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Dear John,

These days often feel unprecedented, exhausting, and fearful. Know that your Unitarian Universalist Association is with you as we continue our shared ministry of communal care and community building across our Association. In times like these, the constitutional protection of religious practice is an incredible asset, and our faith anchors the long-term reach of our values.

As our President, the Rev. Dr. Sofía Betancourt, has affirmed, “Faithful dissent is our theological inheritance. Today’s Unitarian Universalism emerges from a heritage of dissenting churches that is hundreds of years old... [and] we must continue our theological tradition of dissent.” We are called by our historic religious tradition to resist authoritarianism and guide our communities toward justice.

Side With Love, led by staff in the UUA’s Organizing and Strategy Team, has developed an in-depth toolkit to support congregations and communities in this work. Whether you are wondering what to post on social media, how to engage in activism responsibly, or whose leadership to follow, this toolkit offers clear answers. It provides time-tested organizing tools, safety considerations, and actionable steps to respond to immediate threats while sustaining long-term justice work.

This email includes a link to the new toolkit below, and additional resources for responding, resisting, and dissenting in these times.  

With you on the journey, 

Rachel   

Uplifted by care and support from their own Unitarian Universalist community, Lea Morris wrote the song, "Together," for UUs to sing and share. This offering is shared in support of the work UUs are doing to build Beloved Community during Side With Love's of 30 Days of Love.  

In times of rising nationalism, racism, transphobia, and patriarchy, faith leaders play a critical role to guide our communities toward justice. The Grounded, Resilient & Responsible Toolkit is designed to provide practical support, strategic guidance, and spiritual sustenance as we navigate an increasingly chaotic and urgent landscape. 

Every week, Side With Love will share a Weekly Action Update featuring essential resources, upcoming events, and spiritual reflections to support justice work across the UUA's intersectional priority areas. Sign up to receive these updates in your email inbox.

Starting Monday, March 10, Side With Love will offer a monthly online gathering to support our community in the work of resisting injustice, protecting democracy, and creating a future where love and dignity prevail. "The Gathering" will be a space to find inspiration, connect with others, and take action that matters.

This year’s 30 Days of Love has been guided by the theme of Inhabiting Our Freedom Dreams, which grounds us in the transformative power of love and affirms that we are the antidote to our fear. Collections of content were shared over the past four weeks to support immigrant communities, LGBTQIA+ beloveds, to address climate justice and center Indigenous leadership, and refuse the erasure of Black existence, imagination, and liberation.

With humanitarian aid under attack and global crises escalating, we’re uplifting the important work of partner organizations as they find ways to take action. The Unitarian Universalist Service Committee is organizing to defend civil liberties and human rights worldwide and Unitarian Universalists for Justice in the Middle East is mobilizing against the U.S. aid blockade that threatens the survival of Palestinian refugees. 

Established just ahead of the national election last November, the UUA’s Community Resilience Hub is a source of ongoing guidance and support for congregations navigating this chaotic and uncertain political landscape. The Hub includes information for ongoing use related to community safety and communal care, as well as a resource list that continues to be updated regularly.