On July 10, UUCPA received the following offer of solidarity from Multi-faith Voices for Peace and Justice:
Multi-faith Voices for Peace and Justice (MVPJ) is a faith-based organization, with members from diverse faith communities and traditions, which works to advocate for peace and justice in our local communities and beyond. Our mission includes the defense of civil liberties and of our core values of justice, tolerance, diversity, equality, liberty and human dignity.
MVPJ is setting up a process which will allow us to respond quick- ly with publicly visible acts of solidarity on behalf of any religious, ethnic, or other vulnerable communities in our local area which are being threatened, or which have been harmed or violated in some way. Examples of triggers could be receipt of hate mail, defacing of property, threats to the well-being of the community or to a member of the community.
We invite you to contact MVPJ should you or members of your community be subject to or threatened with such acts by contacting us at solidarity@multifaithpeace.org. Our goal is to gather at or near your site in response and public solidarity within 24 to 48 hours of learning about your need in a way that would feel supportive for your community. These MVPJ solidarity responses will be faithful, peaceful demonstrations of solidarity and friendship, and may include supportive, peaceful, faith-based signs brought by participants. We will work with you to be sure our response is appropriate for your community.
We are a founding member of MVPJ; Amy Morgenstern has served on its steering committee, and we are currently represented in its activities by Dick Duda and Kristi Iverson. In May, we hosted the first MVPJ Multi-faith Contemplative Peace Service, held on the 11th of each month at a different area congregation; last September 11 we participated in its hugely successful Peace March. The organization pledges: “In all actions that it takes, members of Multi-faith Voices for Peace and Justice commit to the principles of non-violence, and pledge that all their actions will be peaceful, respectful, prayerful and non-violent.” In short, we are MVPJ, and if you wish to be a part of such a non-violent response, you can communicate that intention to info@multifaithpeace.org, or to Dick and Kristi.