[Group quietly takes stage, sitting in a semi-circle with Kym and Pete in the middle on either side of the flip chart, open to the first page, "Environmental justice and stewardship", plus graphic. The mike is to one side where it does not block the view of the flip chart. Betty (or the reader, maybe Roger?) steps to the mike and reads]:
“Environmental justice challenges us take action to create a just society, so that the benefits we receive in our lives do not come at the expense of others. We are asked to first acknowledge, and then redress, how environmental impacts fall first and most severely on those who receive the least of the benefits and are mostly powerless to effect changes. Fulfilling our responsibility to redress these impacts is an overarching commitment that crosses the spectrum of environmental and social concerns. How we go about this essential work can become a model for creating justice around the globe.”
[The reader sits, and Pete (or Kym) steps to the mike]
These words, from the UU [reference Green Sanctuary Manual?] bring the findings of the environmental study group into sharp focus. We believe environmental stewardship and justice would be an ideal unifying theme for the social justice ministry at our church.
By addressing environmental challenges from the standpoint of environmental justice, we can make a direct and positive difference in the lives of those who struggle with poverty and who bear the heaviest burdens from our nation’s environmental wastefulness.
Though our example and actions, we ourselves can learn to live lightly and respectfully on the Earth that sustains us all.
The struggle for environmental justice has great potential for energizing and transforming our community and our congregation, as we discovered when we researched the dozens of UU churches throughout the country who are creating the new “Green Sanctuary” movement within Unitarian-Universalism.
Although many praiseworthy environmental groups work here in Charlotte, none of them explicitly addresses environmental justice. There is a great need for leadership on this issue – a need our congregation can fill.
[Kym flips chart, and steps to the mike for "2"]
5 responses so far ↓
urbanministrygarden // February 10, 2008 at 12:43 pm |
My feeling is that we want to be focused and “businesslike”, but if possible catch the attention of the people in an imaginative way. Don’t know exactly what that is.
This is from my teaching years, and Peace Corps training. The idea is often called an “icebreaker”. We want people to be positive, engaged and with a sense that they can make a different – not where we are just talking at them.
number9writer // February 14, 2008 at 12:00 am |
A: Speaking – Opening words/statement (powerful excerpt that Betty selected from the GS manual, though she might not want to do the reading herself).
I’ve tweaked by cutting the last part of what Betty extracted (I think most of us agreed the last part was a little too long and cumbersome) and adding some related intro and concluding language from K. Jesh, Executive Director of UUMFE. (The core of the statement that Betty read is still intact.)
“No concept of justice is complete or adequate which does not extend to all of creation. Environmental justice challenges us take action to create a just society, so that the benefits we receive in our lives do not come at the expense of others. We are asked to first acknowledge, and then redress, how environmental impacts fall first and most severely on those who receive the least of the benefits and are mostly powerless to effect changes. Fulfilling our responsibility to redress these impacts is an overarching commitment that crosses the spectrum of environmental and social concerns. HOW we go about this essential work can become a model for creating justice around the globe.”
number9writer // February 14, 2008 at 12:04 am |
After the opening words, the intro slide/block of content:
A: Speaking: Introduction, set the agenda – “Today we present a vision for a sustained program of env. stewardship and justice at the UUCC . . . we’ll talk about X, Y (Green Sanctuary) and Z . . .” (Here we’ll also have the theme/hook for the entire presentation, whether it’s “Changing Our Colors,” “Green Forever,” etc.)
urbanministrygarden // February 15, 2008 at 8:41 pm |
#9 – check out my wording. I dropped the first sentence of the quote – sounds a little like Earth First – and wrote out an ABC in radiospeak. didn’t fold in the hook, but we can once we consensus one
Pete // February 15, 2008 at 8:54 pm |
Very nice work, Don. Even if we don’t have the ability to control the staging as precisely as you’ve outlined here, this concepts and wording are certainly close to what I envisioned for an intro.
I’ll be curious to see which study group is selected to present first. Will it be paper, rock, scissors, drawing straws, or the top vote-getter among the three finalists (that would be us, I think!)?