Social Justice Council, 4/7/20

Social Justice Council, April 7. 2020 6pm MDT

Attending: Sue Philley, Jim Bigelow,  Betty Van Gheluwe, Don Stepich, Mark Bussolini , Dennis & Sharron Rockwood

Agenda

  • March meeting notes:  https://boiseuu.org/social-justice-council-3-3-2020/
  • Social Justice and the Pandemic (social distancing, remote interactions). 
    • From  Organizing in a Time of Approaching Pandemic: Campaigns and Contingency Planning Amid the Effects and Fear of Coronavirus 
      • Re-voice our agenda to speak to what’s on folks’ minds. Re-frame “support immigrant rights” or “don’t discriminate/scapegoat immigrants” as “All of us are safer when all of us are involved and protected.”
      • “Caring for those doing the ‘caring’”. Health care workers—including home care—are on the front lines, as are their unions, local health officials, first responders, teachers, mayors, and more. We should lift up messages of appreciation, cooperation, validation (of their requests and directives), and stories of successes.
      • “Health safety for everyone” activities. If our previously planned activities need to be shelved or down-scaled—and even if not, we can create alternative paths for continued community engagement under this banner. Such activities would also serve as vehicles for keeping our high-priority messages visible and in circulation (e.g., voting, Census participation).
      • Advocating big structural change becomes a heavier lift. Another casualty this year may be the momentum generated by presidential candidates Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren for major re-structure of the economic and health care systems. Fear of pandemic may sharply decrease receptivity to embracing these causes as poorly timed.  [But universal health care may get a huge lift]
    • Sharon: I like the above advice, 
    • Sue: how do we not just freeze everything until it’s over?  How do we activate our voice?  Starting to organize in neighborhood to help in short term.  We need to do things to make BUUF’s funding is sold for this year, 
      • Suggestion: Write the Idaho Attorney General and Governor, thanking them for their actions in the pandemic and absentee balloting for the May primary.  Write this on BUUF letter head.
        • Jim to do a first draft, then circulate for comment, bring in Rev. Sara.
          • perhaps others will like to sign 
      • What can we do to encourage voting?  How can we encourage participation?
    • Mark: positive thing long term – universal health insurance. with all the job loss, employer based health care is too fragile.
    • Dennis: how to keep people from not being disenfranchised by the Republican efforts. people on unemployment and other jobless
    • Marni: there is a recurring theme on voting & UUtheVote. We should do some organizing from home so that we will be ready to get out the vote when the epidemic lifts.
  • Round Table
    • Climate Justice
      • CAT: 
        • April 5th meeting notes: https://boiseuu.org/climate-action-team-4-5-20/
        • planning activities for an Earth Month 2020 ,
        • 4/22 (earth day) – 5/24 (outdoor worship)
        • during the month
          • 3 presenters: climate reality, enroads, city of Boise (orange bag)
          • film Condor & Eagle
          • film recommendation – Hike the Divide
        • calendar for tips for the earth, for the month
          • family friendly, 
          • can we link in some home school activities, could be in demand due to pandemic
        • links to other events in the community
          • send information about them to Sharon & Dennis
        • working on bringing in others from the community
        • Will be sharing with the UUA
    • Boise Climate Coalition’s Climate Declaration
    • Earth Day Live 2020,  https://www.earthdaylive2020.org/
    • Economic Justice
      • Mark: stopped doing dinner since the pandemic
        • still delivering food to the Interfaith Sanctuary. from the Food bank
          • Lots of food coming to the Interfaith Sanctuary from community
    • Immigrant Justice
      • Refugee & Immigrant Ministry still on hibernation
      • Asylum Seeker Host program meeting
        • our Asylum Seeker is still doing ok, 
        • Asylum legal issues and how to proceed are not clear due to the pandemic
    • LGBTQ+ Justice
      • Sad and disturbed that Gov. Little signed the anti-trans bills
    • Racial Justice
      • in person classes cancelled
      • still posting videos
      • starting a google group to help with conversations
      • planning a Multi-cultural 
      • connecting with a UU congregation in Hawaii
        • talking about 8th principle
        • comparing programs and discussing a project to collaborate on.
    • Reproductive Justice
      • A regressive bill trying to undercut Abortion rights and planned parenthood became la
    • Voting Rights
      • This is the most crucial year/election
      • How to #UUtheVote from Home
        • Visit Vote Forward to send letters to unlikely or unregistered voters.
        • Go to Reclaim Our Vote to make calls to voters who were purged from the rolls.
        • Consider small group meetings instead of large gathering or gather online using zoom, google hangout, or slack.
        • Set a date for your congregation to watch Suppressed: The Fight to Vote by Brave New Films or the movie Rigged: The Voter Suppression Playbook (available on some streaming services, including Amazon Prime) from each individuals home then hold a group conference call to debrief together.
        • Call your legislator to advocate for paid sick leave and relief for affected workers—not a bail out for the fossil fuel industry. Call (202) 224-3121 to be connected.
        • Spend the time to brainstorm who in your life to engage in values conversations with. Start making those calls and texts. See page 27 in our launch guide.
        • Write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper with your opinion of how the pandemic is being handled and what you would like to see our elected leaders do.
  • Review of March 7th Social Justice Restorative Retreat
  • Plate Partner Nomination review. 
    • ACLU, CCL, Food Bank, Interfaith Alliance, Create Common Good (Marni), CATCH, & Jesse Tree 
      • Jim to write out information for the new nominations
  • Plate Partner Protocols for the Pandemic
    • contacting, greeting and presenting checks
      • Contacting is done by email as usual with a hand off to Rev Sara and service organizers
      • Rev. Sara and service planners will contact and make arrangements with for their participation on Social Justice Sunday
      • Since in-person presentations are not possible, checks will simply be mailed to the partner
    • May voting to select the partners from the nominations
      • use a simplified absentee voting process
      • notification will be sent to members along with a url to a voting form 
      • votes will have a name and email address to check for validity
      • time of the voting could depend on plans for the annual congregational meeting.
  • 2019-2020 Plate Partner
    • February:  Idaho Suicide Support Hotline, check  ready $1249.22
    • March: CATCH, BUUF contact: Marni
    • April — Jesse Tree, BUUF contact: Rev. Sara
    • May  — WCA.  BUUF contact: Sue Philley
    • June — Giraffee Laugh, BUUF contact: Betty
      • need to figure how contact them, Betty with help from Sue. 
    • July  —  Black History Museum: BUUF contact: Don
    • August — PIFF
  • Fall 2020 Social Justice Seminar
    • the current pandemic and pandemic responses make if impossible at this time to plan for an event in the Fall