
HUMAN RIGHTS WORKING GROUP
Co-chairs: Jeff Pekrul, Dolores Perez Heilbron, and Melvin Starks
Email: humanrights@uusf.org
GLOBAL CONVERSATIONS AT UUSF
UUSF Human Rights Working Group announces a new interactive discussion series!
The purpose of this new program series is to discuss cultural, economic, political, historical, and scientific issues that affect the whole international community. Attendees will participate with questions and their own ideas. UUSF members and the general public are encouraged to participate and a facilitator will guide the process.
The programs beginning this September will take place after the UUSF Sunday Worship Service, and will offer a light lunch. A brief background statement on each topic will be circulated in advance of the topics to be discussed. Each session will begin with a speaker explaining and enlarging on the topic, followed by a general discussion and possible follow-up actions.
We are pleased to announce that long-time UUSF member Horst Bansner will chair this new series, and HRWG members will assist in this endeavor. We expect that topics will dwell on humanity’s continuing quest for greater knowledge and insights that would benefit our increasingly complex and fragile global existence.
UPCOMING EVENTS!
Sept 10 Evolving Ireland, What is New? - Horst Bansner
Oct 29 U.S. Capitalism/Imperialism: Any Alternatives? - Bruce Neuburger
Nov 5 India’s Narendra Modi: Democrat or Autocrat? – Chandru Murthi

Collaborative & Innovative
At First Unitarian Universalist Society of San Francisco, our top priority is to achieve results, and we know that our success depends on the quality of our campaigns and partnerships. Our approach is to build strategic networks and promote programs that will help advance our work. Learn more about the causes we’re passionate about and get in touch with us to see how you can get involved.

HUMAN RIGHTS WORKING GROUP MEETING!
The UUSF HRWG will meet on Wednesday, October 11 at 7pm. Our proposed agenda is:
Forum planning
Please add your ideas to the planning doc: click here
Forum Planning for September through December
Global Conversations discussion group series
Review Google doc for tracking ideas, and for scheduled sessions.
Recruit new members: Need help with Zoom production for Forum; and also may consider videotaping Global Conversations once it gets started, see how it goes...
Next UUJME meeting will be held on October 18 at 7pm
Join Zoom Meeting
Forum UU is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
Topic: UUSF HRWG monthly meeting
Time: This is a recurring meeting Meet anytime
Join Zoom Meeting
https://zoom.us/j/91402615490?pwd=eENaeEV0RFhSY3ZJb3k1czlidER6UT09
Meeting ID: 914 0261 5490
Passcode: 402485
One tap mobile
+16699006833,,91402615490#,,,,*402485# US (San Jose)
+12532158782,,91402615490#,,,,*402485# US (Tacoma)
Dial by your location
+1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose)
+1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma)
+1 346 248 7799 US (Houston)
+1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)
+1 929 205 6099 US (New York)
+1 301 715 8592 US (Washington DC)
Meeting ID: 914 0261 5490
Passcode: 402485
Find your local number: https://zoom.us/u/acDCam8ftq

HUMAN RIGHTS WORKING GROUP NEW YEAR’S LETTER
January 1, 2023
The UUSF Human Rights Working Group looks forward to 2023 with the hope that our activities will stoke new ideas and methods towards our goal of achieving a more just and peaceful society. Human rights depend on many variables including societal forces, economic and governmental systems, and ethical standards. We are at a critical turning point regarding the welfare of all other creatures and the earth itself, in addition to the survival of our own species. What steps we take to avert further loss of true human rights, environmental justice and peace in the world are urgent. We encourage policy change as the root cause of unjust rights violations. We UU human rights members are determined to identify, address, and provide opportunities to educate, advocate, and join with others in achieving our goals.
For 2023, we will be focusing on two new current issues of importance:
War & Peace – We must refocus on this subject now for example, the ongoing armed conflict in Ukraine, human rights violations in Palestine/Israel, Iran, and other areas affected by US involvement currently and historically.
Climate Crisis & Sustainability – We will focus on the many causes of our earth heating up, thus affecting the sustainability of nature, all creatures and humanity. Nature is showing signs of destruction with the loss of bees, birds, melting of permafrost and the slow extinction of species. Because humans have driven this breakdown since the 19th Century industrial revolution, we must search for practical strategies now to slow the production of greenhouse gases and speed the usage of eco-friendly power generation methods.
Last year, the HRWG “birthed” the Women’s Rights Group - which grew out of the specific unjust policy change of the Supreme Court - and now is a UUSF committee of its own. See their own website for news.
We continue to keep Immigrant Rights, Racial Justice, and Voting Rights on our agenda, and will be reacting to new and important policy changes and news as it occurs.
Dangerous Truths: This year, we will continue producing the real stories of specific chapters of the history of the United States ironically called “Dangerous Truths.” This series features academic scholars and historians, who are experts about our country’s history, which may surprise many of us compared to what we were taught. Last year’s 2022 series are available to view on this website under the title “Dangerous Truths” in YouTube format (here).
Monthly Meetings: We hold monthly HRWG Cmte planning meetings via Zoom on the 2nd Wednesday of the month.
Media Platforms consist of: (1) Speaker presentations at the UUSF Sunday FORUM to educate the public and discuss various issues, in-person and online through Zoom; and (2) Weekly Wednesday morning 8 to 9 am Vigils held outside the church, holding signs urging the public to support specific policy changes regarding the issues addressed above. HRWG supports other international human rights organizations, often endorsing, participating, and hosting educational Zoom events on these subjects.
We work closely with the UUSF Sunday Forum, and appreciate the technical support and advice from Forum Chair Bruce Neuburger, also a member of HRWG. We are thankful for the advice and help we receive from Rev. Vanessa Rush Southern, and the staff, especially Jonathan Silk, Director of Communications.
We welcome newcomers to join us. Please contact us about questions or new suggestions which we might address at humanrights@uusf.org
In hope and struggle,
Dolores Perez Heilbron, Jeff Pekrul, and Melvin Starks, Co-chairs

FOCUS FOR 2023
War & Peace – We must refocus on this subject now for example, the ongoing armed conflict in Ukraine, human rights violations in Palestine/Israel, Iran, and other areas affected by US involvement currently and historically.
Climate Crisis & Sustainability – We will focus on the many causes of our earth heating up, thus affecting the sustainability of nature, all creatures and humanity. Nature is showing signs of destruction with the loss of bees, birds, melting of permafrost and the slow extinction of species. Because humans have driven this breakdown since the 19th Century industrial revolution, we must search for practical strategies now to slow the production of greenhouse gases and speed the usage of eco-friendly power generation methods.

PRIOR ACHIEVEMENTS FOR 2019-2022
US Immigration Policy: HRWG held live (before COVID) and later Zoom presentations (called “Close the Camps”) about the destructive policies such as the forced detention of asylum seekers, separation of families, and the mistreatment of children at our southern border. We began and continue to demonstrate on the steps of the church every Wednesday mornings to draw public attention to these issues.
Voting Rights: During the Presidential campaign in October 2019, HRWG organized a March for Democracy to demand a fair election where constitutional rights to vote would be protected across the country. Many other civic, social justice and labor organizations joined this march from the Mission to downtown San Francisco.
International Human Rights: HRWG joined with other faith and justice groups to draw attention and protest actions and policies of the United States as a contributor to violations of human rights across the world.
Ending Racism: HRWG conducted a variety of events explaining the roots of American racism and White Supremacy. With the UUSF BIPOC committee, we produced and presented a video workshop entitled We Built People of Color Visibility at the UU General Assembly in 2019. Our video was called the “Beloved Stories UUSF”, and we started with the Story Corps Toolkit. Also, included below are the questions we used in our interviews, the release form for the participants, and a flyer.
2022
Racial Justice
We will continue to support the Black Lives Matter movement and other related groups, along with other UUSF racial justice efforts, as we did in the past during the 2020 George Floyd demonstrations against police brutality throughout the country towards Black, Brown, Asian and Indigenous sisters and brothers. We will continue special projects about our unique American history of slavery such as the “1619 Project” readings. We continue to work closely with our UUSF BIPOC group. (See videos below produced under the auspices of the HRWG.)
Immigrant Rights
We will continue to press for a sound immigration policy for asylum seekers and special DACA children of undocumented immigrants who were brought to the United States as children and deserve full citizenship. New immigrant groups are expected to be fleeing their homes due not only to on-going conflicts, at times perpetrated by our foreign and military policies, but also by the climate crisis. Many HRWG UUs visited and worked at the southern border in El Paso, helping the asylum seekers there, and returned to report on that situation.
Voting Rights
We will work to promote the Constitutional right of all Americans to vote in a safe manner, without danger as happened in our prior history after the Civil War. All acts to suppress the vote by any organizations will be exposed and special educational projects will be undertaken to advise all citizens of their rights to vote.
Climate Crisis
We will focus on how ordinary citizens can work in ways to stem the oncoming crisis, for example, by advocating that the City of San Francisco and state governments buy only electric vehicles (EV), and offer financial incentives to residents for the purchase of EV and the installation of solar panels on their homes. We continue to work directly with environmental groups on special educational and advocacy projects.
Women's Rights
Women’s Rights, was voted upon by our members in September 2021, after the state of Texas severely limited abortion rights, and the Supreme Court refused to interfere, thus denigrating the rights of women to control their bodily health. As a result, the Women’s Group was organized, with Reproductive Rights its priority. They have been very active in demonstrations and continue to work on new issues. Lori Lai is the Coordinator. See more on their latest activities (click here)
BELOVED STORIES (2019)
The video produced in 2019 features members of our HRWG. Special thanks to Shulee Ong and Lori Lai for their contributions in the production of this special project.
Watch Beloved Stories (click here)
Mary Jane Mikuriya - interviewed by Anna Mikuriya Jungherr (click here)
Dolores Perez Heilbron - interviewed by David Heilbron (click here)
HRWG IN ACTION!






















