old son suffers from a rare form of hemophilia. If Maria is deported, her son Josue would either be separated from his mother or sent to a country where he would not receive the treatment that keeps him alive.

It is no secret that many are mocking and maligning those who have come to the United States with the simple desire to work honestly and contribute.