Vision And Actions

April 2005

Vision

Prairie Star District Unitarian Universalist Association Social Justice Network (“SJ Network”) will inspire UUs to work collectively to make our communities sustainable and equitable. We will support and promote inter- and intra-congregational activities and collaborations with social change organizations in the larger community—both interfaith and secular.

Goals

Goal 1: Building a Social Justice Community

Build a community of UUs engaged in social justice work.

Actions

Relationship Building

1. Identify and build ongoing relationships among social justice chairs and activists in PSD congregations and clusters, the Church of the Larger Fellowship, the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) and affiliates involved in social justice work, such as Unitarian Universalist Service Committee ( UUSC) and Unitarian Universalists for a Just Economic Community (UJEC)
2. Conduct occasional outreach to folks who may not be connected to the Social Justice Network.
3. Facilitate information sharing among Prairie Star (PSD) congregations/clusters about social justice strategies, successes, and challenges. (See Goal 2)

Recognition

1. Recognize “good social justice works” of PSD congregations and clusters.
2. Promote PSD awards program for exemplary social justice work by congregations and clusters in the District.

Capacity Building

1. Build UU understanding of the importance and meaning of social change work by:
   1. Developing a curriculum that includes:
      • The importance of working for social justice
      • The elements of social change work and what it takes to do it effectively.
      • UU principles and how they relate to social justice work and our ability to sustain a long term commitment to the work
      • Different ways to engage in social justice work in our UU community—e.g., as an individual, as a member of a congregation or a congregational cluster, through the PSD SJ Network, and/or through the UUA, UUSC, or UUJEC—and how these different levels relate to each other.
   2. Presenting a social justice workshop at each PSD annual conference.
2. Encourage PSD congregations to form congregational clusters based on geographical proximity and other factors to enhance their social justice work and create a UU learning community. To support this, PSD will facilitate an initial organization meeting in each cluster.
3. Raise funds for PSD SJ Network to enable information exchange, support, and development of social justice tools.

Goal 2: Information Sharing

Facilitate exchange of social justice information among PSD congregations.

Actions

1. Enhance SJ Network’s website to include information such as:
   • Calendar of social justice events sponsored by PSD congregations.
   • Contact information for social justice committees, clusters, and SJ Network chairs
   • SJ Network mission and actions
   • Map of clusters
   • Downloadable resources related to social justice issues and practices
   • Feature articles/interviews on successful PSD social justice models/programs
   • Common program challenges and resolution strategies
   • Links to PSD congregations, clusters, UUA, UUSC, UUJEC
2. Continue publishing the PSD SJ Network newsletter and periodic updates

Goal 3: A Liberal Religious Voice for Social Change

Encourage PSD congregations to express their liberal religious voices by actively working for social change in their communities.

Actions

1. Recruit a team of UU prophets throughout PSD (charismatic ministers, social justice leaders) to communicate the urgency of working for social change and to engage UUs in doing serious social change work in their communities. This team would speak in large and small venues to reach ministers, lay leaders, etc.
2. Promote feature stories about exemplary social change work being done within and outside the UU community.
3. Connect PSD congregations with available consultants/resources to help them become more effective social change congregations.

Social Justice Network Committee members

• Jo Haberman, Minnesota UU Social Justice Alliance, First Unitarian Society, Minneapolis
• James Bennett, Unitarian Church of Lincoln, Nebraska
• Caron Wells, All Souls UU, Kansas City
• Deb McIntyre, All Souls UU, Sioux Falls, South Dakota
• Sue Dailey, First Unitarian, Duluth, Minnesota
• Vicki Pratt, Program Coordinator, vlpratt@aol.com