Organizing UUs and Advocacy

There are certain behavioral characteristic that UUs hold in common. We are thoughtful, committed people. We are devoted in various degrees to advocacy of social justice. Just as we seek spiritually in many directions and our fellowship gives us permission and support to seek, we seek and act in many directions toward social justice. We move in so many different directions and organizations that we are about as easy to organize as it is to herd cats.

Somehow - from my past history in “organized medicine” (now THERE'S an oxymoron for you!) - it seems that if want to succeed as agents of change we need to communicate and organize better. Given my Pennsylvania perspective, we have effective activist communities in Philadelphia - in Pittsburgh - and in Erie; but with little contact and even less communication between them. If we have a cause worth mounting as a state-wide advocacy action, we have no way of coordinating it effectively. Even within our congregations we frequently do not know who the other activists are or what causes they are involved with. (The majority of congregations in the Ohio-Meadville District do not even have a Social Justice or equivalent committee.)

If we could coordinate our activities effectively, we would have more impact and success in achieving the reforms we seek. We would also build a stronger identity and greater understanding in the public mind - and since we do not proselytize but grow by attraction of
like minds, that would be a very good thing for the future of our denomination. If we had some way to know who in a community of UUs was involved in which issues, we could build state-wide or district-wide tripwires to coordinate actions of advocacy to legislators.

I have spent much of the past year trying to develop this concept as co-chair of the UU PA Legislative Advocacy Network (UUPLAN). And as a UUA-UUSC project, there are currently UU State Advocacy Networks developing in 15 states, with more to be developed. I have been continually surprised by the resistances I have found - ego and territorialism resisting any interference with local projects; churches that have no organization of social advocacy actions and no way to being together the individual advocates to speak to them; and congregations that simply refuse to respond to any communication. I have been willing to travel around the state and meet with the appropriate people in any UU congregation in any manner they wish and work to shape the network in whatever way they need - and for the most part have been ignored. My co-chair on the Philadelphia side of the state has had similar problems but several months' head start on me.Such are the joys and frustrations of the first stages of grassroots organization.

The concept of the Network - at least in THIS state - is superstructure over local activites to coordinate advocates state-wide, and should neither intrude on any existing activities nor give even more work to already over-busy activists. Certainly the model is mature in some states - the UU Legislative Ministry in California being the best-established example - and it's possible to point to a record of very positive accomplishments by networks not only in CA, but in Michigan, Minnesota, and in the New England states. It escapes me that this concept should prove a problem to anyone seriously interested in social change…. and maybe we have approached it in too top-down a manner. Maybe it needs to grow from the individual congregations on up; certainly participation is a matter of congregational polity. I am convening a W PA regional organizational meeting in April and - assuming we have enough participation - would hope to have enough diverse representation and input to give us a better basis to build from.

This is not a post to express frustration; there is no magic to rapid organization in such a diverse group. Rather, it's a request for ideas and comments from outside my perspective as volunteer organizer and within UU. What's missing?

Gratefully appreciate all thoughts and ideas.

Peace and blessings.

Re: Organizing UUs and Advocacy

One of lifes puzzles….

Here at RVUUF one of the laments I often hear is, “we don't communicate with each othe enouch….  Its so difficult to communicate with each other on matters of importance, etc.

We work and work on finding ways for communications in general.  People find their own little groups, but it never seems to get more effective.

My great hope is that something like Zaadz may become a tool for more and better communications for UU's.  I think the same goes for finding ways to energize real opportunities for meaningful “activiism” in UUs.  First though, comes real honest meaningful communication..??!!

Re: Organizing UUs and Advocacy

This - like most of the discussions here - seems to be VERY quiet. But this is a time when we, as UUs, should be following our 7 Principles and be taking action - not just thinking about it, not just debating it. There are too many things wrong in our society - from wars of choice and torture; to government by lie and innuendo; to the decreasing social safety net for the homeless, minorities, and the impoverished; to the increasing gap between rich and poor and the destruction of the middle class. I have spoken here before of the need for us to organize ourselves to take defintive actions before our legislators. One promising alliance I see that we should be able to make is with Rabbi Michael Lerner's Tikkun community and specifically with his interfaith Network of Spiritual Progressives.  The NSP - which is organized in local chapters in varying degrees of activity - advocates Lerner's proposal for a Spiritual Covernant with America - which is a detailed plan of action that meets the requirements of our 7 Principles. It would seem better for us to align ourselves with an organization with a comprehensive program that matches our ethic than - as we usually do - pick and choose different partners who suit us in addressing different issues. The NSP will be emerging very publicly this weekend with their observance nationwide of Generosity Sunday and the public rollout of their proposal for a Global Marshall Plan.

Thoughts? As we organize within ourselves to provide sustainable advocacy for our causes on the legislative level, should we be looking to form long-term coalitions or alliance with any organizations…. and specifically with this one?