In preparation for Justice GA in Phoenix, Ariz., (June 20-24, 2012) the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) and the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee (UUSC) have jointly organized three Service Learning trips to the U.S.-Mexico border with our partner organization, BorderLinks. In this blog post Rev. Eric Cherry, the Director of the UUA’s International Office, describes what is planned for the third trip which will begin on May 25th. The BorderLinks service learning trips are made possible through the generous contributions of UUA and UUSC donors.

It was a privilege to journey with Unitarian Universalists who are engaged in a diverse array of ministries during the BorderLinks delegation last January. And last month (April) a second UUA/UUSC delegation had an equally powerful experience. Together the people on these delegations grew in understanding the complex justice issues related to the US/Mexico border. They also found room for theological reflection about those matters. And, through the eye-to-eye and heart-to-heart connections with people living in this context, each returned deeply committed to the ongoing religious work for immigration justice.

The participants in this third UUA/UUSC delegation are also faith leaders engaged in diverse ministries: lay and ordained, in both parish and community settings. And, they are sure to have a deep and rich experience that will include visits with:

• Scholarships A-Z: A network of students and advisors working to make education accessible for all students. They help connect students to available resources and train them to be their own advocates.
• Grupos Beta: A Federal Mexican Organization that has offices along the northern and southern borders of Mexico and one in D.F. There mission is to protect the migrant.
• The Green Valley Samaritans: Volunteers who to into the desert on water runs and searches Their goal is to help protect any migrants they come across in the desert, in an effort to prevent deaths along the border region.
• Hogar de Esperanza y Paz (HEPAC): HEPAC is a sister organization to BorderLinks and a community center in Nogales, Sonora. Programs offered at HEPAC include adult education and training classes, and the Child Food Security Program, which provides lunch to children and education for their families on nutrition and gardening. HEPAC also is home to a women’s cooperative that produces jewelry that raises awareness about deaths in the desert.
• Observing Operation Streamline and analyzing its injustices with legal professionals who confront it constantly.

Further stories from the journey will be posted after the trip. Please come back to see the reflections of the participants.

The Unitarian Universalist Service Committee (UUSC) partnered with the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) on a joint volunteer trip to Haiti, April 28-May 5, 2012. In the post below, UUSC Haiti Emergency Response Manager Wendy Flick shared mid-trip snapshots of the experiences of working and connecting with members of the Papaye Peasant Movement (MPP). The UUSC-UUA Haiti Volunteer Program is made possible through the contributions of UUA and UUSC donors and a generous grant from the Veatch Program of the UU Congregation at Shelter Rock, in Manhasset, N.Y.

Just a quick note to say everything is going great here, one of the best trips yet. We've had some wonderful rain in the late afternoon or evening most days, sometimes heavy, but because of the late-day timing it hasn't changed anything in the program significantly and has actually helped keep the nights a little cooler for sleeping. It brings out the frogs, and it's nice to fall asleep to their singing.  

We have had some amazing experiences and serendipities during this trip. Last night we had finished our evening reflection circle, and some of us remained on the porch to sing a bit more. Our singing attracted some Haitians who were passing by on the path, who stopped to listen, and whom we then invited onto the porch. Gradually we were joined by more and more passersby, and we began to exchange songs: we would sing a UU hymn or other song and then they would sing a song in Haitian Creole. 

Together we were able to sing a couple of the Haitian Creole songs that our Haitian consultant Nanouche had taught us — songs about solidarity and about working together to bring about a brighter future for Haiti. It was completely unplanned, with people we didn't know at all, but in the end it turned out to be the same group we were to meet with today, who are here at the MPP Training Center for a five day course in chicken farming. Tonight they returned just as our evening reflection was ending, bringing with them even more friends until our porch was crowded with about 50 people. They also brought with them their pastor, who gave a short speech about how it was to sing "Makonnen Fos Nou" together with us. These types of exchanges are creating some profound experiences and memories that I think the participants will never forget; I know I won't. They were perfect endings to some amazing days.

A couple of snapshots from the past 24 hours were particularly moving to me. Tonight on the porch of our guesthouse when we sang "Amazing Grace" together. Our Haitian friends sang a verse in Haitian Creole, and we followed it with the same verse in English, with the backdrop of some boys playing soccer in the muddy path under the street lamp just beyond the porch and flashes of quiet lightning in the faraway sky.

Another came this morning as participants of this trip entered the original eco-village for the first time. On this journey, we have been toiling away in the sun to build the foundations for homes in the second and third eco-villages, so for most of the group this was the first peek at the original village and at a vision of what their labors on the foundations will evolve into within the next few months. As we crested the ridge above the village, chills ran along my spine and my eyes moistened. Eleven short months ago there was nothing in this valley but a few trees, and now it is a tapestry of colors — homes with bright pink and lavender flowers, dozens of tire gardens overflowing with everything from bok choy to tomatoes. It really looks like a kind of Eden. I thought to myself that if there exists something that is "the answer" to Haiti's challenges, it is right here in this place and in these people.

I know that the toughest moment is approaching, which is when, at the airport, I will have to say goodbye for now to these precious souls that I have so enjoyed sharing this experience with. Every soul on its perfect and unique path, all of us together on the path to justice. It's a beautiful thing.

The Unitarian Universalist Service Committee (UUSC) partnered with the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) on a joint volunteer trip to Haiti, April 28-May 5, 2012. In the post below, trip participant Jocelyn Furbush writes about the hope and inspiration she experienced with the Papaye Peasant Movement, a UUSC partner in Haiti. The UUSC-UUA Haiti Volunteer Program is made possible through the contributions of UUA and UUSC donors and a generous grant from the Veatch Program of the UU Congregation at Shelter Rock, in Manhasset, N.Y.

In the United States, we mostly hear bad news about Haiti. I suspect that in the outpouring of support after the earthquake, many donors like me gave with the thought of temporarily alleviating suffering. We didn't expect to permanently lift anyone out of poverty, let alone transform the country. It's hard to imagine changing deeply rooted systems of power and oppression. It's hard to imagine restoring a depleted environment to the point where it could provide a decent life to millions of people, ensuring that the inherent worth and dignity of each is respected. Nonetheless, I came here in search of hope that both those things were possible — and that's exactly what I've found.

One example of this living hope is the home garden of Moccene, an MPP youth leader. His inspiring success in improving soil productivity (and thus family income and well-being) through creative and organic methods represents more than a single story of someone making a positive change. Because this change grew from and continues through a mature and sophisticated system of community organizing and because this young farmer connects his personal actions to the larger political struggle for food sovereignty, I truly believe it represents a movement.

Another example of hope stirring in Haiti is seen in the MPP's cooperatives, not just for agricultural production but for value-added processing from what's grown. These co-ops craft jams, peanut butter, honey, and I'm sure more to come. The twin pines logo on the jars connect the system of equal shared investment and reward that created these products to cooperatives of all kinds around the world. In 2012, the International Year of Cooperatives, I'm especially honored to learn from Haitians who are building the kind of cooperative economy I'd like to see in my corner of the world.

Just one more beacon from my short time here has been the joy and human connection I've found with my fellow UU travelers and the Haitians we've worked and eaten beside. I've discovered the power of spontaneous song and dance to cross language barriers. I've seen incredible resilience, generosity, humor, love, and faith. As I reconnect with my own UU faith and the space it creates in my life for balancing social-justice action with reflection, I'm blessed to be witnessing the community bonds here. They are strong enough to mobilize members to action and flexible enough to welcome newcomers. MPP calls their organizers "animators," which brings to mind waking the community up to its own potential and sparking it with new life. In returning home, I hope to be more of an "animatrice" than an activist, waking people like me to the hope Haiti has for itself and to offer to the rest of us.

The Unitarian Universalist Service Committee (UUSC) partnered with the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) on a joint volunteer trip to Haiti, April 28-May 5, 2012. In the post below, trip participant Barbara Nelson reflects on the various ways to build foundations — with stones and with voices. The UUSC-UUA Haiti Volunteer Program is made possible through the contributions of UUA and UUSC donors and a generous grant from the Veatch Program of the UU Congregation at Shelter Rock, in Manhasset, N.Y.

I knew something was waiting here with this experience but had no idea what that something would be. Yesterday the form began to emerge. Much of what we had seen and heard began to fall into place. We now were participating in the helping to put the pieces together. The rain ceased, the preliminary steps were taken, and we actually began to build a home.

The organic nature of passing rocks and working side by side with the Haitians to lay the foundation of a new home was awesome. It felt so good to do something so concrete. To participate in an effort that will absolutely improve the quality of life for a family is amazing. At the start of the day it was "Yeah, stones!" At the end — tired, dirty, and sweaty — we still felt the same way: "Yeah, stones!"

Later on in the evening something totally unexpected happened. Our team was sitting on the front porch singing songs, practicing rounds, and sounding actually quite lovely in our own way. A young Haitian woman was standing on the path in front of our porch listening and smiling. We invited her up, along with some of her friends. With just very little encouragement she began to sing! Wow — how beautiful and powerful and very Haitian. Not a clue what she was singing, but we were still mesmerized. Our songs didn't quite have their energy, so we sat back and listened.

Over the next hour and a half, we sang. Well, mostly she and her friends sang, and we listened. We actually knew a Haitian song and sang it with them with gusto. And we all sang "Amazing Grace," us in English and them in Creole — that was magical. 

As the evening wore down, we invited them to join us another evening for another song fest. We hugged and said goodnight to our newfound friends. Another stone was laid.

The Unitarian Universalist Service Committee (UUSC) is partnering with the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) on a joint volunteer trip to Haiti, April 28-May 5, 2012. In the post below, trip participant Orelia Busch reflects on tiny movements and cataclysmic earthquakes. The UUSC-UUA Haiti Volunteer Program is made possible through the contributions of UUA and UUSC donors and a generous grant from the Veatch Program of the UU Congregation at Shelter Rock, in Manhasset, N.Y.

Since our arrival in Haiti last Saturday, I have experienced moments that I can only describe as touch points, when my whole body responds to something I have seen or heard with a tingle or a shiver in the core of my being. On the drive north from Port-au-Prince through the mountains, we waited for the drivers to fix a flat tire on the side of the busy road. Haitians dressed up brightly and sharply for church passed by our car windows, and we talked about earthquakes.

Someone said that the tiniest movement deep within the earth creates what we experience on the planet's surface as a cataclysm that can wreak unbelievable destruction and chaos. One of the trip leaders told us that she didn't really understand the full impact of the earthquake until she witnessed that not only had it destroyed lives and homes, but it also left cracks in the earth that changed the pattern of the very rivers that feed the farms and the people of Haiti.

I think about earthquakes as I feel something stir in me and muddle through my own reflections on the sensory and new-experience overload of beauty and hardness that I see in Haiti. I think about earthquakes when I listen to Chavannes Jean-Baptiste, our host and leader of the Papaye Peasant Movement, describe his dreams for Haiti. He is working with 60,000 others all over this country to build a nation where the divisions that keep neighbors from working together are no more; where all people have enough healthy, locally produced food to sustain their families; and where neighbors work together to educate themselves, better their lives, and preserve the environment for future generations.

I think about earthquakes and I believe that each small motion towards sustainability and self-determination in Haiti could have such great positive impact in the future.

I think about earthquakes, I feel those shivers and tingles at my core, and I wonder what new channels, cracks, and ways of being and seeing that this experience will forge within me.

Video Diary: Haiti Day 2 from UUA International on Vimeo.

The Unitarian Universalist Service Committee (UUSC) is partnering with the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) on a joint volunteer trip to Haiti, April 28–May 5, 2012. In the post below, chaplain and trip participant Megan Lynes talks about the powerful sense of community and interconnection she is finding there. The UUSC-UUA Haiti Volunteer Program is made possible through the contributions of UUA and UUSC donors and a generous grant from the Veatch Program of the UU Congregation at Shelter Rock, in Manhasset, N.Y.

­­­­­I came on this trip to Haiti because I felt deep compassion for the Haitian people following the earthquake two years ago. In learning about the devastation, I was aghast to find out about the centuries-long history of oppression and the long-term disempowerment of the Haitian people. When it became possible for me to participate in a UUA-UUSC service-learning trip, I knew I wanted to come here, learn all I could, contribute anything I could, and return home to teach others about what we can do together. What I didn't know when I signed up was that I would come into contact with one of the most important grassroots peasant-worker movements in the world today — and I didn't know how much hope is alive and spreading through this powerful people's movement. 

Yesterday was our second day at the Papaye Peasant Movement (Mouvement Paysan de Papaye, known by its acronym, MPP), and we spent much of it touring the compound and meeting Chavannes Jean-Baptiste, the executive director. He is warm, enthusiastic, clear-minded, and kind. It's easy to see why he has led more than 60,000 people for over 35 years, building this community into a place of health, equality, and visionary purpose.

Chavannes told us how human-rights organizations like the UUSC, and many governments all over the globe, partner with MPP. I felt in that moment that my life is intrinsically linked to the lives of the peasants here. What I have been so lucky to experience firsthand here in the Central Plateau is a sustainable community that most in Haiti can only hope to dream about. Yet, because we are all a part of the interconnected web of all existence, even the Haitians living in cities are part of the web, too. I cannot help but see each struggling or helping person as part of the entire picture. We each matter more to one another than we can ever really fathom.

"No one educates no one. We humans educate one another through the intermediary of the world." These words come from The Pedagogy of the Oppressed, a book written by Paulo Frieri. Chavannes mentioned them in his talk with us, describing how one of MPP's key goals is to empower the oppressed, emphasizing that everyone has the capacity to teach and learn from one another. He described "gwoupman," the organizational system of MPP, in which groups of 15-20 people spend three months working, bonding, and learning how to be cooperative together. They then stay together as a united group through the years. This is a powerful community model with respect at its center. I think there are many elements of U.S. society that could benefit greatly from the wisdom of their organizing model. The interconnected web of life extends beyond borders. Educating one another through the intermediary of the world begins with each of us.

The Unitarian Universalist Service Committee (UUSC) is partnering with the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) on a joint volunteer trip to Haiti, April 28-May 5, 2012. In the post below, trip staffer Charles Huschle ruminates on the many qualities and skills that the trip participants are bringing to their work in Haiti — and what they are leaving behind. The UUSC-UUA Haiti Volunteer Program is made possible through the contributions of UUA and UUSC donors and a generous grant from the Veatch Program of the UU Congregation at Shelter Rock, in Manhasset, N.Y.

"What do you bring of your truest self to Haiti that you will offer this week to the group?"

We're having one of those evening group reflection and sharing sessions that characterizes JustWorks trips to Haiti, and on hearing the question, the doubtful and tired Charles winces. Do I really have to answer? Posed by one of the two ministers on this trip, the question evokes a range of thoughtful responses, and so my fatigue lessens. I experience a surge of gratitude for the diversity of people in our circle. I'm helping lead them through a week of learning and service at the Papaye Peasant Movement in central Haiti. As people share on this and the second question — "what are you leaving behind to be here?" — I'm struck again by the willingness of participants to give fully of themselves. One person openly admits, "I'm leaving behind some personal barriers that would stop me from sharing."

Several of us talk about the concrete things we are leaving behind, but most of these are rooted in the relationships we have, with ourselves and others, that are being experimented upon this week. We leave behind the ability to text a dear friend at any time of day (our cell phones don't work here); we leave behind habits that get us through a typical day (the soy latte, browsing Facebook, being with certain friends only and not others); we leave behind family (one mother has never been away for her kids for more than two days; another hasn't taken a "vacation" for more than a week in over nine years); we leave behind complexity: "Something gets really, really real in me when I'm down here," away from all the extra layers of life back home.

And what we bring is food for thought, too. We range in age from 27 to 72. We are 4 men and 10 women: married, single, straight, gay, African American, parent, grandparent, working, retired. Some have never been out of the United States; most have never been to the Global South (the term we use for what many people call "the developing world"). We bring bravery to try new things and a willingness to ask questions. We bring a deep appreciation of others, noting that we are not so different, in the end, from the people with whom we will work this week. We bring an ability to work in partnership with others. And we bring certain skills: "I'm a lover of uncertainty — and that's somewhat new for me — and I think that can be useful here." There's a saying down here that is repeated by one of our members: in Haiti, nothing works, but everything works out. As the electricity flickers and we prepare for bed, our group seems to have the faith that everything will work out this week. 

The Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) is partnering with the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee (UUSC) on a joint volunteer trip to Haiti, April 28-May 5, 2012. In the post below, trip communications specialist Nicole McConvery of the UUA writes in anticipation of a week filled with learning and growth. The UUA-UUSC Haiti Volunteer Program is made possible through the contributions of UUA and UUSC donors and a generous grant from the Veatch Program of the UU Congregation at Shelter Rock, in Manhasset, N.Y.

It's been four months since my first visit to Port-au-Prince as a green trip-leader-in-training, and I'm so thrilled to be back with the grounding of a successfully completed trip already under my belt.

This time around I'm serving as the delegation's communications specialist, documenting the experience as photographer, videographer, and blog coordinator for participants, the UUA and UUSC, and those following the trip from home. I'm really looking forward to seeing how things have progressed since the last time I was at the eco-village — and sharing that with all of you!

I'm here now on a sunny veranda, reviewing tomorrow's participant pick-up schedule with my wonderful team: UUSC Haiti Emergency Response Manager Wendy Flick, who has over 10 years of experience in Haiti, and Charles Huschle, former UUSC senior associate for foundations and corporations who served as a trip leader on the youth trip to Haiti last August.

We're excited to welcome our diverse group of 14 Unitarian Universalists from all walks of life and all corners of the United States. They will be joining us for a week of service with members of the Papaye Peasant Movement (MPP), located several hours outside of Port-au-Prince in the Central Plateau. It's hard work, but it's invigorating, giving us a chance to step outside of our relatively comfortable lives and make a difference for others.

As I've been here before, I feel very fortunate to have the unique opportunity to observe a group of first-timers in Haiti; to watch the group bond, evolve, process, and grow, while being a part of it myself, will be a completely different experience for me. I can't wait.

UUSC is partnering with the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) on a joint volunteer trip to Haiti, March 10-17. In the post below, trip participant Linda McKim-Bell, UUSC's Pacific Northwest regional coordinator, reflects on her experience. The UUA-UUSC Haiti Volunteer Program is made possible through the contributions of UUA and UUSC donors and a generous grant from the Veatch Program of the UU Congregation at Shelter Rock, in Manhasset, N.Y.

The experience of seeing Haiti left a strong impression. The compas band playing at the airport arrival gate was a foreshadowing of a new optimism here. Still it was stunning to see what slavery, neglect, and the determined interference with grassroots democracy and economic self-sufficiency had wrought in Haiti. But something new was bubbling up from the strength and resilience of the Haitian people. Most of the rubble had been cleared from Port-au-Prince and downtown was showing signs of recovery. The fresh smell of cement and rebuilding was everywhere. Determined small merchants set up informal market stalls that lined every street. The bustling streets were alive with buying and selling. Vacant lots were dotted with tents as neighbors determined to stay camped out in the remains of their homes. New buildings went up and others were being repaired. The refugee camp at the Champs de Mars, a park near the waterfront, was almost cleared out and the park would return to its former use as an iconic welcome and shaded respite in this busy city.

In Haiti's Central Plateau, Haitian peasants are thriving from the inside out! The determination of the Haitian people came from their roots, religion, and Kreyol culture. These had sustained these throughout slavery, independence, and neglect and interference with their grassroots efforts to build a democratic government that would serve people's needs. Here in the countryside, at UUSC's partner the Papaye Peasant Movement (MPP) headquarters, Chavannes Jean Baptiste has built an alternative universe in Haiti that is highly functional for its 60,000 members. MPP is the best organizing I have seen since the Workers Party swept Lula into office in Brazil. This community and movement is a thriving model for a new Haiti. It is the solution to the ecological and spiritual degradation of the Haitian people and its countryside.

MPP teaches peasants to build themselves from the inside out and to build authentic, vibrant communities. Beginning with the principles of Liberation Theology and Paolo Friere's Popular Education, people learn to believe in themselves and the power of loving and working with each other. Chavannes Jean Baptiste held out the Big Fish Little Fish banners that he uses to teach the peasants the power of collective action. With his strategic use of technology and  democratically organized political structures, he has been able to reach out to 500,000 radio listeners in his region. The peasant radio programs that emit from the radio station send out programs on ecological building, farming, animal husbandry, water conservation, small business development, women's issues, education, health and nutrition and family life. An MPP song book animates people to believe in themselves and in the power of collective action and individual industry. Communal singing, proverbs, radio, and visual charts used in meetings are perfect ways to reach a population that may be 90% illiterate but intelligent and determined to build a new way of living.

The MPP Training Center hosts hundreds of peasant leaders every week. They stay in guest cottages and eat home-grown organic foods in a communal dining room. The training center is a large experimental laboratory for learning organic farming, water conservation, animal husbandry, fish farming, construction, organizing, teaching methods, and family life. After a week's training they return to their homes to teach their neighbors a new way of life. As we sat on the porch of our guest cottage, we saw a joyful line of leaders carrying luggage as they prepared to leave the training center. We stepped out to give them high fives and best wishes.

The joy, solidarity, and optimism between the UUSC volunteers and the newly trained leaders would spread the magic of the MPP way of life here in Haiti and at home in the U.S.  I came home changed and with a new hope for our selves and for the Haitian people.

This is why I keep working for UUSC as a volunteer and supporter.

UUSC is partnering with the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) on a joint volunteer trip to Haiti, March 10-17. In the post below, trip participant Linda McKim-Bell, UUSC's Pacific Northwest regional coordinator, reflects on her experience. The UUA-UUSC Haiti Volunteer Program is made possible through the contributions of UUA and UUSC donors and a generous grant from the Veatch Program of the UU Congregation at Shelter Rock, in Manhasset, N.Y.

It was stunning to see what the world's neglect and interference with democratic institutions has wrought on Haiti over two hundred years. Yet, people are struggling and succeeding in rebuilding. The strength and resilience of the Haitian people comes from their African roots, religion, and Kreyol culture. These sustained them through slavery, independence, neglect, and interference with their grass roots efforts to build a democratic government that would serve people's needs.  

Much of the rubble has been cleared from Port-au-Prince. Empty lots were dotted with tents. The smell of fresh cement and new construction was everywhere. Streets were lined with informal markets. The economic bustle of life was pushing up. It was heartwarming to learn that UUSC had helped women market workers to get back on their feet after the earthquake. The women have also started a catering business learning health standards and sharing own delicious recipes for what sells well. They will soon visit the Central Plateau to teach other women how to thrive in the catering business.

Since some of us arrived early in the morning, UUSC's Program Manager for Haiti, Wendy Flick, took us to an education conference about how to build a national education model for Haiti. Present were UN officials, the Haitian Ministry of Education, and representatives from nongovernmental organizations. UUSC's partner APROSIFA, a community based health clinic, had a young Haitian painter's work on display around the room. The community that APROSIFA belongs to in Port-au-Prince saw a problem with the undirected energy of youth in their neighborhood, leading to gang troubles and violence. They decided that the solution was to teach traditional Haitian painting to give the youth a positive activity and to serve as art therapy for post earthquake trauma recovery.  

This is economic recovery for Haitian youth. They've sold many paintings and they planted the seeds of great ideas. The large paintings were masterpieces with gold frames, some done communally like the Dutch Masters with novice painters as apprentices. The themes were recovery, education, rebuilding, portraying Haiti's past, and her new future. The optimism of these youth is a thing of beauty. And this exhibit was a perfect example of how UUSC's idea-factory creativity was cross-pollinating with other like-minded agencies. It is also an example of how UUSC operates according to the UU Principle of respecting the worth and dignity of every person. The urban Haitian community of APROSIFA had come up with its own solution. UUSC respected and learned from its grassroots partners and it gave the painting project wings to fly further.

I had given workshops about Haiti and the arts at churches in the Pacific Northwest using the example of one young painter, Patrick, who for me symbolizes the hope of a new Haiti. I learned that Patrick has gone on to teach painting to others at the clinic. On Saturdays, the place is turned into a painting studio where children and youth learn painting, pride in Kreyol culture, and are creating a soulful economic recovery. I purchased one of Patrick's paintings for my church and I felt a deep connection to him and to UUSC's seeding a recovery in Haiti.