[foodjustice-steering] Resolution to vote on solidarity with Palestinians

[Cathy Muha]

 Food Justice folks,Please read this below. Would you consider co-sponsoring? If so, I will invite them to come to our April meeting.
Thanks,Cathy
 
Dear UUAA Group Leader,
I am writing from the now-combined Social Justice Council and Vision Support Committee - joined beginning in April in the pursuit of both Vision 2050 and our collective social justice efforts.  
One of those efforts - our UUs for Justice in the Middle East (UUJME) - is working on a Resolution to bring to the full congregation for a vote in June.  This resolution would align UUAA with the UUA's "Solidarity With Palestinians: Action for Immediate Witness."   The proposed Resolution is attached below.  
The UUJME group has two invitations for all groups across UUAA.  The first invitation is to join them in co-sponsoring this Resolution, because of it's many links to the work of this congregation, as Mark Jagner explains below. If you might consider co-sponsoring, UUJME representatives would welcome the opportunity to meet with your group at your April or May meeting to discuss the Resolution in more detail.   
The second invitation is for groups that may not be considering co-sponsoring.  For you, the UUJME team appreciates if you can share the Resolution with your members and invite feedback for the UUJME team, who would be glad to attend a meeting to discuss in more detail.  
You can get in touch with UUJME at uujme at uuaa.org, or reach out to Mark directly (mjagner at yahoo.com).  And they invite everyone to attend this Sunday's event (April 13, 1:00pm), the film "Roadmap to Apartheid." The Weekly News has more information.  
***  Examples of UUAA Group connections to the Palestine situation from Mark: 
Palestine is a Food Justice issue: Israel is using mass starvation as a weapon of war. Since breaking the ceasefire a month ago, Israel has not allowed any food, medicine or humanitarian aid to enter Gaza! In the West Bank, agricultural land where the native population has practiced sustainable farming for centuries is being destroyed.
Habitat for Humanity: Every individual and every family deserve a home that is safe and secure with access to water, electricity and sewage. Since October, 2023, Israel has destroyed the homes of 2 million people in Gaza and 40,000 people in the West Bank.
Restorative Justice: Peace will come to Palestine/Israel when there is a process of reconciliation in which both peoples see and affirm the the humanity in the other.
Community of Writers: There is a group of young people in Gaza called We Are Not Numbers who write in English about theirs lives under a 2 decades-long military siege and never ending war. They have just published a book!
Palestine is a Climate Justice/Environmental Justice issue: The dumping of chemicals near poor communities and unequal water distribution is common practice in the West Bank. War and conflict have a devastating impact on ecosystems, poison the soil and release huge amounts of carbon and toxic gases into the atmosphere. 
Palestine is a Racial Justice issue: Anytime people are excluded, discriminated against, denied basic human rights and oppressed because of their ethnic identity or religion, that is racism and it is morally wrong.
Thanks to the UUJME team for educating and engaging all of us in this important matter.
Regards from your Vision Support Committee/Social Justice Council

        
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