News About the September 21st, People’s Climate March from Rev. Peggy Clarke, Racial and Social Justice Consultant, UU Metro NY District

The massive Climate March is happening in 10 days! I hope to see many of you there. Here are some things to know including the details many of you have been craving:

This Climate March is the international community’s way of making our voices heard as the world’s leaders gather at the United Nations for a historic climate summit. Kyoto will expire in 2015; in light of the recent UN report on climate change, this summit has been called to increase efforts to curtail the damage being done to our planet and the effects it’s having on the poorest nations.

Whether you’ve been planning all summer to shut down your church Sunday morning and join the March as a full congregation, or are just starting to think about heading to the city yourself after services, you are going to need the details. Some of you have registered and have all this information already. If you register, you’re sure to get updates as they come along. (http://www.meetup.com/UU-Justice-Web-Metro-NY/)

Unitarian Universalists are part of the Faith Contingent which is made up of every religious group you could name. (Really, it’s wildly impressive.)We are gathering on 58^th between 8^th and 9^th. There will be a sign on that block so we can find each other easily. We should all be wearing our Standing on the Side of Love t-shirts if we have them.

At 8:00, the streets will be blocked and ready for us to begin to convene.

At 10:30, the internationally acclaimed cellist Michael Fitzpatrick will play for us.

At 11:00, there will be a multi-faith prayer service in which Rev. Peter Morales is likely to have a role. (That’s right- 10,000 people representing dozens of faith traditions praying together.) After the service is over, each group will engage their own practice. For instance, the Quakers and Buddhists have requested to be near each other to support their desire for a time for silence. The Muslims will have midday prayer and the Jewish contingent will blow their shofars before we step out and into the March.

Around 1:00, we will begin to march. The route ends on 11^th and 42^nd. For those for whom this is too far to walk we have set up a mid-point to join us. There will be some collective action and tables and information at the end of the march.

If you have questions, information can be found on the UU Justice Web Meet-Up and the UU Climate March Facebook page or you can contact Rev. Peggy Clarke, Racial and Social Justice Consultant for our District (pclarke@uuma.org) as the primary organizer of UU participation.

This March has gotten the attention of world leaders. This summit will be seen by history as the moment we turned things around or the moment we missed our chance to make a difference. Let’s do everything we can to be seen and heard. We’re praying with our feet on Sunday, the 21^st. Join us.

Rev. Peggy Clarke

Minister,First Unitarian Society, Hastings on Hudson, NY