This Unitarian Universalist journey of mine has taken me to many places. I have voiced my UU values at Fort Benning, Ga. at the School of the America’s Watch, joining with thousands holding crosses and calling out the names of the disappeared. I stood with the International Faith contingent in Morocco declaring “We Are Still In” with thousands when the current administration began turning its back on climate justice, withdrawing from the Paris Climate Agreement.
Sometimes my role is using a pen, a voice, or being another face in the crowd. Living in the Nation’s Capital, I feel a unique responsibility to my UU family who cannot be here in person. Volunteering as a Unitarian Universalists for Social Justice (UUSJ) Capitol Hill Advocacy Corps member, I can take a seat at the table every month to talk with our elected official’s team. I can help lift your UU voices.
So they hear our concerns in person, our collective values and our edits to national legislative priorities–so they hear our voices. Inspired by our 5th UU Principle, UUSJ provides a direct way for every UU to participate in the democratic process on the national level. Doing so, we are all advocating for the rest of our Principles.
That’s why I give my time, money and creativity to the Unitarian Universalist for Social Justice. UUSJ truly delivers UU advocacy in the Nation’s Capital, lifts our voices on Capitol Hill.
Yet UUs don’t have to live here in the Capital to have impact. You can participate in UUSJ letter-writing campaigns. Your letters with mine are hand-delivered to elected representatives and their subject-matter lead staff. Monthly, we build relationships with every office on the Hill, hold strategic conversations and explain how our UU values and Principles tie to the policy and actions we’re advocating — all supported with your personal letters. This is not about becoming personal friends, this is about holding elected officials accountable–be they like-minded or not.
In doing this work, UUSJ collaborates with many other faith legislative experts on the Hill. We unite strategically with a spectrum of faith organizations to identify legislative action with the greatest potential for success. This coalesces into monthly communication.
We close the UUSJ letter delivery meetings by asking for the staff’s insightful feedback. Above all, they constantly remind us of how important our letters are to our members of Congress. Our personal stories from home are critical and continue to help shift the country’s future. This is not the only step or action that is needed, to be sure. I believe we need to witness, rally and educate as well. I have done all these and love doing them and do them well. But we can’t lose sight of the advocacy.
Supporting the work of UUSJ makes this possible. Together we are linking UUs in DC with UUs across the nation for social justice. That is a needed and worthy goal.
In gratitude,
Doris Marlin
* Please consider making a donation to UUSJ to support our work into 2020 *
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Doris Marlin has been Unitarian Universalist since 1985. She is a member of All Souls Church, Unitarian in Washington, DC. She is also a UUSJ Advocacy Corps member, Green Sanctuary Advisory Board member and the UU Ministry For Earth (UUMFE) Lay Leader for Strengthen Local Climate Commitments (SLCC), a national campaign within Create Climate Justice.net. Retired from federal service, she has an academic background in water resources management and is credentialled in project and risk management.