Rogue Valley Unitarian Universalist Fellowship

Discussion questions for first Fri (1/18) and first Wed (1/23):

• How might globally cooperative institutions such as the United Nations create and maintain effective conditions for human rights, economic justice, religious tolerance, and sustainable environmental practices?

• What successful models exist for the reduction of violence in situations of conflict?

After Sunday's service on Peacemaking, 36 attendees completed questionnaires about the upcoming workshops on the topic. The questionnaires asked responders to mark those questions among the five below that they would like to consider at the workshops. The tally was as follows:

1. Should we, the Unitarian Universalist Association and member congregations, adopt a specific and detailed "just-war" policy to guide our witness, advocacy, and social-justice efforts? [=14]
2. Should we, the UUA and member congregations, reject violence in any form? [=8]
3. How might globally cooperative institutions such as the United Nations create and maintain effective conditions for human rights, economic justice, religious tolerance, and sustainable environmental practices? [=25]
4. What role do human physiology and psychology play in the perpetuation of violence? [=18]
5. What successful models exist for the reduction of violence in situations of conflict? [=25]

At our follow-up workshops, we'll explore the top two questions (3rd and 5th) at the first sessions and the others at the second ones, starting with the 4th one and moving on to the first. Perhaps, given exploration of those four questions, we could essentially call for a yes/no vote (by workshop participants) on the 2nd one.

Many questions intertwine with those above, and it's not as though the UUA has remained silent on them in the past: related past statements that our denomination has made; Congregational Study/Action Issue (CSAI) on Peacemaking. In our workshops, we will strive for some guidance we can give to the UUA Commision on Social Witness as it drafts a resolution on Peacemaking for GA 2009.

Ultimately, what we do is more important than what we say. All of this effort finally is intended to guide the UUA Office of Advocacy, UU Congregations, and us as we engage the world in which we live. We'll strive toward this end at the workshops, which are scheduled for two Friday afternoons, Jan 18th & 25th, from 2:00 to 3:30 pm and two Wednesday evening, Jan 23rd & 30th, from 7:00 to 8:30 pm.

Result: Peacemaking Document