Report on the ICUUW Meeting in Romania

 by Renee Hills

Colourful Hungarian traditional costumes; pride in handicrafts and cultural roots; deepening understanding of Unitarian history in Transylvania (a part of Romania that was Hungarian  before WWI); radical Hungarian hospitality; greeting Unitarian friends from distant countries; meeting people I’d only ever seen on Zoom; finding sisters in unexpected places; sharing stories – these were just a few of the inspiring moments at the 4th International Convocation of Unitarian Universalist Women held in Cluj-Napoca (Kolozsvár in Hungarian) in Romania 6-9th September, 2024. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SNqJDz8feNw

Approximately 150 Unitarian and Universalist women (and several men) from around the world joined together for an enriching time of personal, cultural and faith connections. Half the participants came from Hungary and Romania and half from 14 other countries including US, Canada, Australia, Brazil, Denmark, Germany, Greece, India, Japan, Kenya, Poland and UK. Visa difficulties prevented travel from Bolivia and the Philippines for others.

On Saturday, 8th September, an additional 200 Hungarian women resplendent in traditional costume, some bearing embroidered banners representing their various Unitarian women’s groups, processed into the First Unitarian Church of Kolozsvár, for their annual meeting and the conference of their women’s association (held in Hungarian). Seeing so many women representing so many different Unitarian churches was a clear visual reminder that there are approximately 100,000 Unitarians in this part of the world.

https://youtu.be/OF4CB12McK0

This was the 4th convocation held in the 15-year history of ICUUW. It was organized by ICUUW and UNOSZ, the National Organization of Unitarian Women of Romania, in partnership with the Hungarian Unitarian Church (HUC) who hosted us in their church and college buildings.

Weaving a Tapestry.

The convocation theme Weaving a Tapestry of Peace and New Perspectives: Connect. Collaborate. Create was explored in a range of presentations and workshops.

Unitarian and educational anthropologist Maureen Porter’s keynote presentation skillfully addressed all these strands through the metaphor of weaving on a loom and also drawing on her experience. She said projects and life activities needed to be framed by goals, strong support and a baseline, much like a piece of tapestry being created on a loom. Endurance and guiding cords with just the right amount of tension and flex are necessary for the tapestry to grow. A row cannot be left hanging (we need to cling tight to people around us and lean on each other); however neither does it have to be perfect. We follow up, tie off the loose threads and sometimes just holding together is good.

She emphasized the need for collaboration e.g. We need one another in the hour of defeat and/or despair; we need one another to accomplish great goals; all our lives we are in need and others are in need of us.

Peace

She also expressed a new (to me) perspective on peace: Peace is conflict done well; not the absence of conflict. We need creative alternatives for responding to conflict.

In a morning worship Rev Addae Krabba (US) reminded us of the need to develop peace in ourselves and for a shift in consciousness away from the idea and habit of war. She said we have to be peace and show less suspicion, hostility and hatred and to stop dehumanising the other. She urged us to take with us the three spirits of peace, hope and love.

Former war journalist Hungarian Dr Hesna Al Ghaoui spoke of resilience and facing fear and anxiety in the aftermath of witnessing the trauma of war. For Romanians and Hungarians,  the Ukrainian war is literally next door, a fact that made these presentations powerful and poignant.

Radical Hospitality

A panel of speakers from Gondviselés (Providence – the social justice group of the HUC) described how the college staff, the HUC and Gondviselés worked together to mount a huge response to support Ukrainian refugees in Kolozsvar and in Ukraine. The first refugees (Vladimir and Yulia Skalski) to stay in the college dormitory are now an integral part of the Gondviselés team. Vladimir has driven many of the 20 aid shipments into Ukraine, sometimes making a very dangerous journey to southern Ukraine to deliver urgently needed items.

Gondviselés is indeed an inspiring example of radical hospitality. Aid is also given to families, aged, disabled, and homeless people in the community. All this with only five staff and 200 volunteers!

Connection Collaboration

For me though, the real magic of the convocation happened in the Chalice Circles and the Global Sisters Conversations. These small group discussions allowed deeper connections and the sharing of stories as we were encouraged to do in the opening ceremony. ICUUW president Tina Heusing urged us to get to know each other as women, not as a country, not as a culture or an age group. And connect we did!

Men attending the conference had their own Chalice Circle sometimes attended by the HUC bishop Isteván Kovacs who explained why he is called a bishop. (The position used to be called overseer, but the government said that didn’t sound like a religion!) The HUC provides schools and Unitarian teachers with the aid of the Romanian government.

The connections and relationships formed at the convocation have enriched me personally and are already influencing my perspective and actions as a Unitarian. The atmosphere of joy in connecting with Unitarians from all over the world was similar to what I first experienced at the 2012 ICUU conference in the Philippines.

ICUUW is to be congratulated for creating such a memorable event.  

The Brisbane UU fellowship Service on Sunday 13th October at 10am will be on this topic and insights gathered on the pre-tour. Readers are welcome to join on Zoom: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89556254515?pwd=MEJob2FMYW1YODhHVnJhS1BRNWhLUT09 

Unitarians at the United Nations

James Hills met Bruce Knotts at the ICUUW convocation in in Cluj-Napoca, and reports on his involvement in UU representation at the United Nations. There has been an active Unitarian presence at the United Nations since 1946, with an office there established in 1962. Bruce Knotts served as the Director of the Unitarian Universalist United Nations Office (UU-UNO) at the United Nations for 15 years, up until 2022 when the UUA decided to change their focus.

Bruce presented on his work to an ICUU conference in the Philippines in 2012, and this was the first time I became aware of the existence of a UU office at the UN (now closed). In conversation with Bruce, I found out that he is president of the NGO Committee on Disarmament, Peace and Security, is the chair of the NGO Committee on Human Rights, co-chair of the Transnational Working Group on Values, Faith and Beliefs, is a member of the NGO UN Security Council Working Group, and serves on the Board of the NGO UN Committee on Sustainable Development. He is also a trustee of the Parliament of the World’s Religions and a Commissioner for the Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation.

Now that the International Convocation of UU Women (ICUUW) is the only truly international UU organization, Bruce has joined ICUUW and has been assisting them to become engaged with relevant UN committees, and is active on their UN Advocacy Committee. ICUUW won the right to being granted special consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) in 2019. This is the highest status bestowed upon NGO’s by the UN.

 ECOSOC brings people and issues together to promote collective action for a sustainable world and is at the heart of the United Nation’s work to advance the three dimensions of sustainable development – economic, social and environmental. It is the central platform for fostering debate and innovative thinking, forging consensus on ways forward, and coordinating efforts to achieve internationally agreed goals. It is also responsible for the follow-up to major UN conferences and summits. The UN Charter established ECOSOC in 1945 as one of the six main organs of the United Nations.  ICUUW’s UN Advocacy Committee has the potential to have significant influence on policy decisions affecting women and girls.

Bruce offered to present to members of ANZUUA on his work, on UU involvement in the UN, and how we can have a voice at the UN through the ICUUW. ANZUUA will be facilitating this later this year.

Call for input to ANZUUA 5-year strategic plan

The ANZUUA committee has agreed to develop a five-year strategic plan to identify initiatives to advance ANZUUA objectives. Each congregation is invited to provide submissions, and ideas are welcome also from individuals. A sub-committee has been formed to develop a draft plan for consultation before adoption. Please submit input for the strategic plan to info@anzuua.org. 

In our constitution, the ANZUUA objectives are:

1. To promote a community of Members who identify with and practice Unitarian Universalist Principles

2. To meet for consultation on matters affecting the well being and interests of Members of the association, and to take such action as is considered desirable.

3. To help in the founding and growth of congregations and fellowships in Australia and New Zealand.

4. To publish and circulate literature relevant to the Members of the Association.

5. To do all such lawful things as may be necessary for the attainment of the above objects, or any of them.

6. To affiliate with other organisations having similar aims, and with other Unitarian Universalist groups both locally and Internationally.

UU Connect Information

 ANZUUA has established UU Connect as a way to help people engage with Unitarianism whether they are in an area with no local fellowship, or are close to a church/fellowship.

The UUConnect.pdf document on the ANZUUA web site fileshare (takes a few seconds to load) includes: 

• Websites

• Zoom options to services

• Training opportunities 

• Pastoral care options 

• Retreats

• Podcasts

Spirit of Life Sydney

 The Sydney Spirit of Life Fellowship held 3 meetings in September and will hold 2 meetings in October, on Sunday mornings at Kirribilli Neighborhood Centre, North Sydney.

 The topics of recent meetings were:

"Wonder and Awe", led by Ginna Hastings 

“Unitarian History 'Theophilus Lindsey: 250 Years", led by Rev Geoff Usher

"The Landscape is ...... Australia's Natural Wonder, Part 2", led by Rev Rex Hunt.

Topics for upcoming meetings are:

"People on the Move", to be led by Rev Geoff Usher

"The Effects of Music on our Mind, Mood and Body", to be led by Gabrielle Donovan

Two of our members attended the recent Brisbane Fellowship Retreat at Springbrook and found it to be very enjoyable, being among likeminded friends in a beautiful bushland setting communing with nature including birds and wallabies, and only a five-minute drive to lookouts with a commanding view of waterfalls and the Scenic Rim, including Mt Warning.

Brisbane UU Fellowship

BUUF member Andrew Walker has been working on a series of talks with the title Locus of Control and My truth about god or no god, truth, purpose, and value of value itself. He has recently put up a video of part one on https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ajWMlZa5ySk For those that would like to read the text, it is published here: https://www.academia.edu/123960645/Locus_of_Control_and_My_truth_about_god_or_no_god_meaning_truth_purpose_and_value_of_value_itself.