One of the best things about working in the Unitarian Universalist tradition is that UUs practice a tradition of covenants. We agree to treat each other in certain ways while we are together so that understanding is stripped of shame, healing is the stated goal and reach out to others supported by how we have vowed to be with each other.
I will speak more about our covenant in ritual space, and make changes for people who request them.
Our Beginning Covenant
This covenant is taken from Jefferson Unitarian Church’s Reflections on Race and Colorado UU for Racial Justice.
What we commit to as an individual:
-Choose curiosity over defensiveness. Be welcoming and inclusive
-Own and work on what is mine
-Offer and receive feedback as a gift.
-Monitor my needs and practice self-care/caring for OURSELVES and
allowing others to care for themselves
-Express my authentic views even if they differ from the group
-Let all voices be heard – take space / make space
-Choose authenticity over discomfort.
What we commit to as a group:
-Return to right relations with one another, understanding that failure to do
so will compromise our ability to continue racial justice work
-Be honest about our history and clear about our context.
-Understand the impact over the intention. Remember that intent and impact are not the same thing
-Honor individual privacy and collective learning: share others’ stories only
with explicit consent
-Listen to one another with open minds and open hearts & give and accept
feedback in the same way
-Hold one another as we center OTHERS in our social justice work and
learn how to de-center ourselves
-Honor different cultures, styles, paces, and needs
-Welcome all of our unenlightened selves. Mistakes and misunderstandings
are welcome here.
-Acknowledge the intersectionality of identities. The systems of power and
oppression are interconnected.
Content Warning: many of the words and stories we use re stimulate trauma. We strongly suggest participants access the level of mental health care that you have access to and/or can afford. There is a list of mental health and/or grief professionals here, and questioning sessions/peer discussions/collective problem solving will be available on both Discord and Zoom.
There is no shame in pausing the work due to too many traumas triggered. We hope that you will return when you are in a healthier space.