Earth Justice Associates
What We Do
Green Our Church
The Earth Justice Associates (EJA) program provides ways to help protect and restore the earth and its natural resources. We share a special concern for the ways in which environmental degradation more severely affects communities of color. Our activities are educational, community-building, justice-oriented, and fun!
Work with Partners to Bring Environmental Justice to Oakland
- Ella Baker Center for Human Rights: EJAs brought Ella Baker Center leaders to participate in worship, which helped lead to a formal church partnership.
- City Slicker Farms and the People’s Victory Garden: EJAs participate in work parties and support local policies that facilitate Oakland’s urban agriculture.
- 350BayArea.org: EJAs have participated in several days of action, including standing up against the Keystone XL Pipeline and the fossil fuel industry.
- UU Legislative Ministry of California: We supported the successful campaign for the human right to water.
- UU Ministry for the Earth: EJAs facilitated the new, five-session “Our Place in the Web of Life” workshop.
- Oakland Climate Action Coalition (OCAC): UU Oakland was one of the coalition’s founding members and helped shape the City’s Energy and Climate Action Plan (ECAP). EJAs are now working to implement energy, food, transportation, and resiliency policies.
- Movement Generation Justice & Ecology Project: In a developing relationship, EJAs have invited speakers, attended workshops, and supported public events with this Oakland-based eco-justice group focused on and led by people of color.
Create Worship Services and Provide Education
EJAs help create yearly worship services focusing on Earth Justice themes. In addition, we offer educational workshops; for example, in March 2013, EJAs sponsored the groundbreaking “Our Place in the Web of Life” workshop focused on environmental racism here in Oakland. In 2012, we sponsored an innovative workshop called “Active Hope for a Sustainable Future” led by Joanna and Jack Macy.
Join Us !
Bring your concerns and interests to an Earth Justice meeting held the third Sunday of each month in the 3rd floor open area in front of the church office, about half an hour after the second service. You can also learn of the latest EJA opportunities by joining the EJA Yahoo listserv. Just send a request email to contratom@gmail.com or request joining the EJA-UUOakland group at yahoo.com. For additional information about EJA work, contact earthjustice@uuoakland.org.
