News and Alerts

Securing a Constitutional Green Amendment for New Jersey

by Nancy Griffeth Leave a comment

Date: March 7, 2018
Time: 6:30 pm reception, 7:00 pm program

For decades, the people of New Jersey have relied on federal and state legislation to protect their natural resources. And for decades, the laws have let them down.  New Jersey water, air, forests, and other special places from the highlands to the pinelands have been allowed to degrade in ways that are harming people’s lives.  A Constitutional provision could help change that.

In New Jersey the right to free speech, freedom of religion and other freedoms are protected as fundamental rights in the state constitution.  But New Jersey has NO constitutional provision protecting environmental rights in the state.

It is believed that establishing a civil environmental right will drive better government decision-making at all levels of government and will prevent situations or conditions in which land becomes too contaminated, water becomes too polluted, and air too dirty to support healthy lives, including a healthy economy.

Right now, the movement needs the Assembly to support and pass Assembly Concurrent Resolution No. 85 (ACR85) currently before them. Every Assembly member needs to hear how important this environmental rights amendment is from their voters.

New Jersey’s Energy Future

by Nancy Griffeth Leave a comment

Rethink Energy Panel: February 23, 2018 at 8 am

Governor Phil Murphy wants 100 percent of New Jersey’s power to come from clean energy by 2050. That’s an ambitious goal since only 4 percent of our current energy comes from sources such as solar or wind. How do we get there and what should our priorities be? Our experts will take a realistic look at those targets and what it will take to reach them.

Hilton Garden Inn Hamilton
800 U.S. 130
Hamilton Township, NJ08690

Rally for 100% Renewable by 2035

by Nancy Griffeth Leave a comment

NJ OFF Fossil Fuels Launch
NJ Statehouse, 125 West State St., Trenton NJ

Thursday will be the legislative launch of legislation to move New Jersey toward 100% renewable energy.
We have a new Governor who supports the move toward 100% renewables, so this is no longer just theoretical,

10:30am Legislative Briefing and Lobby Training.

Meet in the cafeteria in the lower level of the Statehouse Annex (we will have volunteers at the front entrance of the Statehouse Annex to greet people and direct them to the cafeteria).

11:00am – 11:45am – Morning lobbying session

12:00pm – 1:00pm – NJ OFF Coalition Rally and Press Conference.

Meet outside directly in front of the Statehouse Annex

1:00pm – 2:30pm – Afternoon lobbying session

Bring friends and family. Bring signs! 
Please arrive at the State House at 10:30am
for the lobby training and legislative briefing.  

 
Please share this Facebook Event Page and RSVP page. Food and Water Watch will help coordinate transportation.
OFF Fossil Fuels Event RSVP Page: https://go.offfossilfuels.org/event/action_attend/541

Registration Open for *Free* Public Protest/Upstander Training Nov. 18

by Rev. Rob Gregson

Public Protest/Upstander *Free Training*

Have you ever given thought to how *best* to prepare for taking part in public protest?  Wondered what you could possibly do to help someone being harassed?  Ever considered taking part in an act of civil disobedience?

Knowledge = Power.  Come to find answers to these questions and more at our FREE two-part workshop on how to become a (better) social activist.

Date: Saturday, November 18th, 10:00 am-2:00 pm

Time: Part 1: 10 am–12 noon = Upstander Training

Part 2: 12:00 pm–2 pm = Protest and Civil Disobedience Training

 Working Lunch (Bring your own lunch & snack to share!)

Place:  Central Unitarian Church 156 Forest Avenue, Paramus, New Jersey 07652.  Parking is available on site; please consider carpooling to save space and Go Green!

Register: Registration required – Please indicate which training(s) you will be attending.  Space is limited to 60 participants per training so register now!

Click Here to Register

A two part training–come to both or choose the one that fits you best!  (You will indicate your choices on registration)

Part 1 10-12: How to go from being a “bystander” to an UPSTANDER!

What do you do if you see hate-based harassment?  Learn to better predict incidents *before* they happen; how to align with potential targets; de-escalation; safe escape, and much more.

Part 2: 12-2 (Working Lunch, see details above) Veteran activists and newly involved neighbors are invited to participate in an interactive training on how to be an effective and safe person of conscience in today’s political environment.  Topics include: Safety, safety, safety!; Rules of engagement; Finding the types of actions that are right for you; All the what-ifs; and yes, How to get arrested.  (Also, how NOT to get arrested!)

Hosted by UU FaithAction NJ, Central Unitarian Church in Paramus, Hudson Civic Action and American Friends Service Committee. Facilitated by Elena Waldman of Artemis Defense (www.artemisdefense.org) . Free will donations taken at the event.

Things Every UU Should Know About Reproductive Justice

by Rev. Rob Gregson

Things every UU should know about reproductive justice

Two Things Every UU Should Know About Reproductive Justice

1. “Reproductive justice” has a broad agenda, and is different than “reproductive rights”.

The understanding of reproductive justice has evolved over time, and there is no universally accepted definition. However, all definitions recognize that the need for access to resources goes far beyond abortion alone. These four principles are accepted by many as representative:

  1.  People have a right to have children.
  2. People have a right not to have children.
  3. People have a right to raise their children in safe and healthy environments.
  4. People have a right to health and self-determination regarding their bodies and sexuality, free from oppression and shame.

    Notably, reproductive justice is not simply a different phrase that is interchangeable with reproductive health or reproductive rights, and nor is it intended to replace these concepts. Instead, reproductive justice is a framework created by women of color that combines the fields of reproductive rights, social justice, and human rights. It is grounded in the particular experiences, values, priorities, and leadership of women of color.

    2. Reproductive justice has a different approach.

    It’s not enough to focus on reaching a set of end goals through any means possible. Instead, our approach must reflect the world we are trying to create. This includes:

    Constantly talking about the impact our personal identities (including race, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, wealth, etc) have on our viewpoints and actions. In order to successfully change the culture, we must be open to growth and change ourselves.

    Centering the marginalized. Changing structures of power means that leadership must come from the groups most affected by the denial of access to rights and resources, including women and people of color, people struggling to make ends meet, and young people.

    Intersectionality. The work must be intersectional, which means engaging multiple identities and building coalitions rather than trying to keep people and issues confined in separate boxes. Changing structures of power requires that we view identities as linked and formulate solutions that are based on collaboration and solidarity.

    For people who support reproductive justice and are not already familiar with the framework, it is sometimes challenging but always important to seek relationships of accountability and leadership with women of color and organizations they lead. This is critical because it helps to avoid misappropriation, where people are claiming to do reproductive justice work without knowing what it means and without being accountable to the experiences and leadership of women of color.

The Las Vegas Massacre of Oct. 1, 2017

by Rev. Rob Gregson

Gun Violence Prevention Task Force Responds to

the Oct. 1, 2017 Las Vegas Massacre

On 10/1/17, 58 people were killed and around 500 injured in the largest mass shooting in modern American history.  This number was made possible with the aid of a bump stock device which effectively converts a semiautomatic weapon into an automatic one, similar to a machine gun.  A former Iraq Vet concert goer later told NPR it was like the warfare he’d experienced in Iraq.

There have been multiple mass shootings since 26 children and educators were fatally shot at Sandy Hook Elementary in December 0f 2012.  To date, Congress has failed to demonstrate the moral courage to enact a single piece of meaningful legislation to decrease gun violence in the US. The gun lobby spends tens of millions to support candidates who comply with their dictates. Sadly, Congress members have placed their own re-election above the public safety of their constituents.  As American citizens, we have the power of our voices and votes to compel our elected representatives to act on our behalf.  As Unitarians, we have a moral imperative to live our principles.  As such, we need to support the inherent worth of every person and work towards a world that is safe, just and peaceful.

In 1991, NJ passed an Assault Weapons Ban into law.  In 1994, Congress took NJ’s example and passed a National Ban on Assault Weapons.  In 2004, Congress, under George W. Bush, allowed this law, which had a sunset clause, to expire. Assault weapons are designed for use in battle and have no place on our streets. It is time to reinstate the National Assault Weapons Ban.

Secondly, we need universal background checks.  Ninety percent of Americans support this. Universal background checks would help us keep guns out of the hands of individuals who are dangerous to themselves or others. This includes those convicted of domestic abuse, felons and the seriously mentally unstable.  It would stem the rate of gun fatalities by suicide, which represents more than 60% of the annual gun deaths.

With crisis comes opportunity.  Make your voice heard by contacting your federal representatives in the House and Senate. Urge your representatives to reinstate the National Assault Weapons Ban and Universal Background Checks today.

Those interested in learning more can contact Jeannine Coyne, the UULM Gun Violence Prevention Task Force Chair at jeanninemcoyne@outlook.com.

Jeannine M Coyne

Chair, UULM of NJ  Gun Violence Prevention Task Force

Vigils across NJ

by Rev. Rob Gregson

Many UU congregations are hosting vigils to honor the victims of the mass shooting in Las Vegas, to advocate for stricter gun laws and to call into question an ongoing culture of violence in the United States.

Cherry Hill UUs held one earlier this week, and Montclair and Beacon (Summit) UUs will be holding their own vigils tonight and Friday.  I hope UULMNJ supporters will turn out and continue to work through our Gun Violence Prevention Task Force to help break this vicious cycle of violence.