Call to (Ethical) Action: Support Peaceful Solutions to the Ukraine Crisis

[Carolyn Parker]

American Ethical Union

Call to Ethical Action

February 28, 2022

Support Peaceful Solutions to the Ukraine Crisis

The Call:  The American Ethical Union calls its members and local Ethical Societies to support peaceful solutions to the Ukraine crisis.

Background:  The AEU has issued a Statement condemning the Russian invasion of Ukraine, an illegal act of aggression against a sovereign democratic nation.  The Statement expresses our additional concern for those who are vulnerable to repression and violence from Russia, including humanists and other freethinkers as well as journalists reporting on the crisis.  The Statement calls for compassionate relief for refugees seeking asylum in the US and elsewhere.

Actions Needed:

• Help amplify the AEU Statement.

• Announce/publicize the Statement in your local Ethical Society through your internal communications media.  The Statement has been emailed to all AEU members; it is important that members be reminded to open that email and read it.  Repetition of our Ethical concerns will help to build a concerted response from our members.

• Help amplify the Statement in social media with Likes, Comments, and, most importantly, Shares.  Your engagement will help increase the likelihood that others in our existing network will see and read the Statement.  Shares expand our reach to your network. 

• On Facebook

• On Instagram

• Note the social media links at the bottom of the Statement, ready for more Sharing, if you prefer other platforms.

• Help amplify the AEU Statement in your local news media with a Letter to the Editor.  (Send a copy of your letter to ethicalac...@aeu.org.)

• Help amplify the AEU Statement in your local community by sending a copy to local and regional organizations that share our concern for democracy and human rights.  Don’t forget to include interfaith coalitions and organizations in your outreach.

• Support peaceful solutions to the Ukraine crisis.

• Write your elected representatives to urge them to support diplomatic initiatives that support peace, human rights, and democracy.

• Tell us what your Ethical Culture Society is doing to promote a culture of peace and/or support peaceful solutions to the Ukraine crisis here.  Any ethical action, platform, adult or children’s education program shared here may inspire others to develop their own similar activities.

Timeline:  Now.

Tips:

• Speak “on behalf of <your Society” with permission.

• Identify yourself as an Ethical and as a member of the AEU, but clarify that you are speaking on your “own behalf” when you do not have permission to speak as a representative of your Society.

• Organize an event to write letters and brainstorm ways to help Ukraine (via Zoom, in person, or hybrid–whatever works for your Society).  Working together helps inspire and support each other and can result in more and better ideas for what to do and how to do it.

--

She/Her - Deed Before Creed - AEU Ethical Action

[James Croft]

Carolyn, can you tell us what “peaceful” and “diplomatic” solutions the AEU thinks we should be advocating for? What would such a solution look like, concretely? 

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---

From: Carolyn Parker <cpa...@aeu.org>
Sent: Monday, February 28, 2022 8:09:41 AM
To: Ethical Action Chairs (new) <Ethical.A...@aeu.org>
Subject: [ethical.action.list] Call to (Ethical) Action: Support Peaceful Solutions to the Ukraine Crisis

 

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[Vandra Thorburn]

Hi Carolyn - many thanks for this Call to Action .. while it might take a minute or two to organize letters to editors - and I don't actually have a bit social media operation, I thought to share this petition from AVAAZ.org where people can add names to international petition..

https://secure.avaaz.org/campaign/en/stop_the_war_loc/?slideshow

==================

Vandra Thorburn - member since 2005

Brooklyn Society for Ethical Culture

Uniting Free Thinkers Since 1907

53 Prospect Park West

Brooklyn, NY 11215

Tel: 718 623 1911

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[Jone Lewis]

I also notice that a lot of Ukrainian social accounts have moved to emphasizing "stop the war."

Jone Johnson Lewis   she/her/hers

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[Carolyn Parker]

Thanks for this, Vandra.  You can watch the numbers grow!  It's amazing.

Those letters to the editors may take some work.  A sample letter or two might help us.  If anyone wants to share one to the list, I'm pretty sure we can award a certificate of achievement (maybe).

Best,

c

--She/Her--Deed before creed.--AEU Ethical Action.

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[James Croft]

Thanks all for these responses. The reason I am pushing on this is because we can’t take concrete action unless we have a theory of change. So it seems like our theory of change might revolve around pressuring our electeds to support sanctions against the Russian Federation. I am not sure this will be sufficient, especially since wide-ranging sanctions were already imposed some days ago – so I’m not sure what the value of this is as an organizing goal. It seems clear that Russia was aware that sanctions would be imposed if they invaded Ukraine, and they have factored this into their calculations already. So, given that sanctions have already been imposed by the USA, and given that they are unlikely to end the invasion, it strikes me our efforts should be placed elsewhere.

 

What might we do, which is consistent with “creating the conditions for peace”? Well, first I think we have to be cleat that Russia has breached the peace already. There is now war in Europe, and Russia declared it. So we need to create the conditions for a return to peace. What might do that? I don’t think sanctions. Honestly, these are the things which I think might force Russia to call off the invasion:

 

1. Successful resistance on the part of the Ukrainian people, military or otherwise.
2. The military intervention of other states, including the providing of substantial military support such as anti-air and anti-armor equipment, ammunition, and other necessary supplies to fight the war.
3. Broader economic intervention, such as a ban on engaging with significant sectors of the Russian economy, a ban on flights from Russia entering the US, a refusal to buy Russian energy etc.

 

It seems to me that we could call for all these things under the heading of “creating the conditions for peace.” My personal feeling is that we have to help the Ukrainians defend their homeland, or Putin will not stop. This doesn’t mean sending US troops there, but it definitely means sending arms and armor. Is that something we can get behind?

 

Best,

 

James

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[Emil Volcheck]

Carolyn,

Ethicals can also contribute to humanitarian relief in Ukraine. One group I heard mentioned on CNN is United Help Ukraine:

    https://unitedhelpukraine.org/

I don't know much about them.  They do have a passing grade on Charity Navigator (85/100), so Kathleen & I sent them a donation:

    https://www.charitynavigator.org/ein/471837509

Foundation Beyond Belief doesn't have anything about Ukraine posted yet, but maybe we could ask Tif Ho if they have any plans in the works.

Thanks,

--Emil

On Mon, Feb 28, 2022 at 9:09 AM Carolyn Parker <cpa...@aeu.org> wrote:

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--

Emil Volcheck
volc...@acm.org
http://EmilVolcheck.com/

[Liz Mulhall Collier]

I like James's ideas for "creating the conditions for peace." If we follow his suggestions, should the AEU Ethical Action Committee develop a campaign for one of James's three ideas and develop ways members and Societies can promote the campaign? For example, if it's #3 - broader economic intervention, whom could we pressure to ban flights from Russia, refuse to buy Russian energy, etc? Can the EAC identify those pressure points and share how members can raise their voice to apply that pressure? In addition, could the EAC write a letter template as Carolyn originally suggested, about promoting a culture of peace and that we suggest economic intervention (James's #3 above)? 

Sorry, I do not mean at all to hijack the EAC's original plan, but to help zero in on specifics, as James suggests. If this isn't helpful, or is too much for the EAC, I completely understand.

Liz Collier

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[Jone Lewis]

James, I think this is for a movement-wide conversation, perhaps framed around a proposed resolution.  What you're asking is well beyond what past democratic process has developed for us to work with.

Jone Johnson Lewis   she/her/hers

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[Hugh Taft-Morales]

Given the complexity of the situation and a lack of clear consensus within Ethical Culture, I lean towards keeping our comments general and humanitarian. I'm not comfortable wading into advocating for military options. 

Hugh

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--

Hugh Taft-Morales

Ethical Humanist Leader in Baltimore and Philadelphia

American Ethical Union

preferred pronouns: he, him, his

301-580-1481

[James Croft]

That’s fair. I am just responding to the call to action from the AEU by asking “What precisely are you calling us to do?” I am trying to take this as seriously as a new war in Europe deserves: I think we should do something about it, but I think we should be crystal clear about what we are asking people to do, rather than vague. It strikes me that we run the risk of basically asking for “hopes and prayers” here – and if that is the case, what is the point of doing anything?

 

Oh, one more thing comes to mind in response to your email, Carolyn, which I forgot to say: I spent the last few days educating myself on the current situation in Ukraine, including listening to a number of Ukrainian activists regarding how we should frame what is happening there. The activists I have been listening to are practically begging allies in the west not to use the term “separatist” to describe what has been happening in the Eastern regions of their country.

 

The ”movements” which are described by the western media as “separatists” are not, I am learning, in any real sense genuine, organic expressions of a desire by some people in parts of Ukraine to be independent – at least not for many years now. While they may have begun as genuine protests by Ukrainians against decisions of their government, they are now Russian puppet “movements” led and staffed almost entirely by Russian operatives. For instance, one of the leaders of these “separatist” movements is a former Russian spy; another was a serving Russian military officer.

 

While there were some genuine native expressions of discontent at the very start of what has now become a war in the eastern parts of Ukraine, these were very swiftly (within a month) subsumed by a coordinated Russian effort to move in and take over these areas, and there is no evidence that there has ever been a mass movement for separatism in these areas. Under the pretense of “supporting” these “separatist movements”, Russia has established statelets which routinely engage in torture and the use of concentration camps to police their totally disempowered citizenry. These states are not led primarily or even in large part by “pro-Russian Ukrainians”, but by actual Russian citizens, either employed by the Russian state or drawn there to volunteer.

 

What has happened then is that Russia, in order to give pre-emptive “justification” for a war, fomented a fake “separatist” movement which they both funded with Russian money and staffed with Russian citizens. If you imagine Canada sending a bunch of Canadians into Montana with a ton of Canadian money to set up a “Montanan Separatist Movement” advocating the secession from Montana from the USA, performing acts of terrorism and killing thousands of people, establishing “autonomous regions” in Montana run under brutal conditions, then using the refusal of the US government to recognize the “separatists” as an excuse to invade the USA – that is what has been happening in Ukraine.

 

I think we need to make sure our language reflects the reality.

 

Best,

 

James

[Monica Weiss]

I share this piece by McKibben because it contextualizes this war and the others we have fought over oil as a narrative that should be considered. Of course any megalomaniacal lunatic could always threaten the world with nuclear weapons but this is one less excuse to fight one another. Energy independence means clean, renewable sourcing. The water wars will be next. 😢  Monica

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/feb/25/this-is-how-we-defeat-putin-and-other-petrostate-autocrats?utm_source=Energy+News+Network+daily+email+digests&utm_campaign=fda48651d9-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2020_05_11_11_46_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_724b1f01f5-fda48651d9-89332604

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[Carolyn Parker]

Excellent discussion, friends.  I am grateful that we are discussing both how and why we should act.  I am not disregarding anyone's earlier reply (and will respond further in due course), but I want to highlight Monica's link to the Guardian article by Bill McKibben.  The Ethical Action Committee just met this afternoon and discussed a number of issues related to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.  One issue that concerns us is the push by a number of fossil fuel producers, refiners, and supporters to increase oil and gas production in the US because the Ukraine crisis is a "security threat" and we must counter it with more fossil fuel.  The Committee felt that a better--more peaceful and Ethical--response at this point would be to advocate for continued efforts to free ourselves from dependence on fossil fuels and increase development of renewable energy sources.  

Messaging would be on the order of "protecting America," "making America stronger," "making the US energy independent" so that Russia and other bad actors could not damage our economy or our national security.  (Reverse the language of the fossil fuel industry.)  This messaging needs to be directed at elected officials at all levels, since the promotion of increased oil and gas production seems to be coming from all levels.  This messaging also needs to be directed to news outlets, particularly as a response to reports from fossil fuel interests.  And this messaging needs to be promoted on social media.  

• Share the McKibben article.
• Make some interesting graphics.
• Write those letters.

Think of yourselves as influencers in this, making an Ethical counter to the interests of greed and pollution to promote both peace and environmental responsibility.

If you use this messaging, share your work here.  I look forward to hearing more about how you use it and any responses that you get.

Peace and goodwill,

Carolyn A. Parker

Chair, AEU EAC

[Joe Chuman]

One action we can take that should not be controversial is to provide humanitarian assistance. I am including a link which summarizes organizations, including in Ukraine, providing such assistance.

 Putin is under great pressure, not only from the international community, but from inside Russia as well. I am trying to identify internal contacts through Columbia University and elsewhere whom we might be able to hook up with to provide support, and do so in such a way as to not provide ammunition to the government. In my view, those protesting the war inside Russia are extraordinarily courageous, ans their influence should not at all be discounted.

https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/ways-to-help-ukraine-conflict/

Joe

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-- 
JoeC...@gmail.com is my new email address

[James Croft]

If we want to meet to discuss what we might encourage Ethical Societies to do, how would we do that? This is my continent – London is closer to Kyiv than Wichita is to Boston. This means something to me. I want us to take a stand. How can we come together to discuss what we might mobilize our people to do?

[Carolyn Parker]

Dear Friends:

Here's another round of ideas for our continuing concern about the illegal invasion of Ukraine.  I'm going to amplify some that you have offered, add a couple from the Ethical Action Committee, and invite you to continue to offer your ideas.  Most of these are not formally endorsed by the AEU or the AEU EAC, but all have been proposed by AEU members.

Protest:  

• Code Pink is sponsoring a set of protests across the country on March 6.  Most of the scheduled rallies are located in New York, but there are others.  If there is not one already scheduled in your area, you can organize one.  
• Stand with Ukraine is listing a number of protests, mostly in Europe, on various dates.
• Sign the Avaaz petition.  (Thanks, Vandra.)
• Other non-violent peace protests?
• NOTE:  Wear your Ethical pins, buttons, tee shirts, insignia; carry signs that identify you with Ethical Culture; "The AEU supports peaceful solutions to the Ukraine crisis" or words to that effect.  😊

Donate: 

• United Help Ukraine - https://unitedhelpukraine.org/ - Gaithersburg, MD.   Send humanitarian aid to Ukraine, help Ukrainian refugees. (Thanks, Emil and Kathleen.)
  
• We are reaching out to Foundation Beyond Belief to see if they will be setting up Ukraine-related programs.  FYI and heads up:  FBB will be hosting Secular Week of Action this year (April 29 - May 8).  Consider planning ethical actions during that week to amplify their impact.
• Ukraine Red Cross and others listed by Global Citizen (thanks, Joe).
• Which Society is preparing aid packages to send to Ukraine?  Is it RYSEC?  Let us know what you are doing and how we can help?  (I'll check the transcript of today's meeting, but a message here would be faster.)

Conditions for Peace:  

• In the coming days, we may want to consider what factors have led to this war, what could be prolonging it, what can we do to de-escalate.  The answers may not be comfortable for all of us, and we may not all agree all the time.  However, where we can find common cause, we can all do our part.
• One area for consideration and work has been in the area of energy.  There is a major need for public education regarding the "wake up call" that Russia has now given us regarding our dependence on fossil fuels.  What can your Society do to address this issue for your congregation?  for your community?  Can you make a virtue of necessity and cut your fossil fuel consumption even more for the duration--and talk about it on social and other media to explain the purpose of your action?  
• Prepare for refugees.   Talk to the media and your community about the importance of welcoming refugees (from wherever!).
• Are we paying for this war with our consumer purchases?  The question raised today is whether products purchased from China will contribute to funding for Russia?
• Be careful in "othering" Putin that we do not "other" people of Russian descent.  The US has a poor reputation in this regard, so we may be called upon to explain human dignity and respect to those who forget.

There is surely more.  I need to stop and rest my wrists a bit, but I have not forgotten that James has made a very valid point about getting better information regarding events on the ground or that Joe Chuman has provided us with a list of helpful news sources via Global Citizen.  Please continue to share as you have time.  

Peace and goodwill, 

Carolyn

[Iris Woodard]

Here are some other ways to offer monetary support.  I personally advocate for World Central Kitchen.  The  first thing fleeing people need is food.

To donate in support of Ukraine:

 

Ukrainian Congressional Committee of America 

One of the oldest Ukrainian-American organizations in the U.S. providing humanitarian aid

United Help for Ukraine 

Provides humanitarian relief and medical aid

Ukraine's National Bank 

Direct financial support to Ukraine’s military

Razom for Ukraine Razom for Ukraine

 

A NYC-based non-profit provides medical aid and other forms of support

WORLD CENTRAL KITCHEN

www.donate.wck.org

                                                          Now on the ground in Poland and Romania beginning to serve hot, nourishing  

                                                      meals to the tens of thousands of refugees that are streaming across the Ukraine border each day.

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/a/aeu.org/d/msgid/Ethical.Action.List/CAAN5inxhN%2Bc942AWySbhTVOuud786g2nr7sWJkUpfvLNg4AsEw%40mail.gmail.com.

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Iris Woodard, Springfield, Va

[Anne Wallman]

Many thanks to all for the valuable resources to offer practical help to the people of Ukraine.  I will share all of these wonderful ideas with the Bergen Society members.  I find action to be so much more satisfying and useful than letter writing!

Anne

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/a/aeu.org/d/msgid/Ethical.Action.List/CAEQNxJwXBgp1gdBJnxXhCntREMfmpSQuFEcNsLyFEeUuKJ5F9A%40mail.gmail.com.

--

Anne

Anne Wallman
Career Selections, Inc.

www.careerselections.com
Fax: 201-632-4818
Cell: 917-301-7363

[Carolyn Parker]

Thanks for the list, Iris.  Excellent resource!

Anne, you are not alone.  😊  We have many ways of doing ethical action, but some of us are more comfortable with one mode over others.  I tend to focus on systems for my own concern and action, others are more comfortable with direct services to those in need, and others can make donations of money or the personal and home goods that people often need in times of crisis.  I hope that we, each and all, can find ways to act in support of Ukraine and peace and also support each other in whatever we are able to do.

Best,

Carolyn

[Curt Collier]

Greetings all,

Appreciate all the efforts here at finding meaningful ways to assist the people of Ukraine.  I come from a military family and have heard more than my share of military "solutions."  My Dad worked for the DOD Department of Logistics, my oldest brother was a Lt. Commander in the Navy, and my other brother was a Major in the Marine Corps.  Military "strategy" was a frequent conversation in their homes, and I was never convinced.  I lived in Israel at the end of the Lebanese war and remember being shown my bomb shelter.  It was horribly claustrophobic and felt like a tomb.  I can only imagine what that feels like for Ukrainians hunkered down in what shelter they can with actual enemies right outside.  Think about the impact of that on young children.  A few years after the armistice in the former Yugoslavia I flew to Belgrade, Serbia (the only working airport at that time), rented a car and drove across the border into Sarajevo and Bosnia-Herzegovina.   Despite that time passage, it was still a bombed ruin of its former self, and the surrounding countryside eerily (and frighteningly) quiet.  The war still lingered even though the bombings had long since stopped.  War changes people, and not in a good way.

Back when Katrina slammed into the Gulf Coast, I organized with other Ethical Societies a cargo trailer (with Kate Lovelady) and we delivered school supplies to Mobile, Alabama where many local youth were relocated.  I raised funds again to support Black fishermen after another hurricane, and drove to Louisiana once again to ensure the hundreds of dollars in gift cards were delivered to their intended target.  I used my family military ID to get into Manhattan after the towers fell and joined the throng of ministers waiting for grieving families (who never came).  Two years ago when my gulf home was damaged again after a Hurricane, I finally gave up knowing that the rising tide I was observing right out my window would continue to get higher and higher.   And of course, I spent six years providing free Audiology services to the colonias (villages in Texas along the border for immigrants, often with no running water or sewage system).  Like you, I've done what I could to help others, raise funds, provide shelter in my home, and so on, and these things must continue.  

The biocentrist in me, however, knows how so much of these problems are fueled by fights over dwindling energy and resources, and their related impact on climate change which are leading to declining access to clean water and arable land and population displacement.  While I've already offered my support for Ukraine I don't believe that's enough.  Congregations must address the root of all of these problems, especially when thugs continue to fight over fossil fuels and dirty energy and have proven again, and again, and again that they are willing to harm innocent  civilians along that path.  Russia is a major supplier of US energy, along with a host of other nations with a history of atrocities.  Fights over fuel and resources have also led this nation to abandon its own moral standing and support brutal dictatorships.  

I am calling for Ethical Societies to join efforts to move our congregations towards Ethical Biocentrism.  I believe each congregation should be actively engaged in pursuing innovative technologies that reduce our dependence on fossil fuels, teaching intensive urban agriculture techniques, and developing a corps-styled program to engage large numbers of youth in community habitat restoration, energy proofing homes, and learning leadership in these areas.   I will again ask that we have a forum on Ethical Biocentrism and how American congregations need to tackle these issues head on.  The money is there to do this, and letter writing campaigns and hand wringing isn't enough.  This is a call for a new kind of ethical action.  Is there interest in that?

Curt Collier

Leader

Ethical Culture Society of Bergen County

On Mon, Feb 28, 2022 at 9:09 AM Carolyn Parker <cpa...@aeu.org> wrote:

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[Hugh Taft-Morales]

I’m interested. A bit overwhelmed, but interested.

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[Carolyn Parker]

Dear Friends:

I want to follow up on James Croft's call for concrete action and Curt Collier's reminder about the fights over fuel and resources.  Both are pointing us in a good direction toward more effective results.  Before I return to the call for letters and other forms of "using our voice" (and other actions), I will note for Curt's benefit that the Ethical Action Committee did agree yesterday to set up a Salon on Biocentrism.  We should talk soon and make this happen.  Sticking with fossil fuels for a moment:

Congregations must address the root of all of these problems, especially when thugs continue to fight over fossil fuels and dirty energy and have proven again, and again, and again that they are willing to harm innocent  civilians along that path.  Russia is a major supplier of US energy, along with a host of other nations with a history of atrocities.  Fights over fuel and resources have also led this nation to abandon its own moral standing and support brutal dictatorships.  

• Yea, verily.
• Our Ethical message, I believe, would be that now is the time to wake up to the fact that energy independence is necessary for our national security and that we have an abundance of energy available from wind, sun, and water within our own borders; failure to develop renewable energy sources would be very much like cutting off our nose to spite our face as we drill for more oil and gas and turn our nation into a wasteland with unbreathable air.  (Or words to that effect.)
• Please add to this message with your own thoughts regarding useful talking points, whether facts and figures or images/memes/emotional arguments (emotion in the name of peacebuilding!) to help make an effective case against expansion of drilling and transport of fossil fuels in the US.  (Crowdsourcing FTW!)
• Please spread this message through your own networks, social media, community groups, etc.  In particular, write letters to the editor pushing back against any argument that we need to expand our dependence on or production of fossil fuels.  Quote Curt Collier.  It is important to counter any statement that we need more, not less, oil so that we can strengthen our push for peace.
• Walking the walk:  You may want to consider reducing your own energy use and encourage others to do the same--in the name of peace.  
• Texas bashing:  Texas is wasting natural gas with leaky wells and pipes.  Rather than drilling for more, maybe they should maintain their infrastructure instead of supporting war.  Or something like that.  Feel free.
• Crowdsourcing again:  We need information about what bills are active in Congress either promoting more fossil fuel production or more support for renewables.  I am tad stretched, so any help would be appreciated.
• Aside from talk there is real action to be had in working with Third Act.  We will be having more conversations about this group and their work later on, but you might take a look at their program "Banking on the Future."  This is an effort to pressure specific banks to eliminate their support for fossil fuels by the end of 2022.
• Try not to get hung up on the fact that the organization is targeting Americans over 60.  It's a strategy.
• Don't worry if you don't have any money in those banks.  You can apparently pledge never to put any money there.  😁
• If you have some money in one of those banks, this is where the rubber meets the road.  When Mama died, I took her money out of Bank of America, but I never moved an account my late husband set up with Chase after he died.  I hate the paperwork, but it's time.  I'm signing the pledge.
• The importance of doing this as part of a group is that it increases our leverage.  I don't have all that much money in Chase, but, combined with others, we can make things pinch.

What else can we do specifically in terms of cutting off fossil fuels as fuel for this war?

What else can we do in our Societies to help Ukraine?  End the war?  Support each other?  (See what I did there?)  🤗

 Peace and goodwill,

Carolyn

--She/Her--Deed before creed.--AEU Ethical Action.

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[Anne Wallman]

Hi Carolyn -I hope you don't mind if I address one of your requests:  "We need information about what bills are active in Congress either promoting more fossil fuel production or more support for renewables.  I am tad stretched, so any help would be appreciated."

Many organizations have someone assigned to do Legislative Liaison work.  Larger organizations pay someone to do this, however, I believe it may be a position that an intern who is studying political science or public policy may be interested in taking on.  It would seem to me that the AEU could supervise an intern who works remotely and provides a monthly report about such bills.  Being a "tad stretched" sums up how most of us feel even at the local level, so this could provide a useful resource that would help all societies.  If you think the AEU might be amenable to this, I can provide some assistance in terms of posting the internship on "Handshake" the online job portal that many colleges and universities use.  I know in the past, some funds have been available in the form of a "fellowship".  If the AEU would like to ensure that an intern is compensated in some way, this may be the way to do it.  

Just a thought.

Anne

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/a/aeu.org/d/msgid/Ethical.Action.List/CABgNPTN7_-oDOyu5ijFNsWiOLoZxC9xehTEpAXCuiKxvi7Eu3Q%40mail.gmail.com.

[Monica Weiss]

Thrilled to be having this conversation.   Anything that can help us move forward in a larger community of not just humans, but all living things, is a huge step in the right direction.  Count me in. 👍🌎 Monica 

Sent from my iPad

On Mar 1, 2022, at 12:40 PM, Carolyn Parker <capa...@gmail.com> wrote:



To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/a/aeu.org/d/msgid/Ethical.Action.List/CABgNPTN7_-oDOyu5ijFNsWiOLoZxC9xehTEpAXCuiKxvi7Eu3Q%40mail.gmail.com.

[Carolyn Parker]

Excellent point, Anne.  This needs some careful thought on several levels.  It actually has occurred to me that we need staffing for some levels of advocacy and policy work.  An intern might be a good place to start.  In the meantime, I'm hoping that some of our policy wonks have a few spare brain cells to check on what, if anything, we should be tracking.

And this just in:  Foundation Beyond Belief is preparing a Statement about Ukraine and will share it with us soon.  They are not developing separate aid programs on their own, but are recommending two for now:

• Razom for Ukraine has one of the most active Ukrainian-American volunteer networks and has historically worked in Ukraine on causes such as medical access and education. The Emergency Response project is currently focusing on providing much-needed medical supplies. With their large network, they’ve been able to quickly build a procurement team that purchases life-saving supplies across the US and Europe. Additionally, their years of work with volunteers and organizations in Ukraine has helped them to build a logistics team that’s able to transport our supplies from Warsaw, Poland to Ukraine.
• OutRight Action International is an advocacy and education group that is currently supporting LGBTQIA Ukrainians who are in need of safety and shelter during the fighting.

There is an additional grassroots organization developing in EU that FBB is in contact with, but it does not have a website yet.  

More info as we get it.

c

[Monica Weiss]

The rights of nature movement has been gaining momentum globally and nationally and is something to consider in this context. We are very focused on human rights, civil rights, voting rights, all things human but without nature having inherent rights to exist, we don't stand a chance.  I'm also reading Braiding Sweetgrass. Robin Wall Kimmerer is an indigenous writer, botanist and teacher. She writes beautifully about how her connection to the natural world growing up informs her understanding of science. She also is on the advisory committee for Third Act. 

https://www.rsn.org/001/do-salmon-have-rights.html?print=1

Best,  Monica