MUUSJA Annual Reports

Our 2010 Annual Report (googledoc pdf) is available for viewing/download. You can also download our 2009 Annual Report (pdf 302 KB), 2008 Annual Report (pdf 948 KB) and 2007 Annual Report (pdf 784 KB) as well.

10/10/10 Global Work Party for the Environment

Reduce your footprint and renew your sole!

We had a great time joining the 350.org 10/10/10 Global Work Party for the environment! MUUSJA's campaign to have UUs save soles was engaging, connecting and fun! Folks are already calling for a repeat event, so watch for it! In the mean time, check out our photos, and images from around the world at 350's site. Thanks and stay connected for more MUUSJA action for the environment.

GA 2010: Twin Cities - Thank You!

Thank you to all the wonderful volunteers who made General Assembly such a success! MUUSJA's three workshops, the Friday environmental networking dinner co-sponsored with UU Ministry for Earth, and the fantastic crowds for Standing on the Side of Love witnessing were inspiring, engaging and effective social justice work.

Volunteers are the lifeblood of grassroots organizing that MUUSJA does. You made a difference! Your financial support can too! Thank you.

Working for Equity and Opportunity in Employment

Summer 2010, UUs showed up to be part of "100+ White Guys for Racial Equity" as they visited the Minnesota Department of Transportation to demand that Mn/DOT reach their internal goals for women and people of color in construction jobs -- goals they've failed to reach for two decades. Watch this short, fun video of anti-racism in action:

MUUSJA Stands on the Side of Love

During General Assembly 2009, the UUA launched the Standing on the Side of Love campaign. This campaign promotes respect for the inherent worth and dignity of every person. Standing on the Side of Love will confront issues of exclusion, oppression and violence based on identity. The campaign will pursue social change through advocacy, public witness and speaking out in solidarity with those whose lives are publicly demeaned.

Minnesotans attending GA joined voices on Friday, June 26th to enthusiastically endorse this new advocacy campaign!

MUUSJA's Voter Rights campaign was very active at General Assembly 2009. Read about and watch video from their important success passing a voting integrity Action of Immediate Witness on the Voter Rights page.

Movement Moment Training

In November 2008, MUUSJA gathered over 50 Unitarian Universalist social justice leaders and activists from congregations across Minnesota. We hired Beth Zemsky, U of M adjunct faculty in social movement theory and former Bush Leadership Fellow, to work us through several questions:

• Are progressive people of faith ready to lead and govern, not just protest and critique?
• How do we organize for the rising wave of change?
• Who will we work with and where might we be in 5, 10, even 20 years?

Beth trained us in her recent work in social change theory: that movements happen in waves, and this provides MUUSJA and other systemic change groups with a potential new Movement Moment.

Download our notes (pdf 440 KB) from the day to see for yourself this amazing day of insight and leadership development, or to refresh your memory if you were in St. Paul for this powerful day of movement building! MUUSJA will be using this work as core material for our next strategic plan. Contact us if you would like to be included in our strategic planning work, summer 2009.