Social & Environmental Justice                                    Related Social Justice links

Activism in local, national and international issues involving social and environmental justice is a key part of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Lexington.

The Justice Council at UUCL exists to coordinate and assist the various groups and individuals in the church that are involved in social and environmental justice work in the community and the world at large. The Justice Council is also a clearinghouse for information about social and environmental justice work going on in the larger Unitarian Universalist community.

This activist view is a central part of the Unitarian Universalist tradition, and is in keeping with the Unitarian Universalist Association Principles of:

• Justice, equity and compassion in human relations.
• The inherent worth and dignity of every person.
• The goal of world community with peace, liberty, and justice for all.
• Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part.

Some specific projects, as well as ongoing efforts, that our church members are involved in are:

• Supporting social justice projects and organizations outside out Church through our "Give Away the Plate" program.  On the first Sunday of every month, all contributions in the offering plate not specifically marked as pledges are donated to a cause identified by the Justice Council and approved by our Board. 
• Working for equity and non-discrimination for the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender community.  UUCL is a Welcoming Congregation.  In 2007 and 2008 we hosted a “Pride Prom”, providing an alternative prom opportunity for GLBT youth and their supporters. We make annual donations to help fund the publication of the GLSO, (Gay & Lesbian Service Organization), newsletter, and recently made a donation from our “Give Away the Plate” program to help support the Gay Straight Alliance, a group promoting tolerance in local high schools regarding sexual orientation.  Our congregation has voted to publicly support the right of same sex couples to marry. 
• Promoting environmental justice.  Our Environmental Task Force is currently in the process of meeting qualification standards for our church to be declared a Green Sanctuary by the Unitarian Universalist Association.  As part of this effort, the group held it's Environmental Justice Festival and Trunk Sale on Sat., May 9, 2009. 
• Selling Fair Trade Coffee to church members to support farmers in third world countries.
• Spending part of the Christmas Holiday in Biloxi rebuilding homes destroyed by Katrina.
• Participating in the annual Martin Luther King Walk in Lexington.
• Sponsoring a Bosnian refugee family, providing them with a furnished apartment, transportation, and support services while they settled into their new country.  They are now well established in Lexington, and are making contributions to the community. 
• Sending outreach missions to Ecuador, where we helped repair buildings and ran a health clinic.
• Participating in protests against the role and actions of the School of the Americas.
• Raising funds for a project to dismantle landmines, and lobbying for the prohibition of landmine use.
• Working on prison reform.
• Lobbying for a Living Wage.
• Providing educational campaigns on the dangers of toxic pesticides in our food and on our lawns.

To support additional social action throughout our community, we often make our meeting space available to community activist groups who need inexpensive, safe planning space.

If you have an activity to add to this list, or would like to contact someone about getting involved, please email us.

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