January 2023 Faith in Action Opportunities

There are so many opportunities to get engaged in Faith in Action this month!

First up, a bit of UU insider activism. There is a proposed business resolution for the UUA to divest from fossil fuels. It is currently seeking signatures to move it onto the business agenda for this year’s General Assembly. Read about the resolution here. There will be a Q&A with the sponsors of this resolution Sunday, January 15 at 2:00 pm PT. The registration link is here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZArd-uhpjwiGdNe_eA4CK_hKc-pMqvPO228

Second, a chance to gather for youth-led climate justice this week.

WA Youth Climate Summit RSVP HERE

Friday, January 13 | 10:00 am to 1:00 pm (estimated)

Event Description:

Northwest salmon and orca conservation are intrinsically tied to a need for increased prioritization of renewable energy investments in the Columbia Basin. With youth and supporters from around the state, from Bellingham to Walla Walla, we intend to kick off the 2023 Washington legislative session with the message that climate investments in the Columbia Basin are a statewide priority, to prevent salmon and orca extinction via the Snake River dam replacement, uphold Columbia Basin Indigenous sovereignty, and protect the right to an ecologically-sound future for all Washington youth. The event, from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm on Friday, January 13, will consist of a youth-led rally with speakers at Marathon Park, Olympia, followed by an impassioned march to the State Capitol Building, where closing speeches will be given and a high-visibility demonstration (TBD) will be held. Attendees are welcome to independently schedule meetings with state legislators following the event!

Contact:

Maanit Goel, Director of WYORCA – maanitgoel@gmail.com

Next some economic justice learning opportunities. Want to explore questions of class and education as they relate to justice work? Here are two resources:

This online toolkit: Movement Traditions — The Activist Class Cultures Kit
And for those comfortable going a bit further outside our own OUUC culture, there is this training from POOR magazine: Education | POOR Magazine

Then OUUC’s Environmental Action Team is sponsoring a learning opportunity at the end of the month.

OUUC Environmental Action Quarterly Speaker Series

January 29; 11:30 am

OUUC, 2315 Division St. NW, Olympia

Topic: Carbon Fee and Dividend Legislation

Speaker: Jim Lazar, Citizen Climate Lobby

Jim Lazar of the Olympia Chapter of the Citizens Climate Lobby (CCL)(https://citizensclimatelobby.org/) will be representing the basics of the CCL proposal for carbon “fee and dividend” federal legislation, which would impose a fee on the emission of carbon dioxide pollution, and rebate 100% of the proceeds to the public in the form of periodic direct payments. The idea is to make products and services that cause carbon pollution more expensive, but not to use this as a form of taxation for additional governmental expenditures.

For more information contact Philip Pearson at philip_pearson@yahoo.com

Finally, folks looking for an advocacy opportunity can join the Faith Action Network for their Legislative Day:

REGISTRATION NOW OPEN for Interfaith Advocacy Day in Olympia

Thursday, February 9, 9:00 am-3:00 pm. Please register to attend IN PERSON by January 29 at this link. Thanks to the generosity of our donors, there is no cost to attend this year. We will be gathering in person at The United Churches of Olympia in the morning and meeting with legislators in the afternoon. We are unsure at this point which portions of the day we will be able to offer for online participation; we will provide updates about that and registration for any online activities as more is known.

Please join us to raise voices of faith and conscience in our State Capitol!

While none of us can do it all, I hope you find something here that is the right fit for you as you put your faith into action. In Faith,

Rev Sara

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