Social Justice Council Portfolios
Portfolio: Legislative and Council Monitor
Gene Parola
The holder of the Legislative and Council Monitor Portfolio posts on this web site information relative to the operations of the State Legislature and the City/County Council making Congregant participation in the legislative process as easy as possible.
In addition to standing information on government procedures, new posting of winners of elections, their committee assignments, contact information and other like kind data is updated for every session.
E-mail SJC Alerts are sent to a list of Congregants who wish to be regularly updated on Bills making their way through the legislature or council process with response links when possible.
Portfolio holders' Sub-committees may rally Congregants to testify by e-mail and in person on their issues.
Portfolio: First Unitarian Church/FACE Liaison
Steve Lohse
The First Unitarian Church Social Justice Council (SJC) bylaws state, “There will be a standing committee for FACE (Faith Action for Community Equity) which will be the acknowledged liaison between FACE and the Church. Members of this committee will attend FACE meetings and report back to the Council and, where appropriate, the Church, and in turn keep FACE apprised of positions of the Church on current FACE activities and deliberations.” [SJC Bylaws, II.2.f]
The holder of the FACE Liaison portfolio serves as chair of this bylaw-mandated SJC Standing Committee. The Committee has two clear priorities, in the following order:
- With professional assistance from FACE, we organize and support our Church grassroots social justice community and leadership to participate directly in policy and decision making that affects our community;
- We support FACE issue advocacy on selected issues on behalf of all grassroots communities in general.
As an organization of communities, FACE hosts monthly issue-oriented Task Force meetings; quarterly Delegated Council (all members), Steering Committee (board), Executive Committee, and Clergy Caucus meetings; several large annual events; and numerous social justice gatherings throughout the year. FACE liaison keeps Church members informed of FACE activities to facilitate widespread Church representation and participation.
Portfolio: Housing, Healthcare, and Women’s Issues
Susan Lebo
First Unitarian Church strongly supports housing, healthcare, and women’s issues as critical, both to our member families and friends personally involved in them, and to the overall livable communities and healthy society that we envision for ourselves and our children.
This portfolio is still a work in progress. As currently planned, half of this portfolio involves working with FACE Housing and Healthcare Task Forces, Delegated Council, and Steering Committee (1) to organize our grassroots community leadership and (2) to support FACE advocacy in housing and healthcare issues.
The remaining half of this portfolio involves keeping the SJC informed of ongoing Church and community housing, healthcare, and women’s social justice activities. The intent of this portfolio is to ensure informed and coordinated SJC action in support of a unified and effective Church housing, healthcare, and women’s social justice agenda consistent with Church principles. Ongoing social justice groups and initiatives already involving Church members include the Kokua Council, Family Promise, Habitat for Humanity, Hawaii Food Bank, Peanut Butter Ministry, the Honolulu UU Women’s Federation, and several grassroots affordable housing organizations in the Chinatown/Downtown area.
Portfolio: Education
Deborah Bond-Upson
Given Unitarian Universalist valuing of the potential of each human to perceive truth, the quality and equity of educational opportunities are of constant importance.
The Social Justice Council Education Portfolio includes overview and reporting on U.S. education issues, Hawaii Department of Education, Board of Education, F. A. C. E. Education Task force, parent, teacher, and student group activities in education. The holder of the Education Portfolio will help to create subcommittees as needed to respond to education needs in the community.
Portfolio description: Church Forums
Jim Lomont
The church forums portfolio consists of arranging monthly forums in the church on Sunday mornings, each to consist of a talk, with questions and answers, about some topic relevant to social justice and the welfare of the community. Generally the talks are scheduled for second Sundays to follow the lunches on those days, since it is thought that people will be more likely to stay for the talk after taking in the lunch.
Also discussions of the forum topics on the next Sundays following the forums, to be held at 12:15, are being tried out.