Draft Youth and Young Adult Empowerment Resolution

Salutations Youth, Young Adults & Adult Allies!,

Have you found the news about youth and young adult ministry frustrating? Do you want to do something to make our voices heard? We have decided to go political and are trying to use the democratic process inherent in our faith to affect wide-spread, positive change. After talking with many youth and young adults from across the continent, we have written a resolution for Youth and Young Adult Empowerment within all levels of the Unitarian Universalist Association.

We believe that in this transitional time the critical values and voices of youth and young adults must be represented in the political process of our denomination. This resolution does not attempt to restructure continental YRUU or C*UUYAN; it attempts to reaffirm the values that we all share and promote them at every level of our faith.

This resolution is meant for everyone. We are from the Central Midwest District and plan to take steps to have this resolution passed in our district. You can do this in your district! In the Central Midwest District, this means communicating and gathering support from youth and young adults in congregations and determining the appropriate steps to get the resolution on our District Annual Assembly’s agenda in April. We also have been communicating with our UUA Trustee, District staff, and youth and young adults on district leadership bodies (i.e. District Youth Steering Committee/Youth Adult Committee and Young Adult Steering Committee).

This is a grassroots initiative and we encourage you to start or contribute to a similar movement in your district. Through our conversations, we have been attaining allies of this resolution in many districts. These folks will be leading and guiding the process for having this resolution passed at your District Annual Assembly in April or May. If you would like any information regarding initiatives already blossoming in your district or guidance on how to begin the process yourself, please contact us!

There is also the possibility for this resolution to be presented and passed at this year’s General Assembly as a responsive resolution. We are currently in dialogue with the UUA Board of Trustees about this resolution. Due to all of these recent changes, General Assembly will be a challenging time for youth and young adult issues. Regardless, having districts affirm youth and young adult empowerment is vital.

We must use the synergy inherent in youth and young adult movements to fuel us, to encourage us, and to be the change we want to see happen in our faith. We must collectively take action to protect and promote the core values of ministry to and with youth and young adults.

Let’s make youth and young adult empowerment a reality.

Only you can make this happen!

We desire your feedback, questions, concerns, opinions, and support of this resolution.

Thank you and Blessings,

Victoria Mitchell and Kimberlee Tomczak

http://yayaempower.blogspot.com/

Victoria Mitchell

vict.mitchell@gmail.com

(314) 620-8474

CMWD Youth

Eliot Unitarian Chapel of St. Louis, MO

Youth Council Representative on DYSC

Kimberlee Tomczak

ktomczak@uua.org

(608) 225-7463

CMWD Youth & Young Adult Coordinator

Adult Advisor YRUU Steering Committee

Youth and Young Adult Empowerment Resolution

WHEREAS youth and youth adults in the past have been visionaries for our denomination, youth and young adult leaders were a key component of bringing Unitarians and Universalists together in the merger of 1961 and the subsequent creation of the Unitarian Universalist Association; and

WHEREAS statement #12, “Support, Integrate, and Retain youth and young adults to keep our congregations vibrant and growing” in the Open Space Technology Process at General Assembly 2007 received the largest number of votes, 773 votes (representing 12.4 % of the votes cast); and

WHEREAS the future of our denomination benefits from the full participation of youth and young adults to enliven, grow and sustain our Unitarian Universalist movement, principles and ideals, including the use of the democratic process within our congregations and society at large; and

WHEREAS the Unitarian Universalist Association Bylaws state that our Association promotes "the full participation of persons in all of its and their activities and in the full range of human endeavor without regard to . . . age"; and

WHEREAS Youth and Young Adult empowerment is an attitudinal, structural and cultural process whereby young people gain the ability, authority and agency to make decisions and implement change in their own lives and the lives of other people to create intergenerational equity; and

WHEREAS if youth and young adult empowerment is to be a reachable goal in our Association, it is necessary for there to be support in providing unique opportunities at the congregational, district and continental level for youth and young adult self-direction and for youth and young adults to be active, full members of our denomination; and

WHEREAS youth and young adult involvement at the district and continental level create synergy for a larger youth and young adult identity and promote communication and connections between local youth and young adults across the continent; and

WHEREAS the current members of the 2008 DRUUMM YAYA Steering Committee, YRUU Steering Committee, C*UUYAN Steering Committee supports making changes toward the goal of congregationally focused youth and young adult ministry and multi-generational congregations; (Pending these Steering Committees Official Approval)

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT Unitarian Universalists call for a commitment to support youth and young adult empowerment through the activities and attitudes of all levels of the Unitarian Universalist Association, including congregations, districts and continental institutions; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the 2008 ____________ District Assembly / General Assembly of the Unitarian Universalist Association urges all Unitarian Universalist congregations to:

1. Annually assess how youth and young adults are or are not supported in worship and congregational settings; and

2. Provide ministerial support to youth and young adults through intentional guidance, presence, devotion and time; and

3. Invest financial support in youth and young adult initiatives when viable; and

4. Provide support for youth and young adult staff and volunteers to receive suitable training and resources; and

5. Attend to the needs of youth and young adult constituents with marginalized identities by providing resources and opportunities within the congregation and at the district and continental levels; and

6. Support youth and young adult self-directed anti-racism and anti-oppression trainings.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the 2008 ____________ District Assembly / General Assembly of the Unitarian Universalist Association urges all Unitarian Universalist districts to:

1. Allot specific staff support for youth and young adult constituents and their congregations; and

2. Allow for an authentic youth and young adult voice by having youth and young adult district leadership bodies; and

3. Invest financial support in youth and young adult district leadership bodies; and

4. Provide and promote youth and young adult conferences and leadership development events on the district level; and

5. Attend to the needs of youth and young adult constituents with marginalized identities and their congregations by providing resources and opportunities within the district and continental level; and

6. Support youth and young adult self-directed anti-racism and anti-oppression trainings; and

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED that the 2008 ____________ District Assembly / General Assembly of the Unitarian Universalist Association urges all Unitarian Universalist continental institutions to:

1. Invest financial support in youth and young adult programs, initiatives and staff; and

2. Provide accessible resources for youth and young adult constituents at the district and congregational level; and

3. Provide accessible resources for youth and young adult constituents, especially marginalized identities, who are currently not supported at the district and congregational level; and

4. Provide and promote youth and young adult conferences and leadership development events on the continental level; and

5. Allow for an authentic youth and young adult voice by having youth and young adult continental leadership bodies; and

6. Support youth and young adult self-directed anti-racism and anti-oppression trainings.

Written by Victoria Mitchell and Kimberlee Tomczak.