Issue Groups
Social Justice Issue Groups UUA Common Read Immigration Discussion
Issue Groups form around common social justice interests of the members. The members of each group own it and decide what they want to do, when they want to meet, or if they want to connect via email to study an issue, take action, get speakers, or go to community events. The Social Action Committee is available to help if the group wants to do something that involves the rest of the congregation or greater community.
Issue Groups give people an opportunity to meet with other FUS members interested in the same issues and to give them the freedom to pursue that interest without involving the whole committee.
Examples of Issue Groups that have formed in the past are:
- Peace
- Health care reform
- GLBT/Gender issues
- Immigration
- Homelessness/ economic justice
- J Street
- Impartial Judiciary
Suggest an issue you are passionate about to start a group!
Contact Carol Koepp, Social Justice Coordinator at sac [at] firstunitarian [dot] org.
Join the UUA Common Read
The Death of Josseline
Immigration Stories from the Arizona-Mexico Borderlands
by Margaret Regan
READ:The Death of Josseline: Immigration Stories from the Arizona-Mexico Borderlands (Beacon Press, 2010) presents a series of intimate stories from the Arizona-Mexico border---stories of immigrants, activists, human rights workers, and border patrol people. Through stories, the book explores the ethical, moral, and spiritual challenges presented by the complex immigration issues on the border, evoking a human and religious response, rather than a political or policy debate. Regan calls us to the religious act of bearing witness to brutality and despair along with extraordinary courage and commitment.
The book is available in the FUS bookstore.
The UUA has provided a very helpful study guide for congregations to use to aid discussion. Our congregation has decided to study the issue using a blog format. This will allow our snowbirds to have input as well as the rest of our membership. Go to the Social Justice box on FUS website and click on "join the immigration discussion". There you will read a message from the UUA, click on links to handouts and respond to question in the comment box. Comment as "anonymous" but sign your name in the message. This will go on for 6 weeks. At the end of that time we will send comments and recommendationst ot the UUA. We also may decide to take action locally.
