Worldwide Service
Kindled by compassionate imagination and fanned by a desire to share skills and resources with people around the world, our impulse to serve is mobilized in the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee (UUSC).
Established in 1939 to aid refugees from Nazi Europe, the UUSC has kept pace with the changing needs of our changing times. Stretching across the continent and globe, UUSC projects in medicine, social work, criminal justice, family planning, education, community development, and the empowerment of women testify to the effectiveness of helping people to help themselves address problems of institutional oppression.
In all its efforts the UUSC remains scrupulously nonsectarian. Proselytizing on behalf of our religion is never a component of our humanitarian work.
At the denominational level, social justice leadership is provided by the Faith in Action Department of the Unitarian Universalist Association. The mission of Faith in Action is to transform Unitarian Universalism into an anti-oppression, multicultural religious community that affirms the inherent worth and dignity of every person. The department collaborates with Unitarian Universalists in congregations, districts, seminaries, and associate and affiliate groups to promote justice, equity, and compassion in human relations. The department joins with other appropriate interfaith and secular organizations to work for social transformation. The Faith in Action Department facilitates the implementation of UUA General Assembly resolutions on public policy matters; provides training and assistance to congregations engaged in social service, advocacy, and action; provides leadership throughout the Association in justice and diversity work; and provides printed and other resources on specific issues. Faith in Action's Washington Office for Social Concerns addresses many issues, including corporate responsibility, human rights, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender concerns, peace and disarmament, racial justice, and children's and women's rights.
