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

[Julie Mitchell]

FWIW, I agree with Vinny. I would prefer to focus on food justice
initiatives that support the local community since there is a great and
ever-growing need here given the current issues in the US.

Julie

On Sun, Apr 13, 2025, 23:10 Lawrence Schweinhart <schweinhart at att.net>
wrote:

> We fully support Vinny’s perspective.
>
> On Apr 13, 2025, at 8:06 PM, Vinny <vincentjonna at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> 
>
> I appreciate the intentions behind the resolution and understand why UUJME
> is reaching out—solidarity work and cross-issue collaboration are
> important. That said, I’m feeling hesitant about formally supporting it at
> this point. My concern is that it may pull focus from our core mission.
>
>
> It already feels like we’re carrying a broad range of issues without a
> strong unifying direction, and this risks adding to that lack of coherence.
> I think we need to revisit what we’re really trying to do with Food Justice
> at UUAA and find ways to bring people together around that shared purpose.
>
>
> That said, I don’t object to what they’re asking—if it’s simply a gesture
> of acknowledgment or support, I’m okay going along with the group’s
> decision.
> On Sun, Apr 13, 2025 at 7:38 PM Cathy Muha <cathymuha at sbcglobal.net>
> wrote:
>
>> 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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>>
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