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The Moderator: The UU Women's
Federation is an organization

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that advances justice for women.

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The UUWF is an independent
nonprofit 501(c)(3)

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corporation, and one of our
associate member organizations

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of the Unitarian
Universalist Association.

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The UUWF was formed in
1963 through consolidation

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of the Association of
Universalist Women, which

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was founded in
1869-- and believed

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to be the first organization of
lay church women in the United

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States-- and the alliance
of Unitarian Women founded

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in 1890.

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Please welcome Kirstie
Lewis, President

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of the UU Women's Federation.

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Kirstie Lewis: Hello.

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I begin my first
General Assembly report

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as President of the
UUWF, Women's Federation,

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by reminding you again
of our mission, which

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is advancing justice for
women, and for girls,

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and supporting their
spiritual growth.

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So, you might ask, how do
we implement that mission?

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Certainly through our
three funding programs,

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but education and
advocacy also comprise

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a major portion of
the UUWF's work.

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In 2002, for example, we
founded the UUWF Clara Barton

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Internship for Women's Issues
in the UUA's Washington Center.

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Jessica Halperin-- who was
the intern when the General

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Assembly adopted the 2012 to
2016 Reproductive Justice Study

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Action Issue-- helped call
UUs to action on this issue,

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by both assembling the
congregational resource packet,

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and writing a
fantastic curriculum

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on reproductive justice.

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We are proud of Jessica's work.

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Hanna Christianson is
our current intern.

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She continues the work
of providing resources

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and opportunities for
congregations and their leaders

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to advocate for justice and
issues specific to women.

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This aspect of our work assumed
an exciting new dimension

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last fall with the appointment
of Reverend Marti Keller

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as our affiliated minister.

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We see her ministry as parallel
to the UUA's Congregations

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and Beyond initiative, which
refocuses the UUA as both

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an association of
congregations, and the epicenter

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of a liberal religious movement.

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While our affiliated
ministry benefits

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our traditional members
in congregations,

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it extends beyond
the congregations

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to embrace many other
women who identify as UUs

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and see themselves as
participating in the UU

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movement, but may not
belong to a congregation.

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The legislative part of
Reverend Keller's ministry

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addresses UUWF's key
public policy priorities.

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She works with the UUA and
other partner organizations

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in public witness and
grassroots organizing

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around reproductive
justice, immigration reform,

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economic justice, domestic
violence, and sex trafficking,

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as these issues impact
women and girls.

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Her weekly blog on our
website keeps us up

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to date on those issues.

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And Reverend Keller also
provides valuable advice

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to our leadership on
advocacy initiatives.

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I highly recommend
Marti's blogs.

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This includes recommendations
to sign onto Amicus briefs--

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statements either in
support or in opposition

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to legislation-- and letters to
Congressional Representatives.

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Another goal of Reverend
Keller's ministry references

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doctor Cynthia Grant
Tucker's groundbreaking book,

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Prophetic Sisterhood, the story
of the mid 19th century female

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Unitarian ministers who became
the voice of liberal religion

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in the Midwest.

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Reverend Keller seeks to create
a new prophetic sisterhood

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among ordained and fellowship
UU women ministers,

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whom she envisions as supporting
her ministry's other goals,

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and participating in a new
demographic study of women

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in UU ministry today.

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Reverend Keller's proactive
professional connections

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with UU seminaries and
theological schools,

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as well as with organizations
such as UUMA, LREDA and DRUUMM,

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and with her UUA
staff colleagues,

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will also deep in the work of
the Federation's three funding

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programs.

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So what are those, what
are these three programs?

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Well, our Equity and
Justice Grants Program

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awards funds to UU
congregations and organizations

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to support justice projects
that improve the lives of women

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and girls, and address the root
causes of gender oppression.

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At this GA, in fact,
just a couple of hours

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ago, we're proud to
highlight the Amigas de Amado

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Project, a project that received
our Equity and Justice Grant

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in 2012.

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Women from the UU congregation
of Green Valley, Arizona,

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have been using their
$5,000 grant for activities

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that help empower
marginalized Hispanic women

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and girls in their
congregation's home

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community of Amado.

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Their work there has included
hosting craft and art workshops

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as a venue in which self-esteem
issues were addressed,

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assisting at local
youth centers,

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after school homework sessions
critical to young girls who

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may not have English
speaking parents

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or guardians in their
homes, and teaching English

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as a second language
in both formal classes

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and as part of their activities.

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I'm going to correct
myself, they're

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teaching English as another
language, not necessarily

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as a second language.

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Especially rewarding has
been the relationship

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the UU women have established
with the local Hispanic church

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in the area, where
they are helping

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the congregation renovate
a camp for their children.

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So our second funding program
is called the Margaret Fuller

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Grants Program.

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It supports UU women doing
scholarly and accessible work

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in UU religious feminisms.

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Here in Providence, we featured
Reverend Susanne Nazian's

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funded project, a book about
the Women's Congress, an event

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which was held in conjunction
with the 1893 Chicago World's

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Fair.

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A significant number of
Unitarian and Universalist

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women helped plan and
participated in the Congress,

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and Reverend Nazian's
book will partially

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focus on the concepts and
ideas these women put forward,

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and how their contributions
reflect a feminist theology

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from a UU perspective in 1893.

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Our third finding program is
named for the late Reverend

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Marjorie Bowens-Wheatley.

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And it gives scholarships
for general support

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to individuals who identify
as women of color, Latina,

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or Hispanic, and who
are either aspirants

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or candidates for
the UU ministry,

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or are enrolled in the
UUA's religious education,

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or music leadership
credentialing programs.

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Since creating this
program in 2009,

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we had given scholarships
to a dozen women.

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And this year's
recipient, Ranwa Hammamy,

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is a candidate for the Ministry
at Union Theological Seminary.

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In closing, none of what I've
spoken to you about today

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would even be possible
without the financial support

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of our members, and the generous
amounts of time and energy

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our volunteers contribute, and
our long history since starting

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in 1869, but 1963
as a combined group.

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If you aren't a
member of the UUWF,

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there's still time
for you to join

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by visiting our booth
in the display area.

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Or, if you miss our booth,
visit our website and click

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on Donate and Join
buttons, and we'll

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be happy to get
in touch with you.

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Thank you again,
go to www.uuwf.org.

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Thank you.

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