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UUSC: A powerful voice for human rights.
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Unitarian Universalist Service Committee
Our Fellowship, almost from its origin, has been actively engaged with the
Unitarian Universalist Service Committee (UUSC),
which provides the UU voice for human rights and social justice
in the United States and around the world, turning UU values
into action.
Founded in 1939 to rescue victims of Nazi persecution, the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee is an independent
membership organization grounded in UU principles and made
possible by the activism and generous support of individual
members. UUSC does not accept any federal or state
government funding. UUSC is an associate member of the
Unitarian Universalist Association but receives no general
funding from the UUA.
UUSC's Programs
UUSC advances human rights and social justice around the
world, partnering with those who confront unjust power
structures and challenging oppressive policies. This
mission is carried out by combining partnerships, advocacy, and
education. UUSC works to eradicate economic injustice, defend civil liberties,
and promote environmental justice. UUSC also provides
financial and technical support when disasters strike,
especially when human rights are threatened.
UUSC believes that there is a clear connection between human
rights violations and gender, race, ethnicity, and poverty.
Therefore UUSC programs particularly address oppressed and
vulnerable groups.
UUSC does more than relief and development work. Its partner
groups focus on human rights and utilize approaches often far
more cost-effective in saving human lives than many others. In addition to working with partners in the United States, South and Southeast Asia, Central Africa, Latin America and the
Caribbean, UUSC trains and organizes its members and other U.S. activists to effectively advocate for domestic and international
policies that promote human rights.
Our Fellowship and UUSC
The UU Fellowship of Vero Beach has generously supported UUSC through individual gifts and through a contribution from the
annual operating budget. UUSC has repeatedly honored the Fellowship
with the James Luther Adams Award for its corporate commitment,
demonstrated by a contribution to UUSC from the operating budget.
For many years the Fellowship has received the Vision of Justice banner signifying that at least 50 percent of the members and
friends of the Fellowship contributed at UUSC membership levels. For the past
four years membership in UUSC has exceeded 100 percent!
From 2004 through 2007, the Fellowship has been honored with the
Spirit of Justice chalice for its outstanding membership record.
Members and friends of our Fellowship participate yearly in UUSC’s Guest at Your Table program during November and December. This is UUSC’s primary individual fund-raising effort. Nearly $5000
was contributed by individual members and friends during
the most recent campaign. In the spring, we have a Justice Sunday service on some aspect of social justice important to UUSC. In
2006, the service focused on promoting a "living wage," a high
priority among UUSC's advocacy efforts. In 2007, the focus
was on the genocide in Darfur. Several members
are Human Rights Defenders who act as advocates by accessing and responding to social justice action alerts from UUSC’s website or e-mail subscription service.
The Unitarian Universalist Service Committee relies on members for support of its effective combination of advocacy, education, and partnering.
For more information about what you can do to support the
UU Service Committee,
see Jack Stiefel or Paul Amaru, our Fellowship’s UUSC co-local reps
or send an
e-mail to:
uusc@uufvb.org. Or you
may get additional information at www.uusc.org
Put your UU principles into action! Be part of UUSC’s important human rights and social justice work. Be a “Powerful Voice
for Human Rights” through the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee!
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