Global Citizenship in Fort Worth

Is the UU community supportive of the idea of global citizenship promoted by UUSC in all of its work? At this year’s General Assembly, it certainly felt that way. As Fort Worth 2005 drew to a close, a group of organizations -- including UUSC -- that have an international scope to their work proposed a resolution that international engagement be a formal part of the 2006 GA theme, “Building Right Relations.” In proposing this resolution, the group invoked a sermon delivered by Rev. Patrick O’Neill during the Service of the Living Tradition. Rev. O’Neill implored, "We have been too little mindful of Thoreau's later example of conscientiously speaking up, speaking out, acting up, and acting out in behalf of the causes of righteousness in our culture. . . . Walden, our beloved liberal religious haven from the world, Walden is on fire! And it is time for more Unitarian Universalists to catch fire, too."

The resolution was written by UUSC board member Rev. John Gibbons (pictured here standing at the microphone). It passed without opposition. The resolution stated, in part: "Unitarian Universalism is global, not parochial. Our 6^th principle asserts ‘the goal of world community with peace, liberty and justice for all.' We must embody this goal by advocating, honoring, and expanding the ways we can act as responsible global citizens."

The other groups that are part of the UU Joint Working Group are: the Unitarian Universalist Association, the Church of the Larger Fellowship, UU-United Nations Office, the UU Partner Church Council, and the International Council of Unitarians and Universalists.