This blog may not be updated in the future, but please feel free to browse through previous posts using the links at the right. We think you’ll find some useful information there.
Check out the UUA’s General Assembly web page for more information.
The UU World will be live blogging at the 2012 General Assembly.
Tim Griffin
First, a little background: The General Assembly Exhibit Hall has long been a beloved part of the GA experience. We wanted the exhibit hall this year to be a part of Justice GA, and also serve a specific purpose toward our larger vision and goals of this GA. We welcomed UU exhibitors as well as other human rights and service organizations, past exhibitors and vendors of goods sold to benefit human rights and justice causes. We are excited for all these groups to form the Justice GA Expo, which will carry on the role of an important networking hub for the exchange of information and ideas.
As a part of the reservation process, each 5 day booth made a minimum donation of $150 to support partner organization participation in the exhibit hall and to support the 2012 GA Service Project.
As an additional show of support, exhibitors could choose to increase their donation or pledge service hours. These exhibiting groups all pledged 40 service hours to be completed on their own, unrelated to activities at General Assembly:
We will hopefully have an upcoming blog post from one of them further detailing how they plan to spend their 40 hours of service.
To maximize the opportunity for justice work, partnership, and conversations, Arizona community partners are invited to utilize table space on Sunday, June 24 from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. when the Justice GA Expo is open to the public. We will have a number of skirted tables set up in a prominent area of the exhibit hall that will be free for community partners to disseminate information, talk to attendees and the public, and sell items if desired.
We will also have a hands-on service project to be completed in the hall on Saturday.
Be sure to check out the Justice GA Expo (GA Exhibit Hall):
Exhibit hall hours:
Wednesday, June 20
12:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
open to GA registrants only
Thursday, June 21
10:00 a.m. – 7:30 p.m.
open to GA registrants only
Friday, June 22
10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
open to GA registrants only
Saturday, June 23
10:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
open to GA registrants only
Sunday, June 24
10:30 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
open to the public
Melissa Saggerer
Taken from Standing on the Side of Love: The UUA has compiled a list of powerful films that are ideal for educating yourself, your family, your friends, and, if applicable, your congregation on immigration-related issues. Whether you’re just looking for an entry point on the crucial human rights topics related to immigration or seeking a backdrop to a community-wide dialogue that may spur policy change, these films are some of the best.
Chosen based on quality and/or subject breadth, these movies touch on many different aspects of immigration. Don’t feel you need to watch all of them. Start with one that sounds interesting, or pick a few that cover different topics and have an Immigration Film Fest.
Melissa Saggerer
The following is reposted from Blue Boat, written by Ted Resnikoff with youth and young adults in mind, but much of it applies to other age groups as well- make sure to also check out our Financial Aid page!
Registration for General Assembly is open as are several funding opportunities to help offset the cost of attending.
Deadlines are approaching, so get your applications filled out soon!
Local scholarships and support – Deadlines vary
Several districts are providing scholarship assistance and other support, from covering registration, to providing an additional matching grant, to organizing caravans. These opportunities are specifically for those within the district. Check our updated list of resources by district. Some are general funds for all attendees, while others are specifically for young adults or for youth.
One application, two scholarship chances! – Application Deadline March 31!
To ensure that youth and young adults are considered for even more scholarship options, the Office of Youth and Young Adult Ministries and the General Assembly Planning Committee (GAPC) have combined their scholarship application processes. The funds and decision-making procedures remain separate, but youth and young adults no longer have to submit separate applications to be considered for either of these two scholarship awards— one application automatically qualifies the applicant to be considered for both programs! If you received a scholarship from one of these programs last year, you are still eligible to receive one from the other this year.
Youth and Young Adult Scholarships
This award pays the applicant’s GA registration fee and up to $500 for expenses associated with attendance at GA.
Additional funds beyond $500 for expenses are available this year through a generous gift from the Katie Tyson Fund for applicants who demonstrate exceptional leadership ability and potential and indicate in their applicant statement their plan for bringing what they learn at GA back to their communities.
GAPC Matching Grants
The General Assembly Planning Committee (GAPC) has established a matching grant scholarship. The GAPC grant covers registration and then will additionally match the amount of aid provided by the congregation up to $250 (for a total of $500 assistance, split between the congregation and the GAPC).
Under special circumstances, youth and young adults who are awarded GAPC matching grants may request that an award from the Youth and Young Adults Scholarship Program serve as their congregational match.
Get There Grants – Application Deadline March 31
Get There Grants are for projects that defray costs to help youth and young adults attend the 2012 Justice GA in Phoenix, AZ. These grants are for shared expenses that can lower the cost of attendance for a large number of youth or young adults. This could be for a charter bus, providing box lunches for youth and young adults, purchasing ingredients for a shared meal of-site, and more. Learn more about the Get There Grants on our website.
Other options
You can volunteer at GA to have your registration waived, and we’ll be in blogging about some fundraising ideas in the coming weeks. In the meantime, you might want to check out the resources here on Blue Boat, including a fundraising guide from our Spirituality and Service program.
Melissa Saggerer
Want to know more about immigration?: check out some of these resources to see why we’re going to Phoenix and what we’re addressing while we’re there. Attendees will come away with a heightened knowledge of the issues, have opportunities to participate in witness and service and come away having been a part of something unique.
Let us know in the comments if there are other resources you recommend!
“Cooking Together” includes this page and a blog, where people of all ages who are passionate about engagement with immigration justice work are invited to share, create and adapt faith development materials for congregations. Have materials or ideas to share or resources you are seeking? Contact Gail Forsyth-Vail, Adult Programs Director (adultprograms @ uua.org).
Posadas & Interfaith Witness with Immigrant Families: On Saturday, December 10, members of Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice of Ventura County (CLUE VC) gathered with others in Oxnard, CA to provide support for immigrant families who are being faced with the very real possibility that one or both parents will be (or have been) deported. These deportations result in children being separated from one or both of their parents and often being placed in foster care. A crowd of about 80 people attended the event and signed postcards to be sent to President Obama, asking for justice for immigrant families. Rev. Dr. Betty Stapleford, a UU minister and CLUE VC Board member from Thousand Oaks, introduced other clergy and lay representatives from various religious communities who shared blessings from their faith traditions in support of immigrants. Read the complete story.
Faithful Witness and Action includes information and resources for organizing and carrying out actions in support of immigrant rights and family unification through the Standing on the Side of Love campaign; congregational stories of witness, action, and support; partner organizations; and opportunities for witness, advocacy, and solidarity in response to legislation, policies, events, and organizing campaigns.
Stories of what other congregations have done to bring about justice or deepen learning on immigration.
Worship includes links to hymn and music suggestions, prayers, meditations, litanies, stories, and readings for adults, young, adults, youth, children, and multigenerational groups.
Theological Reflection includes sermon excerpts and reflection questions, small group ministry plans for people of all ages, and essays on a UU theology of immigration.
Religious Education includes program plans for children, youth, adults and multigenerational groups that explore topics connected with immigration justice and invite people to respond as they are called by Unitarian Universalist values and principles.
Immigration Policy includes information about federal and state public policy, legislation, government action concerning immigration,and analysis of migration to the United States.
Melissa Saggerer
One of the values that we hold close while making decisions about General Assembly is our commitment to sustainability. Meetings and Conventions named our General Assembly as a leader in green meetings in an article- “5 Top Organizations for Green Meetings: How five companies have raised the bar for eco-friendly gatherings.” [we’re on page 4] Check it out!
sneak peek: “Going green has never hurt the UUA’s bottom line, Sneegas reports. The only area for which the group has paid extra is in food and beverage — specifically, to use more organic and local foods. In this case, the UUA’s “ethical eating statement of conscience,” which was passed last year, trumps the budget. Sneegas explains, “Our contracts require 20 percent of the foods to be organic and local at no extra cost, but if the vendor can do more, we’ll pay for the difference.”
To see some of the other values that drive our meeting planning work visit our website- Our Values in Practice page.
Melissa Saggerer
There will be something for everyone at this GA, no matter where you may be in the spectrum of social justice work, whether you’re just beginning and coming to learn, or whether you’re a seasoned activist – there will be programming and opportunities for you to have meaningful involvement.
There will be community events outside as well as work done indoors. Phoenix will be hot, but the housing is nearby and there are a lot of food options in the convention center, so it will be possible to limit your sun exposure. There will be an exhibit hall, the Justice GA Expo, for which we are still accepting exhibitors. GA programming will be focused on justice issues, including topics such as the spiritual foundations of justice work, the theology of social justice, as well as a more tactical focus on organizing.
Much more information about the upcoming Justice General Assembly is available at www.uua.org/ga.
UUA General Assembly
Attention UUA Member Congregations: Be sure to Certify and Vote before 5 p.m. PST on February 1!
Certification of Membership is an annual process whereby member congregations report statistical information from their previous fiscal year, and a current certified membership number, to the Unitarian Universalist Association.
The certified number of members will be used as the basis for calculating your congregation’s Fair Share contribution to the UUA Annual Program Fund, as well as District dues (FY 2013). The certified number also determines the number of voting delegates that may represent your congregation at the 2012 General Assembly. Congregations are required to report this statistic each year before the February 1 deadline as part of the UUA’s Bylaws & Rules (Rule 3.5.1. Required Annual Report).
Congregations certify online by logging in to the Data Services Login for Congregations. In addition to providing statistical and financial data, congregations are also asked to the update the congregation’s contact information for the UUA Directory, and to participate in the Congregational Poll.
Congregational Study/Action Issues (CSAIs) are issues selected by Unitarian Universalist member congregations for four years of study, reflection and action. In the third year of this process, delegates at General Assembly can vote to approve a Statement of Conscience (SOC) resulting from congregational feedback on the CSAI. A fourth year is devoted to implementation.
Five congregations have proposed Congregational Study/Action Issues for 2012-2016. The Congregational Poll will determine whether any or all of these proposals will be submitted to the delegates of the 2012 General Assembly (GA) for consideration. Congregations should vote “Yes” for the proposals that the GA delegates should consider for adoption; “No” for proposals they should not; and “Abstain” for proposals about which the congregation does not have an opinion.
Proposed CSAIs for 2012 – 2016
UUA General Assembly
Maria Hinojosa, award winning broadcast journalist and author, as been selected as the Ware Lecturer for the 2012 Justice GA. She is the anchor and managing editor of NPR’s Latino USA. In April 2010, Hinojosa launched The Futuro Media Group with the mission to produce multi-platform, community-based journalism that respects and celebrates the cultural richness of the American experience. In addition, Hinojosa is the anchor of the Emmy-award winning talk show Maria Hinojosa: One-on-One from WGBH/La Plaza.
Recently, Hinojosa was a corresponant for a powerful PBS Frontline documentary called Lost in Detention, a comprehensive examination of the detention, deportation and enforcement aspect of the United States’ controversial immigration policy.
Watch Lost in Detention on PBS.org
From NPR: Maria Hinojosa has helped tell America’s untold stories and brought to light unsung heroes in America and abroad.
Hinojosa has reported hundreds of important stories—including the immigrant work camps in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, teen girl victims of sexual harassment on the job, and Emmy-award winning stories of the poor in Alabama—previously as a senior correspondent for PBS’Now and currently as a contributing correspondent on PBS’ Need to Know.
Throughout her career Hinojosa has helped define the conversation about our times and our society with one of the most authentic voices in broadcast. As a reporter for NPR, Hinojosa told groundbreaking stories about youth and violence and immigrant communities. During her eight years as a CNN correspondent Hinojosa took viewers into communities that had never been shown on television. Her investigative journalism presses the powerful for the truth while giving voice to lives and stories that illuminate the world we live in.
Hinojosa has won top honors in American journalism including two Emmys, the Robert F. Kennedy Award for Reporting on the Disadvantaged, and the Edward R. Murrow Award from the Overseas Press Club for best documentary for her groundbreaking Child Brides: Stolen Lives. In 2009, Hinojosa was honored with an AWRT Gracie Award for Individual Achievement as Best TV Correspondent. Three times over the past decade, Hinojosa has been named one of the 100 Most Influential Latinos in the United States by Hispanic Business magazine. She has received the Ruben Salazar Communications Award from the National Council of La Raza and was inducted into the “She Made It” Hall of Fame at the Paley Center/Museum of Television and Radio in a program that honors women trail blazers in the media.
Hinojosa is author of two books including a motherhood memoir, Raising Raul: Adventures Raising Myself and My Son.
Born in Mexico City, Hinojosa was raised in Chicago. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Barnard College at Columbia University in New York.
UUA General Assembly
Are you interested in exhibiting at General Assembly? The Unitarian Universalist Association is gearing up for a fresh and exciting Justice GA in Phoenix, Arizona. It is a GA that will have a focus on education, preparation, faith-based worship, witness and service. You are warmly invited to be a part of it!
The Justice GA Expo at the 51st UUA General Assembly will be an important networking hub for the exchange of information and ideas. It will feature a wide variety of new and returning exhibitors that reflect the diversity of interests pursued by Unitarian Universalists: Craftspeople, Jewelry Artisans, Social Action Groups, Professional Services, Theological Schools, Educational Resources, UUA Congregations, UUA Organizations, Beacon Press, the UUA Bookstore, as well as partner human rights/service organizations, and vendors of goods whose sale benefits justice causes. UU and non-UU exhibitors are welcome.
Just by reserving a booth, 2012 GA exhibitors will be making a financial contribution toward justice. For every exhibitor registration we receive, $150 of the booth rental rate will be donated to support justice work. Exhibitors will also have opportunity to make additional donations for justice. The GA Planning teams will also engage with exhibitors to identify other ways exhibitors can contribute to immigration, racial and economic justice work.
New This Year:
The GA Planning Committee is exploring opportunities for hands-on service projects that GA attendees can perform from inside the Expo Hall.
On Sunday, June 24 the Justice GA Expo will expand to include some additional local community partners who are engaged in justice work. The Expo will be open to the public on Sunday.
Our current projected attendance for GA 2012 is 3,500. Estimates become more accurate after registration opens in March.
More information about Exhibiting
As always- go to http://www.uua.org/ga/ for the most current information about GA. Thank you!
Melissa Saggerer
UUA General Assembly