|
Environmental Justice
"Perhaps the most deeply integrated and compassionate
expression of our caring for the planet is our recognition of the plight of beings who
are not flourishing. Some of these beings are humans who suffer environmental oppression
from unjust discrimination of the wealthy and advantaged in society. Some are other
species whose simple right to existence is not recognized by their oppressors. To act
boldly, even radically, to raise such plights to the recognition of our fellows and
provide relief to the oppressed is perhaps the pinnacle of our religious environmental
work." ~ Green Sanctuary Program Manual
|
 |
Environmental Justice
1994 General Resolution
http://www.uua.org/socialjustice/socialjustice/statements/14257.shtml
BECAUSE we affirm justice and compassion in human relations, the inherent worth and dignity of
every person, and respect for the interdependent web of all existence; and
BECAUSE we share the goal of world community with peace, liberty, and justice for all; and
WHEREAS waste and pollution, overconsumption by the world's affluent few, and the pressures caused
by poverty and burgeoning populations are inflicting harsh and often irreversible damage on the environment,
and have endangered the future we wish for both humanity and the rest of nature;
WHEREAS the poor, the powerless, the landless, and the disinherited are often compelled to carry
the major burdens of waste and pollution without representation in planning and decision-making processes;
WHEREAS the concept of environmental justice links the principles of liberal religion with the
values of ecological awareness and racial and class justice;
WHEREAS the Unitarian Universalist Association has adopted separate resolutions on specific
economic, political, and environmental issues, it also realizes that environmental justice requires an
integrated, holistic approach; and
WHEREAS the Union of Concerned Scientists, the First National People of Color Environmental
Leadership Summit (1991), the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (1992), and
other assemblies and organizations are seeking to move environmental justice higher on the public
policy agenda;
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Unitarian Universalist Association shall act and urge its
affiliates, member societies, and individual Unitarian Universalists to:
• promote programs for social, economic, and political empowerment so that all people may join
together in one struggle for peace, justice, and sustainable development;
• support the development of democratic and ecologically responsible community organizations, labor
unions, and business cooperatives;
• develop religious education and community action programs honoring cultural and religious diversity
and connecting environmental issues to other social justice concerns;
• set time aside for seasonal celebrations to honor our interdependence and to deepen our commitment
to natural and cultural diversity; and
• work with the Unitarian Universalist Seventh Principle Project, the Unitarian Universalists for a
Just Economic Community, the Unitarian Universalist United Nations Office, and others to implement
the recommendations of the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development; and
• commend the President of the United States for the issuance of Executive Order 12898 of February 11,
1994, which addresses environmental justice in minority and low-income populations;
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Unitarian Universalist Association shall act and encourage its
affiliates, member societies, and individual Unitarian Universalists to bear witness to the need for
environmental justice by reducing their consumption of the earth's resources, generating as little waste
as possible, recycling, and making a commitment as producers, investors, and consumers to living in an
ecologically balanced and responsible manner.
|
