Dear First Principle Project Sponsoring
Congregations and Interested Individuals,
The First Principle Project has now been in
existence five years, starting after the 2013 General Assembly. Since that time
we have reached with our programs and leadership every single UU congregation.
Our goal of supporting life on this planet through encouraging conversations
about how we respond to a multispecies existence has been partially achieved.
There is still much work to be done.
As the facilitator of this project I am asking you
what you need from this network of congregations and from the social capital
that has been produced. I am unsure of
next steps, as it is up to you and your guidance about what we all do together.
If you are willing, please respond to this email and
discuss with one another what we might do.
In the meantime,
here are some updates that might inform the discussion:
1. The UUA Board will not be forming a Study
Commission on how we might change our principles to reflect the issues that the
First Principle Project (FPP) raised, which also includes the 8th Principle
Project which we supported during the 2017 General Assembly. Instead the Board
will be guiding a conversation with Unitarian Universalists over the next year
to see how "who we are" and "where we want to go" might be
better reflected in our principles. Your congregation engaging in this process
will continue the goals of the FPP.
2. Our efforts to support a Congregational Study
Action Issue (CSAI) on multispecies aspects resulted in two congregations adapting
the original template to one single one that was more oriented towards
intersectionality with a multispecies emphasis. One congregation went forward
with this CSAI to General Assembly. The delegates voted instead for another
CSAI that concerned white supremacy and intersectionality. Your congregation
engaging in this CSAI will continue the goals of the FPP.
3. The UU Animal Ministry continues its good work
and would be a place to engage with others your continued multispecies
ministries. Please visit them at www.uuam.org to see their resources and how
you might get involved.
It may be that the FPP will not continue as it has
been. If that is the case, I thank you for the honor and privilege of serving.
Yours in the hope for all beings,
Rev. LoraKim Joyner, DVM
