This year at GA, UUSC was able to bring together exciting panelists to talk about who pays the price of the Iraq war, how families in Iraq and the United States have been devastated by the war, and how many veterans are speaking out.

Our speakers included Dahlia Wasfi, an Iraqi American who has traveled to Iraq twice since the 2003 invasion; Nancy Lessin, co-founder of Military Families Speak Out; Lindsay Burnett, who helped found Appeal for Redress; Camilo Mejía, of Iraq Veterans Against the War; and Andy Shallal, an Iraqi American who has helped found several peace groups and owns Busboys and Poets, in Washington, D.C.

The diversity of the speakers highlights the Civil Liberties Program's attempt to bring diverse groups together to work collectively to end the occupation. It also shows UUSC's commitment to freedom of speech and social justice by building coalitions.

Over the past few weeks, I was so busy planning GA events that I lost sight of how painful the content can be. Wasfi spoke eloquently of the pain and suffering of her family in Iraq, sharing disturbing pictures of not only what the current war has done to the country but of the huge role that the United States played in destroying vital infrastructure through economic sanctions in the 1990s.

Lessin shared painful stories of how military families feel betrayed by the government and how many lives of military families had been shattered by this war, even when a soldier survives to return home. Many of the veterans suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and struggle to get vital care. Suicide rates have skyrocketed. One poignant story she shared was of a woman who walked into her house only to find her three-year-old daughter beside the dead body of her father who had shot himself in the head. After that, she and her two daughters had to live in the basement because her kids were afraid that "Daddy's ghost" was in the house. They did not have enough money to pay for funeral expenses.

Mejía talked about how some of the things he was asked to do in Iraq disturbed him and how, when he returned to the United States, he could not convince himself to go back and applied for conscientious-objector status, only to be denied and sent to jail for nine months for desertion.

Burnett talked about the increase in substance abuse, violence, and suicide among soldiers due to the lack of resources for mental health care. On average, just one psychologist is assigned to 4,000 troops. Service personnel are allowed 30 minutes of therapy for a maximum of 4 sessions. Burnett also talked about how difficult it was for her and others to get medical care when they returned from Iraq. She emphasized that the military was built on the "backs of the poor" because so many who are in the service come from low-income households and joined just to survive.

Shallal spoke movingly about his family in Iraq and how they are suffering without adequate electricity and water in intensely hot weather — and how they lack security. He talked about how the U.S. military were not welcomed at all and how angry Iraqis feel about what this war has done to them.

So, who has paid the price of this war? The answer is all of us. It is clear that the ending this occupation is vital to begin the healing on both sides. During this important election year, we can work hard to make sure our voices are loud and clear. However, the presidential elections are not a panacea to all problems. Our work really begins when a new president has been elected.

Van Jones, founder and president of Green For All, based in Oakland, Calif., who delivered the UUA's Ware Lecture last night, bluntly said that the hard work of the last eight years was just flexing muscles for the real workout ahead. He said that the social-justice movement has become very successful in protesting and working against a powerful and irresponsible government. However, it is important to prove to those who have become disillusioned that people with progressive values, in government and in society, are prepared to govern and know what it takes to get this country back on track.

Having been a part of UUSC only since May 5, I am completely new to the UU world — so I was really excited to be apart of GA this year and learn more about our constituents. What really amazed me when I met a few of the older UUs is how long they have been involved in social-justice issues and how dedicated they remain, at a time when they could simply retire and enjoy life.

It made me question youth of my generation, and those even younger, who sometimes don't seem to care or are apathetic about building movements to change the world. Yes, Obama has been able to build a huge youth base, but when I met some of these older UUs, I realized how many of us lack a historic context that would allow us to evaluate our successes and failures as social-justice advocates. Many of those who lived through the U.S. Civil Rights Movement and worked to end the Vietnam War realize how long it took and how little ripples, over time, created waves of change. For young people who lack that context, it can be very frustrating to work on issues and see no immediate, concrete successes.

I think it is important to realize that change takes time and that all that we do is valuable. We should not discount small successes. I felt inspired by meeting some of our older UUs and am grateful for all the work they have done in the past and continue to do.

Camilo Mejía worked tirelessly on behalf of UUSC this past week. Over the course of this year's General Assembly in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., he presented at four workshops, an activist training, and two youth events — and still had time and energy to sign books at the UUSC booth.

Numerous UUSC staff have remarked that his contributions are always thoughtful and responses to questions gentle yet powerful — I couldn't agree more. For example, when asked if the withdrawal of troops from Iraq would produce chaos, Camilo's simple and direct response: "There already is chaos there." He followed up that assertion by likening the occupation and withdrawal of Iraq to a common occurrence: a house raid. "We invade your house, tie up the women and children, take the men. We shoot them. We break things. We destroy the home. And then instead of leaving, we say, we are going to stay in your home indefinitely because if we leave there will be chaos."

This reasoned, leading approach, as if he is extending a hand and inviting you to follow him, was particularly pronounced in Camilo's candor with the youth groups he interacted with throughout the week. Sitting among a group of high school-aged students on Saturday, he talked about military recruitment. Camilo spoke of his experience of "just happening to be home" when the recruiter called — a time when he was looking for friends and a community to belong to in the States.

Now, years later, he has the experience to explain what signing an enlistment agreement really means. He did not discuss "stop-loss" in a hysterical, fear-inducing tone; instead, he presented this counter-recruitment discussion in a calm, peaceful one, meant to give young people an accurate depiction of the devil's bargain that is offered to them.

At Saturday afternoon's program "Join Patriots and Veterans in Saying No to the War in Iraq," Camilo poignantly framed his internal struggle, which continues to inform his outward struggle. It's his grappling with these forces that makes him such a great activist. "We were trying to reconcile the people who we were with the people who we are after the war." His efforts to deal with the moral questions that came with participating in war "came with a lot of guilt, a lot of confusion, of fear, and of pain."

He acknowledges that veterans groups such as Iraq Veterans Against the War are the ones at the forefront of the resistance — protesting this unjust war and working hard with communities, faith-based groups, and NGOs, like UUSC, for change. Each time I heard him speak, I felt proud and privileged to be a part of an organization that partners with such courageous, outspoken people like Camilo. If you haven't heard him speak firsthand, I encourage you contact UUSC and arrange to invite him to your congregation or other community gathering to witness his courage — and to join hands with him.

I already knew that 2008 is an important election year before I came to this year's UU General Assembly, but now I know it's also an incredibly exciting election year! Unlike most years, when incumbents get re-elected even if they continue to ignore what their constituents want, there are enough open and contested seats in 2008 that candidates might actually be forced to listen to us. Doing voter engagement is the most important social-justice work you can do in 2008!

"The stakes in 2008 could not possibly be higher," Tom Andrews told a rapt crowd at the UUSC/UUA Activist Training to End the War in Iraq on Wednesday, June 25. "This is certainly the most consequential election in my lifetime."

Andrews, who represented Maine in Congress for 12 years and now heads up the Win Without War Coalition — and serves on the UUSC Board of Trustees — stated that "the Bush doctrine eliminated U.S. commitment to international institutions and international law...That's what at stake. In additional to changing [who's in] Congress and the presidency and ending this monstrous war, we need to end the Bush doctrine and reassert the values that we, as UUs, live by!"

Fortunately, many of the 2008 races are wide open. There is no incumbent running for the White House, of course, but, in addition to the 33 Senate seats up for election, 4 open seats and 6 races are deemed as toss-ups. All 435 Representative districts are up for election, and of that number, there are 35 open seats and 48 races that are considered toss-ups.

Although some congregations are fearful of doing voter engagement work because they're concerned about protecting their tax-exempt status as 501c3 organizations, Rob Keithan, director of the UUA Washington Office for Advocacy, made it clear that as long as they stay within the guidelines, congregations can (and should) take on this work.

Keithan offered three crucial points:

1) Talk about what we believe and what we want, not what the candidate wants. This qualifies as allowable 501c3 issue advocacy.

2) Avoid references to candidates and parties.

3) Make it clear that you are doing ongoing work, not just something that is timed for the election.

In fact, if we only do electoral work, our elected officials will not be accountable. They need to know that we are out there, where we stand, and that we will be on their case. (For more detailed advice on legally permissible voter engagement work, see the UUA's The Real Rules: Congregations and the IRS Guidelines on Advocacy, Lobbying, and Elections.)

UUSC Campaign Organizer Michele Rudy challenged the attendees to make their voter engagement work as effective as it can possibly be. "Set a goal for how many people you want to register and the number of volunteers you will need in order to sign them up."

"Hit the streets!" Rudy continued. "You can't just sit behind a table. You need to talk to people who are disengaged and personally ask them. And be sure to follow up with the people you register to keep them engaged. Create a database so you can stay in touch."

At the UUSC workshop entitled Bring the War Home, UUSC Associate for Civil Liberties Fatema Haji-Taki began by quoting Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy's recent majority opinion from the Boumediene decision (a writ of habeas corpus made on behalf of a Guantanamo Bay detention camp detainee), in which he declared that our rights are designed to withstand intense pressures, that our nation's Constitution should survive in extraordinary times. That decision, another razor thin 5-4 rebuke of the Bush administration's steady erosion of civil liberties, probably got less media attention than what some Hollywood celebs were up to that day.

In fact, media and its impact was a large part of the discussion. Camilo Mejía, who was court martialed and imprisoned for refusing to return to his post in Iraq after deciding the war was morally unjust, spoke to the group, telling how the mainstream media was not giving the full picture of the war from the outset. News outlets were not talking about the killing of civilians and not showing the blood and the suffering. Instead, they focused on the morale of the troops and whether it remained high in the name of patriotism. He reminded the audience that as much as mainstream media may choose what to report or ignore based on its parent company's interests, the independent media, bloggers, and activists have a power too - many times not fully realized - but which has enormous potential for impact.

Toward the end of the workshop, Haji-Taki reminded participants that another potential place for change is fast approaching in November, but she added that "elections are not a panacea." She noted that even with a White House and Congress that respects human rights, the hard work only begins after the election. We must struggle to ensure that our government respects its citizens enough to tell them the truth and to restore its peoples' constitutionally guaranteed liberties.

Yesterday, participants gained skills for taking effective action against the Iraq war at Countdown 2008: An Activist Training to Responsibly End the War, an activist training jointly held by UUSC and the UUA. Although participants came from different parts of the country and their experience with activism ranged widely, they were unified in their motivation to end the war.

A highlight of the training was a role-play with Tom Andrews, former congressman from Maine and director of the Win Without War Coalition. Andrews pretended to be a candidate at a candidates' forum, while participants crafted questions for him, framing their opposition to the war. The participants asked really great questions, giving details of the cost of the war and the impact on local communities. I hope their confidence in asking the questions will carry through to real-life scenarios in the coming months. Andrews got the crowd laughing as he responded with typical "politico" messaging. Then he would take off his candidate's hat and explain how the question could have been framed to be more effective.

One of the goals of the training was to end the day with participants feeling equipped to take on specific actions and committing themselves to doing them.

Here are some of the things participants committed to:

"I'm going to go to candidates' forums and ask tough questions about their position on the war."

"I commit to talking to my minister and social justice committee about doing voter work."

"I commit to registering people to vote at my congregation."

"I plan on working with the a local community organization to help their efforts to outreach to marginalized communities."

The wide range of commitments was impressive for a group with many first-time activists!

I flew from Boston to Ft. Lauderdale on Tuesday, and during my flight, I used my "UU-radar" to try to look for anyone who might be headed to General Assembly. You can't just rely on demographics or physical characteristics to spot UUs, although certain articles of clothing are potential clues. When I see someone with a warm smile, a weighty tome in hand, and a general openness in manner, I often suspect I've spotted a UU. I definitely identified some likely candidates on that plane.

When I landed in Ft. Lauderdale, the first things I noticed were the palm trees — the sight of which, since I live in Boston, always makes me smile — and the billboard for GA, which I saw on the way out of the airport. "Yes!" I said to myself. "I've just landed on Planet UU."

As I do whenever I travel around the United States, I tuned the clock radio to the low end of the FM dial before I went to bed, hoping to wake up to the familiar strains of National Public Radio. Not only did I hear my favorite announcer, I also heard a long sponsorship message from the UUA, proudly proclaiming that Unitarian Universalists had occupied Ft. Lauderdale and would be coming to your town soon. "Yes!" I said to myself. "UUs have taken over the airwaves."

As a first-time participant at GA, I am delighted to be immersed in a UU-centric environment. Planet UU is a place where chalices rise like suns from every horizon, people are willing to take the time to talk and listen to one another, and social justice is an honored profession.

Strolling through the aisles of the exhibit hall, I am, as always, amazed by the spectrum of beliefs represented by the UUs. From the UU Ministry for Earth — which, for some reason, makes me think they are ministering to earthworms — to the UUs for Polyamory Awareness to the UUs for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, it is clear that all creatures, great and small, are welcome on Planet UU.

It's wonderful to inhabit a planet in which UUs are the majority, yet seek to make sure that all are welcome. It's a great model to take back to Planet Earth.