SHARE:  
STEPS TO SOCIAL JUSTICE
A Newsletter from the Unitarian Society of Germantown
May 2016

As members and friends of USG, we are committed to being compassionate agents for social justice. Each month we will focus on one of the many social justice paths that our members walk, as well as point to other paths that are being walked that month.
Our seventh UU Principal is respect for the interdependent web of all existence. Our existence is dependent upon the Earth and respect for the Earth is respect for ourselves. Our focus this month is on PROTECTING THE ENVIRONMENT.



movieSOCIAL JUSTICE MOVIE "GROUNDSWELL RISING" AND DISCUSSION: MAY 23 AT 7 PM


Groundswell Rising is a powerful film documenting the social movement that has sprung from the heated debate over fracking. It's about people taking charge of their communities and not allowing a dangerous industry to move in and harm their way of life. The film explores the moral and ethical issues caused by the harmful and largely unregulated fracking industry. It was directed by Renard and Matt Cohen, of Emmy Award winning Resolution Pictures, andproduced by Mark Lichty and Dave Walczak. Mark, who has recently returned from the climate change summit in Paris, will be at USG to present the film and lead a discussion about fracking and climate change.


moraltoriumMORALtorium


On March 21, faith leaders held a Rally and Lobby Day in Harrisburg to present a MORALtorium on fracking. Their position was stated as follows:

As people of faith we are seeking:

MORALtorium on future drilling of new wells that involve hydraulic fracking and a halt to the development of related infrastructure;

Full funding for the examination of existing PA wells to monitor for methane leaks polluting the air and gas leaks polluting the water;

Full funding for cleanup of contaminated wells which cause health and safety problems for Pennsylvania;

Support for the renewable energy jobs;

Community transition support and the retraining of workers displaced from fossil fuel jobs for the emerging renewable energy sector.

For more information, go to UUPLAN.org.


Green Quiz


divestmentDIVESTMENT
The UUA has joined the campaign to divest from fossil fuel companies. Read about it here: http://www.uua.org/news/press-release/unitarian-universalist-association-joins-fossil-fuel-divestment-movement.

commitmentCOMMITMENT
Commit2Respond is an organization of UU's and other people of faith working on responding to the challenges of climate change. Read about it here:   
http://www.commit2respond.org/step_1?splash=1 .

greensanctuaryGREEN SANCTUARY
Read about the UUA's Green Sanctuary program here: http://www.uua.org/environment/sanctuary.

ethicaleatingETHICAL EATING
Read about the UUA's Ethical Eating program here: http://www.uua.org/environment/eating .

mobilizeMOBILIZE
Become involved in Climate Mobilization. Read about it here: http://www.theclimatemobilization.org/ .


share the plate
SharethePlateSHARE THE PLATE: May 15

Each month USG passes the plate for a charitable organization. This past year, Share the Plate has donated over $14,000 to local community and international organizations serving children, families, those without homes, without jobs, those returning from prison, and immigrants new to Philadelphia. Contact Sandy Capps, Sarah Spath, Eric Foster and Susan Smith for more information.

On Sunday, May 15, the Share The Plate recipient will be Heeding God's Call, a faith-based movement to prevent gun violence. Most recently, USG partnered with Heeding God's Call to display the T-Shirt Memorial to the Lost, commemorating the 288 lives lost to gun violence during the previous year. 

To donate to this month's Share The Plate Recipient, please visit our Online Payment Center.
OTHER SOCIAL JUSTICE PATHS

Marietta Tanner with Peter Morales
celebratingCelebrating Older Americans Month: Blazing Trails With Alice

Alice's lifestyle reflects Blazing A Trail, the theme for May, Older American Month. Alice continuously explores many trails. You can always find her at a local event. She takes classes and engages in social activities. At UU House Outreach, she participates in healthy lifestyle programs. Alice also volunteers in a mentoring program and, in election years, she works on political campaigns.  

Alice's computer skills help her research an inexhaustible range of activities and she finds great shopping bargains. When she wants more help, Alice turns to UU House Outreach. There she gets specific health and social service information. Alice goes almost everywhere on buses and trains. When necessary, she gets a ride from friends. 

MothersDayMother's Day Action Alert for Detained Moms
 
You can do something special for immigrant mothers in detention this year: Send a beautiful card and Presente.org, CultureStrike, and Strong Families will deliver it just in time for #MamasDay. http://bit.ly/26jwvv5

MothersDayRallyMother's Day Rally to Restore Families & Communities and Bring Our Loved Ones Home

WHAT:  Press conference and rally focusing on ending death by incarceration for young people, bringing immediate relief to people whose cases fall under the recent Supreme Court rulings on Juvenile Death By Incarceration, and broadening the definition of "young person" so those rulings would apply to far more people.

WHEN: 12-2pm on Friday, May 6

WHERE: Meet on north side of City Hall (JFK & Broad St), with speakers to be followed by a march to the District Attorney's office.

Please help us spread the word by spreading the word on facebook . We hope to see you there!

red school house
educationEducation
USG members are involved in a multitude of social justice projects. To view the latest activities and post new ones, join the USG Social Justice Group on Facebook.


Unitarian Society of Germantown | 215-844-1157 | admin@usguu.org | usguu.org
facebookSTAY CONNECTED:
USG's Social Justice Facebook Page: USG members are involved in a multitude of social justice projects. To view the latest activities and post new ones, join the USG Social Justice Group on Facebook.