Registration is now open for UU FaithAction NJ’s Fall Issues Conference, with the theme Youth and Justice. It will be a virtual event this year, so it is a great opportunity to connect with UUs from around New Jersey and put our faith into action. (See more details below.)
Registration is now open by using this link. There is no registration fee.
From UU Faith Action NJ (https://www.uufaithaction.org/):
The Fall Issues Conference is at the heart of our ministry together as UU social justice advocates in the state of NJ.
This year we’ve chosen an “all conference” theme: Youth and Justice. We are making a special effort to invite and integrate (and listen to) UU youth and young adults as well as relevant student groups from NJ high schools, colleges and universities. If you know youth/young adults who might be interested, please invite them to check us out!
What happens at the Fall Issues Conference?
Every autumn the NJ legislature kicks into “higher” gear as it nears the end of its legislative session in early January. It’s prime time for UUs and our allies from across the state to gather (this year via one big Zoom call) to catch up on the burning social justice issues of the day and to prep for the next legislative session. We need folks from every NJ UU congregation to come, find out what issues we will be tackling, and bring that information back to their home congregation. The better connected and informed we are, the more able we are to put our UU Principles and values into action!
The basic agenda includes:
1) Worship. 2) Keynote speaker (this year a student gun violence prevention organizer from Rutgers University) including question/answer time. 3) Break out groups for every Task Force:
Criminal Justice
Environmental Justice
Gun Violence Prevention
Immigration Justice
Reproductive Justice
After presentations by the TF chairs and discussion among the break out groups, each Task Force votes on the top 2-3 legislative and advocacy issues (some of which may be carry-overs from the year before.) These become the organization’s road map to follow over the coming year.
As a democratically run organization, the Issues Conference is vital for arriving at a general consensus and ensuring there is real interest and support among our member congregations for the real-world decisions we make together. Please help to report back to your congregation (hopefully in collaboration with your congregation’s official UU FaithAction liaison.).
UU FaithAction is committed to an antiracist, anti-oppressive ministry and politics that centers those historically marginalized. We adhere to our shared 7 (hopefully soon 8!) UU principles in mind, heart and action.
Keynote Speaker: Jai Patel
Jai Patel is a Gun Violence Prevention Activist from Jersey City, New Jersey. A student at Rutgers University majoring in Criminal Justice, he was an organizer for March For Our Lives Jersey City in 2018, an event which drew over 3,000 people. He founded the Hudson County and Rutgers Chapters of Students Demand Action, and sits on the Students Demand Action National Advisory Board.