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Tuesday, January 19, 2016

United Methodist Women Announces Justice Project for Young Women

United Methodist Women is embarking on a collaborative training model for climate Justice organizing for 20- to 35-year-old women living in the U.S. Through this experience, young women will gain focus, insight and understanding through independent and group study, learning to serve as organizers in their communities. It is hoped that through this work, they will be leaders and will be able to motivate the Church to address climate justice concerns in the communities in which they serve. The program is entitled “New Generations: Climate Justice.”

Those who apply must have some background and presence in the United Methodist Church and be willing to work within the structures of this community, which is committed to organizing itself to address climate injustices. As part of the training, the young women will work with a project manager who is herself a young woman climate advocate, as well as with the United Methodist executive of economic and environmental justice. The participants will also have exposure to other experts in the field of climate justice. The foundation of this training will be an extensive exploration of United Methodist Women’s recently published climate justice study— Climate Justice: A Call to Hope and Action—and especially an examination of the link between their faith and the work of living into the just transitions the world needs.

Throughout the spring, they will work together by video conference and within their communities, and, at the end of June, they will meet in retreat in Arizona and attend our National study training. This intensive program will prepare the members of this group to teach the climate justice study to others throughout 2016–17 as necessary, and, moving forward, to organize constituents and communities around the issue of climate justice. We hope that the participants in this group will gain confidence and an understanding of their vital role in moving the church to do integral work on this crucial justice issue. This month, based on referrals from a wide range of climate justice leaders from both the United Methodist Church and communities around the United States, we will be interviewing candidates for this opportunity. This opportunity is free of charge. Instead, each participant will be asked to make an investment to work in their communities of influence toward climate justice and a commitment to the to the UMC to make themselves available to teach during the spring of 2017. We hope the work of your organizations, boards and agencies will benefit from these efforts and we will be thrilled to work with you to make sure that happens!

Note the deadline: Friday, February 5, 2016.

Thank you for your work in the world!

Kathleen Stone, United Methodist Women
Office of Economic and Environmental Justice
kstone@unitedmethodistwomen.org

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