Faith in Action Issues Election Meeting Minutes - September 23, 2007

The current UUA 2007 Actions of Immediate Witness approved at General Assembly in June 2007 were handed out for discussion:

• Social Support for the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women
• Support Immigrant Families – Stop the Immigration & Customs Enforcements (ICE) Raids
• Support Comprehensive Sexuality Education Legislations
• Stop US Sponsored Torture – A Religious Call to Action
• Repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”
• Pass the Employment Non-Discrimination Act with Transgender Inclusion and Protection.

Committee Reports:

Green Sanctuary: Leslie Reuter presented the Action Plan that lists the 12 actions our congregation must take to become a certified Green Sanctuary church. The plan includes actions on Environmental Justice, Sustainable Living, Worship celebrations and Religious Education. The Action Plan was unanimously approved. Leslie also demonstrated an LED lamp that the Green Sanctuary Group would like to sell at church.

Hunger Task Force: Members of the congregation present at the Issues Election affirmed continuing our volunteer relationship with Step Up On Second coordinated by Janet Goodwin and Daybreak Shelter coordinated by Denise Helton. FIA chair presented the challenges of securing funding for these activities on a monthly basis. A request has been made to the Long Range Planning Committee to allocate funds to support this work in the future. We need a new volunteer coordinator for Turning Point Transitional Housing. The chair would like to thank the many congregation members who have donated so generously in the past.

The suggestion was made to add the film “Sicko” to our list of programs. This request will be directed to the Peace & Civil Liberties Committee.

The Multi-Racial Development Group presented their plans to focus on immigration as they relate to labor struggles:

- Plans to address car wash owners’ failure to provide a living wage to their workers
- The new Sanctuary Movement along with CLUE, Clergy & Laity United for Economic justice
- Bond-out families in detention as part of the UUA’s Action of Immediate Witness, Support Immigrant Families – Stop the Immigration & Customs Enforcements (ICE) Raids

MRDC will provide a liaison, Nora Hamilton, to the FIAC meetings and the FIAC chair will participate in the MRDC meetings to foster a close working relationship.

UU Legislative Ministry items:

- Carol Agate, Kris Langabeer, and Jacki Paddock all agreed to participate and report on the UULM’s Marriage Equality work group
- Joan Verdon and Cathie Gentile will participate and report on the Health Care Reform work group.

25,000 Petition for Peace

Phyllis Gabriel and Joan Verdon circulated the Rev. William Sinkford’s petition that calls for an end to the Iraq war. Rev. Sinkford will take the petitions to Capitol Hill on October 10.

Minutes taken by Judy Federick and transcribed by Cathie Gentile

UUA 2007 Actions of Immediate Witness approved at General Assembly in June 2007

• Social Support for the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women
• Support Immigrant Families – Stop the Immigration & Customs Enforcements (ICE) Raids
• Support Comprehensive Sexuality Education Legislations
• Stop US Sponsored Torture – A Religious Call to Action
• Repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”
• Pass the Employment Non-Discrimination Act with Transgender Inclusion and Protection

Actions of Immediate Witness are adopted to address pressing policy concerns in a timely manner. Individual Unitarian Universalists, congregations, districts, and departments of the UUA and UU affiliate organizations are urged to act on it also.