Our History of Social Justice and Inclusion
As Unitarian Universalists we live our Covenant by being actively involved in social justice issues. We know that tangible expressions of love, justice, and peace are candles in the dark, and integral to making a change in the world. We work to serve, raise awareness, and to support and partner with those who face injustice. More than 200 years ago the American Universalist Church was one of the first religious groups to formally oppose slavery and was the first group to ordain a woman into the clergy.
Members of our church are outspoken advocates of LGBTQ rights, climate justice, racial justice, immigration, and economic justice. We focus our efforts on issues such as homelessness, food scarcity, threats to democracy, environmental justice, and public health issues such as domestic violence and mental health. Accordingly, our Social Justice Committee collaborates with local organizations such as the Laconia-Gilford Lion’s Club to support nonprofit organizations with missions to provide assistance to those experiencing food or housing insecurity or serving the needs of those with mental health illnesses.
Social Justice
Social Justice Committee Announcements
We the People Wednesdays, Plymouth Bridge (DiCenzo Bridge) 4-6pm;
Take Action for Libraries is a political action committee working on the behalf of libraries. There are resources and petitions: Take Action to Support Libraries!
List of upcoming Pride events: Visit NH | New Hampshire Pride Events
UUA Social Justice News:
LGBTQ+ Justice: Rev. Ashley Horan, the UUA’s VP for Programs and Ministries and a member of the UUA’s Pink Haven Coalition team, says Pink Haven’s work involves organizing and building networks of communities across the country who are willing and able to be welcoming and affirming to trans people who might be permaneatly relocating or leaving their homes temporarily to access gender-affirming care or for another reason.
Relocation Help for Trans People: Progressive Faith Coalition Takes Action | UU World Magazine
UUA Social Justice is asking for calls/emails to congressional members regarding the Budget Reconciliation Bill. As Unitarian Universalists, we view immigration as a moral issue; and have vowed to protect the rights of immigrants and asylum seekers. This isn’t just about a bad deal. It’s a cruel and heartless attack on millions of hardworking families who are part of the fabric of our communities, and an effort to criminalize and other our neighbors. Actually, it's the essence of what Rev. William Barber, II and the Poor People's Campaign: NCMR described as "federal policy violence.”
Learn more here: https://bit.ly/N4P-
Killer bill
The Non-profit killer bill. It is a dangerous provision that could let the government shut down nonprofits Social Justice Committee Announcements:
• Ongoing protests are occurring across the state.
NH50501, Women’s March, and Indivisible continue to support these protests.
If you plan to attend a rally, please reach out to the SJC so that you do not attend the rally alone. uuslsocialjusticecommittee@groups.outlook.com
Please review the ACLU’s information prior to attending a rally so that you understand your first amendment rights: Know Your Rights | Protesters’ Rights | ACLU.
The next rallies are:
• July 17th, National Day of Action, Good trouble lives on. 2-6pm State house, Concord.
• NH50501 is participating in Visibility Brigade. Displaying protest signs along highway overpasses throughout the state. To get connected, join the NH Bridge Brigade for Democracy or contact the social justice committee to establish a bridge brigade: The Visibility Brigade: Resistance is Possible
• NH50501’s billboard project: the billboard will be in downtown Manchester 6/29. They still need donations. To donate and see the design: Billboards Project | NH Forward
• General Strike US is aiming to get 11 million people signed to commit to strike.
To learn more: The General Strike
• Take Action for Libraries is a political action committee working on the behalf of libraries. There are resources and petitions: Take Action to Support Libraries!
• List of upcoming Pride events: Visit NH | New Hampshire Pride Event
• Postcard campaigns continue and there are new postcards to send to SCOTUS.
Card Campaign for Democracy #TheMajorityProject: 1 Million Postcards to Congress
Signs Of Justice
• The Electronic Frontier Foundation has a surveillance self-defense guide for safer online communications and for tips for attending protests: Surveillance Self-Defense
• Brennan Center for Justice has been doing virtual presentations on some of the recent executive orders: Brennan Center for Justice.
Social Justice
The Social Justice Committee (SJC) would like to share the following information:
- Many folks are continuing with calls to the US House and Senate. Do you need help in scheduling weekly calls to
the NH Delegation? Try the app 5 Calls or add our delegation’s numbers to your cell phone as well as the numbers for Rep. Harkeem Jeffries ((202) 225-5936) and Senator Chuck Schumer ((202) 224-6542).
- There are two ongoing postcard campaigns to exercise first amendment freedom of speech rights: Card Campaign for Democracy and #TheMajorityProject: 500k Postcards to Congress – Signs Of Justice.
- NH Forward and NH50501 are seeking contributions for a billboard project in Manchester. To learn more and contrib- ute: Billboards Project | NH Forward
- The Electronic Frontier Foundation has a surveillance self-defense guide for safer online communications and for tips for attending protests: Surv
- Are you curious about what organizations and products support either the Democratic or Republican Parties? Goods Unite Us is an application you can download in the App store, and there is a website too. You can search for either an organization or product and receive a break- down on what parties and candidates received monetary support from the organization or product. Here’s a link to the website: Home - Goods Unite Us
- Not comfortable going to a protest rally? There is an on- going postcard campaign to send postcards to the White House exercising our first amendment rights. If you de- cide to participate, be sure not to include your name or address. Here’s a link to a website providing templates that you can print out or use their message on your own postcards: Card Campaign for Democracy
- Finally, Senator Jaime Raskin is encouraging all Americans to file a formal demand for access to their personal information obtained by Musk and “DOGE”. Here’s a link to his website with a fillable form: DOGE Privacy Act Re- quests - Jamie Raskin for Congress
Our Current Social Justice Projects
During the COVID-19 pandemic, we are primarily focusing our efforts on sharing our monetary offerings with local charities and on coordinating collection drives to support local and state organizations working to mitigate the economic impacts of this crisis such as homelessness and food insecurity. Please click on the links to learn more about each organization.
- Share the Plate - We share our monetary offerings with the following local charities:
- Collection Drives - We coordinate the collection of food and non-food items for organizations, and partner with the Laconia Gilford Lion's Club in this endeavor. The following are two organizations that will benefit from this effort:
- Isaiah 61 Cafe
- Community Action Program Food Pantry
- Other Social Justice Activities:
- We are a Green Sanctuary congregation
- We host the local American Red Cross Blood Drive annually
Our Previous Social Justice Projects
During the COVID-19 pandemic, we are tabling some projects until we can perform them safely. Below is a list of projects that we have either tabled with the intent to resume participation after the pandemic or projects we have done in the past.
- UU The Vote - We participated with our national organization’s efforts to get out 1 million Unitarian Universalists for the 2020 election. We conducted phone calls to members and friends to provide assistance with voting.
- Gun Safety - To highlight the need for common sense gun safety reform, we created a poster and did a presentation at our national organization’s annual meeting and have hosted educational awareness sessions.
- Hands Across the Table - We volunteer to serve food for Hands Across the Table, an organization that provides free, hot meals to those in need.
- Belknap House - We participated in the fundraising and grand opening of the Belknap House which is a local cold weather homeless shelter. We have sold Fair Trade products to support small scale farmers and we donate the proceeds to the Belknap House.
- Liberty House - Coordinating collection drives for clothing and winter items for homeless veterans served by Liberty House in Manchester.
- Mental Health Awareness
- Hosted the former Chief Justice of the New Hampshire Supreme Court, Justice John Broderick, for a presentation to reduce the stigma of mental illness in the Change Direction campaign
- Hosted NAMI for the presentation "In Our Own Voice" to increase awareness and help reduce the stigma associated with mental illness
- Bullying Education - Hosted a workshop for local educators on the issue of bullying
- Habitat for Humanity - Raised funds and participated in Habitat for Humanity projects