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Border Witness for Clergy and Seminarians
UU College of Social Justice and Standing on the Side of Love
November 2-7, 2015
March 20-26, 2016
We prayed at the border wall, a towering steel structure surrounded by stadium lights, mounted cameras, and armed guards. We saw first hand the degree to which an issue of civil law has been thoroughly militarized: our borders are like a war zone.
-Rev. Kathleen McTigue, UUCSJ
Program Information
Join fellow clergy and seminary students as we bear witness to the human rights abuses, activism and resistance on the US Mexico border. We will learn about the complex forces – both economic and violence-driven — that push men, women, and children into a perilous and uncertain migration. We’ll meet with volunteers working to stop the deaths along the border; bear witness to the challenges confronting migrants; and reflect together on how our faith calls us to respond.
Together, we will walk the migrant trails through the desert, along which hundreds of migrants perish each year. We will witness fast-track deportation hearings in Arizona, and cross into Mexico to meet with those who have been deported. We will learn from migrants and allies on both sides of the border who are mobilizing to change immigration policies and to affirm the dignity, worth and safety of all. Our days will be framed through worship and theological reflection.
We invite all UU clergy and seminarians wishing to advance immigration justice work in our denomination to join us.
For Questions about this journey, or to inquire about organizing a journey for your congregation, please email or call UUCSJ at info@uucsj.org or 617-301-4347.
Dates
No dates are currently scheduled. Check back for more information or email info@uucsj.org
Cost
Pricing does not include airfare. Scholarships available for those with financial need; please fill out the scholarship section of the application form.
Resources
UUCSJ’s Study Guide, a resource for cross-cultural engagement
Harvest of Empire (1:33 run time), directed by Peter Getzels and Eduardo Lopez
Undocumented: How Immigration Became Illegal, by Aviva Chomsky (available through the UUA bookstore). Read the latest from our own Beacon Press. This is a very readable book that focuses on the entire notion of declaring human beings to be “illegal,” shining a new light on the history and current reality of migration.
Reframing Global Economic Policies, from the collection of essays, Justice in a Global Economy, ed. Brubaker, Stivers and Peters. The entire book is worth reading (link below), but this essay is of particular importance in understanding the U.S. role in the economic structures that contribute to current immigration.
Additional Resources
Justice in a Global Economy, Pamela K. Brubaker et al.
Trails of Hope and Terror, by Miguel de la Torre
Immigration on the Border, a television episode on World Channel about issues on immigration from both sides of the fence.
Our Partner
This delegation will be hosted by BorderLinks, a binational, nonprofit educational organization at the U.S.-Mexico border. The organization focuses on cross-border relationship-building opportunities, immigration issues, community formation and development, and social justice in the borderlands between Mexico, the United States, and beyond. BorderLinks has extensive experience designing programs, and nearly 1,000 individuals participate annually in BorderLinks learning opportunities.
Program Leader
For more information on our program leader, click on the name to get a full bio!
Rev. Kathleen McTigue served as a minister for over 20 years before starting her role as the director at UUCSJ.
