Registration is now closed for
2012 ICUU Gathering in the Philippines!

View the webinar below:

Unitarian and UU ideas, ideals and movements are emerging and growing in many African countries, in a wide variety of cultural, historical, social and political settings.  

Jill McAllister visited Burundi and Uganda last year as part of ICUU work in nurturing African groups toward becoming viable and sustainable organizations and congregations.

She shares the story joined by an African colleague. Hear and see the impact of projects including a task force on ministerial education and training and collaborating with the UUA Partner Church Council in community capacity building workshops.

Bolivian Unitarian Universalist Joins March in Defense of Indigenous Territory

Bolivian Unitarian Universalist Olga Flores has been participating since August 15 on a march in defense of Indigenous Territory with the indigenous peoples of the lowlands of Bolivia. The march is protesting plans for the construction of a highway that would cross the Indian Territory and National Park Isiboro Secure, called TIPNIS.

Olga says: “I've joined the march from the first day because together with 1500 Indians we are going to walk almost a thousand kms from Trinidad Beni to La Paz; from sea level 5 meters high up to 4000 mts, demanding the government to respect the indigenous territories. It is not the first time that Indians made this feat, they did it in 1990 demanding for autonomy, and the law that protects their rights to territory they have achieved is now being minimized. But I'm in the march with the same mystique if it our walk were an act of purification, to honor life at every step, so that people understand that our path should lead us to the Land Without Evil.”

For more information and/or to express your solidarity with Olga and her action, you can contact her at ofloresb@zuper.net.

GLOBAL CHALICE LIGHTING WORDS SOUGHT

ICUU is seeking chalice lighting words to be considered for publication in the GLOBAL CHALICE LIGHTING WORDS series.

Submissions should be original or adapted words designed for use when lighting a chalice in the context of worship.

The author must be a member of an ICUU Member Group or of an Emerging Group recognized by ICUU.

Submission in a local language in addition to English is welcomed, particularly when English is not the native language.

Please note it is not possible to promise that submitted words can be used in a particular month or that any submission will be included in the series. A number of factors are considered when considered which words will be selected and when they will be used.

Submissions can be sent to ICUU GLOBAL CHALICE LIGHTING WORDS Coordinator Lorella Hess at icuued@roadrunner.com.

We look forward to receiving GLOBAL CHALICE LIGHTING WORDS from around the world and thank you for your assistance.

Empowering Women with the International UU Women's Convocation - Pre ICUU CM Event

Join the International Convocation of UU Women in the Philippines just prior to the ICUU Council Meeting and Conference for a day-long gathering in Dumaguete around the theme of Empowering Women through Livelihood. Immediately prior to the gathering we are offering an Education Exploration of Women's Livelihood Projects on Luzon and Negros Island from Jan 30-Feb 5th. Click on the link below to find out the details and register for these two upcoming events.

Empowering Women Conference & Exploration

Sponsored Participant Grants available for
2012 ICUU Gathering in the Philippines!

Recognizing that the level of local and personal resources could prevent some participants from attending ICUU Council Meetings and Conferences, ICUU is able to make a limited number of grants available to for attending the February 2012 ICUU Council Meeting and Conference.

Eligibility for these grants is limited to delegates from ICUU member groups and representatives from bodies officially recognized as emerging groups by the ICUU.

More information on the criteria and procedures for these grants can be found here:

Click Here for Sponsored Participant Grants Criteria and Application Procedures

Applications can be made using the form here to be submitted well before September 15:

Click Here for Sponsored Participant Grants Application Form

Persons applying to receive a grant SHOULD NOT use the online registration system for the Council Meeting and Conference.

IMPORTANT: Delegates or representatives from some groups may have received grants in the past without applying for them. In the interest of openness and fairness, all persons need to apply to be considered for a grant from ICUU.

As ICUU itself only has limited resources for such grants, there is no guarantee and there should be no expectation that any group or person will necessarily receive a grant.

If any groups or persons are able to make a donation to ICUU to help us increase the number of grants we can make for people to attend this important gatherings, it would be greatly appreciated and will have a real impact.

PLEASE contact Executive Secretary Steve Dick (execsec@icuu.net) or Treasurer David Shaw (treasurer@icuu.net) if you can assist in this way.

Any questions about the grants program and applications for grants can be sent to Steve Dick at execsec@icuu.net.

Unitarian Universalists of Christchurch
www.uuchristchurch.org

30 June 2011

International Council of Unitarian Universalists
c/o Brian Kiely
President
ICUU

Dear Fellow Unitarians,

Thank you for your recent $4150.00 donation to support our fellowship in recovering from the recent Christchurch earthquakes.  We have received comparable unsolicited donations from the European Unitarian Universalists (EUU) and Auckland Unitarian Church.

The 22 February quake which devastated the city centre left our rented rooms off limits until early May, and caused substantial hardship to many of our members.  We have allocated one-third of the funds received for emergency hardship grants to individual members.  Our budget has never provided any sort of pastoral emergency fund, but thanks to the generosity of fellow Unitarians, our minister will now provide grants of up to $500 to hard-hit individuals who confidentially request this assistance.

The remaining funds have secured our budget to cover our modest near-term needs, and are likely to subsidize the costs of a retreat later this year outside of Christchurch for our members, and to support our increased participation in the upcoming ANZUUA conference.

When shaken to our core, we are reminded what our core is.  Thank you for reminding us of the connection, the values and the friendship we share.

Kind regards,

Amy Gilman,
Chair, Management Team
Unitarian Universalists of Christchurch

British Unitarians Meet in Wales & First ICUU Founders Vision Awards Presented

The General Assembly of Unitarian & Free Christian Churches, the national organisation of Unitarians in the United Kingdom held their Annual Meetings just before Easter in Wales for the first time in decades. Volunteerism was the theme of the meetings, both in congregations and in the larger community. The first two of 15 ICUU Founders Vision Awards were presented by ICUU Treasurer Rev David Shaw and ICUU EC Member-At-Large Rev Celia Midgley to founding ICUU President Rev David Usher and Founding ICUU Secretary Rev Cliff Reed. A third such award will be presented to Christine Hayhurst at her local congregation in Godalming in June at a meeting of the London & South Easter District of British Unitarian Congregations.

Canadian UUs Met in Toronto to Celebrate 50th Anniversary

UUs from all over Canada gathered for the Annual Conference and Meeting of the Canadian Unitarian Council, on the long weekend in May (May 20-23, 2011) in Toronto. The theme of the 50th gathering was Trust the Dawning Future— S'ouvrir au monde à venir .  ICUU staff members Rev Steve Dick and Rev Jill McAllister represented ICUU and presented a workshop on “Our UU Global Future: World Faith or Community of Faiths?”.  ICUU Founders Vision Awards were presented by ICUU President Rev Brian Kiely to Herman Boerma and Ellen Campbell at the International Dinner. Dick and Kiely also attended the Retreat of Canadian UU Ministers that followed the long weekend.

Fiftieth Wedding Anniversary of Unitarians & Universalists in Charlotte in June

The American Unitarian Association and the Universalist Church of America became the Unitarian Universalist Association in 1961 at a General Assembly in Boston. Unlike some marriages, this union is stronger than ever even after a half-century.  ICUU staff members Rev Jill McAllister and Rev Steve Dick attended the celebrations at the General Assembly held in June in Charlotte, North Carolina. A special reception was held during the Assembly to mark the 15th Anniversary of ICUU and to pre-launch a new fund for the support of ICUU’s working with emerging UU groups. The  first speaker at the ICUU Reception was the Rev John Buehrens who was President of the UUA when the UUA was founded. During the main business meetings, ICUU Executive Secretary Rev Steve Dick presented ICUU Founder Vision Awards to Buehrens, Rev Ken MacLean, Rev Jill McAllister and posthumously to the Rev Polly Guild.

Around the Globe

In the News Archives

http://www.archive.org/details/unitarianismexhi00bear

Global Chalice Lighting for
January 2012

The International Council of Unitarians and Universalists announces the 101st issue of its monthly series of global chalice lighting readings. Congregations worldwide are invited to participate.

All ICUU-affiliated groups have been asked to submit brief chalice lightings for the project. Every month, a reading will be distributed to Unitarian and Universalist congregations around the world.

We ask each congregation to use the reading for at least one worship service in the designated month, identifying it as the “Global Chalice Lighting” for that month and naming the group which submitted it.

Readings will be circulated in English and, where different, in their original language.

It is hoped that the ICUU Global Chalice Lighting Project will enhance the worship experience in our congregations and raise awareness of the international dimensions of our religious movement.

This Global Chalice Lighting is submitted by the Australian and New Zealand Unitarian Universalist Association. It is to be used during January 2012.

 A golden thread binds us to all that has been and will ever be.
      Here the tender soul yearns.
      Here the greatest dreams are sighted.
      Here the sacred flame burns.
-Mark Allstrom

Past Chalice Lightings

Languages

Brazilian, Portuguese | Czech | Chinese | Danish | Spanish | Finnish | French | German | Hungarian | Italian: www.unitariani.splinder.com , uua.it | Polish | Russian | Swedish

Please email us with other sites that you know about.

French translation of the ICUU Preamble now available

The French Christian Unitarians (AFCU) are promoting a new website on Unitarianism and Unitarian biographies in French. The URL is:
unitariens.new.fr

Great Links to Check Out

• UUPCC.org
• CLFUU.org
• UUA.org
• UUuno.org
• Unitarius.hu

More under Resources > Useful Links.