Social Justice

Cuba AyUUda Statement: Please scroll down page

Disaster Relief for Haiti:
In response to the catastrophic earthquake on the impoverished island country of Haiti, the Unitarian Unviersalist Association (UUA) and the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee (UUSC) have jointly established an emergency fund. The money collected for this fund will focus on those survivors less likely to have access to aid, such as child domestic workers (restaviks), women-headed households that work in the informal sector, and people living with HIV/AIDS. Donate at: www.uusc.org

Understanding Racism

As many of you know, I have a deep passion for the sacred art of anti-racism, anti-oppression and multi-culturalism work. Even though engaging in this work occasionally unveils parts of myself that I do not like, I find that in the end, these experiences are healing in nature. They increase my self-awareness, they deepen my understanding of the my-riad ways we are kept apart and they remind me of how all of us are dam-aged by systems that oppress certain people for the benefit of others.
Thus, it is with great joy that I invite you to join me and member Rut Martinez for a special 6-week anti-racism class. Beginning Tuesday, Mar. 9, these evening sessions will provide an opportunity to engage in structured inter-racial dialog. Together we will explore personal, cultural and institutional racism in its many manifestations. Participants will in-clude members from our New Orleans work crew.
When we are separated from one another over differences in race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender, or income level, we are deprived of our wholeness. I yearn for this wholeness. If you do, too, then please join me. Classes will take place from 7–9 p.m. and are limited in size. There is no set price but donations of your choosing are encouraged (no one turned away for lack of funds). For more information or to sign up, please contact me at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

More Events:What We Eat and Where It Comes From
Friday, Feb. 19, 6:30–9:30 p.m. in Buchan Reception Hall. These are critical components of our health and have serious impacts on the environment. Come learn more about Community Supported Agriculture (CSAs) through a viewing of the locally made movie Ingredients followed by speaker and urban farming champion Laura Masterson. Laura has been working for her dream of urban farming for years and works on the 47th Avenue Farm located here in Portland. Organic food will be served. Free, but donations welcome. Sponsored by Community for Earth.

The Greening of Nuclear Power
Saturday, Feb. 20, 10 a.m., Buchan Building. Fact or Fiction? Please join the Community for Earth members as we explore the question: Is nuclear the new green or just an illusion? Lloyd Marbet, long time opponent of nuclear power, and Duane Ray, retired physicist, concerned for our future, will debate the issue. No charge, but donations accepted.

Cuba AyUUda Statement

This statement was prepared by Carol and Mark Slegers, Harriet Denison
and Jacquie Jones, members of Cuba AyUUda, a project of the First
Unitarian Church, Portland, Oregon.

We appreciate your concern about the treatment of our fourteen travelers in the Havana airport last Saturday. We want to assure you that everyone is fine and in good spirits. For all of us it was a frightening experience. For those nine detained in the Havana airport who were forced to sleep on a cold marble floor it was extremely uncomfortable but the fear of not knowing what would happen
to them was terrifying.

This experience has deepened our compassion for other people who are powerless in the face of unresponsive and unyielding authority.

We speculate that the distinct change in Cuban immigration policy came about because of the recent incident of a US government contractor who distributed cell phones and computers to members of Cuban dissident groups. We are concerned about his welfare and hope for his immediate release.
We need you to know that this was the fourteenth legally licensed trip by our project, Cuba AyUUda, in seven years. During these trips, over 200 people have gone as citizen diplomats representing peace-seeking US Americans. Our primary goal has always been to build understanding between the people of our two countries. In the pursuit of that goal we have worked with a number of non-governmental organizations serving the needs of women, children, the elderly, patients with HIV+AIDS, and diabetic children. Our service work includes painting, construction, sewing, organic gardening, art and music making. We celebrate with Cuban friends the milestones of our lives and discover together the
sacred in the ordinary.

These projects have served to enrich our lives and the lives of Cubans. The mutual respect and lasting friendships that have developed over the years have transformed all of us.
Our hope is that this incident will trigger an examination of our government´s policies toward Cuba today.

What we have is two governments rigidified by old ideas.

What we need is authentic diplomacy to normalize relations between Cuba and the United States of America into this new decade.

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