Changing the Status Quo
Unfortunately, we live in a time when there is no shortage of injustices that demand our attention and require change. Below we list 15 causes but most, if not all, are umbrellas for several different but related issues. Each of these social justice related causes is receiving attention somewhere in the world of Unitarian Universalism be it at KUUF, a UU / UU Adjacent organization or one of our many allies. Sharing information about these causes is intended to inform readers about options for their social justice activism.
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Animal Welfare Climate & Environmental Justice
Criminal Justice Reform Democracy & Electoral Justice
Disability Rights & Justice Economic Justice End to Palestinian Genocide
Gender Equity & Reproductive Justice Humanitarian Crisis Response
Land Back Movement LGBTQIA+ Liberation Migrant Justice
Nuclear Weapons Elimination Peace & Nonviolence Racial Justice
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Cause Table of Contents
Animal Welfare
Key Aspects of the UU Approach to Animal Welfare
Animal welfare is explicitly and implicitly woven into the new Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) Article II shared values, adopted in June 2024, which center on Love and replace the former 7 Principles with a focus on interconnectedness, justice, and action.
The new Revised Article II expresses animal welfare primarily through the following values:
Interdependence: This value explicitly states: "We honor the interdependent web of all existence... With reverence for the great web of life and with humility, we acknowledge our place in it. We covenant to protect Earth and all beings from exploitation". This moves beyond just respecting the web (7th principle) to actively protecting non-human animals from exploitation.
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Justice: The new framework defines justice as working to create a diverse, multicultural "Beloved Community" where all thrive. This is interpreted to mean dismantling systemic oppression, which, for many UUs, includes advocating for justice for non-human animals, recognizing their, to "feel enjoyment and suffering".
Equity: While focused on human worth, this value calls for compassion and the right to flourish, which, within the, context of the "interdependent web," is extended by many congregations to include the, welfare of animals.
Transformation: This value emphasizes adapting to a changing world and growing spiritually/ethically, which includes evolving, views on the treatment of animals and reducing, suffering.
WHICH ENTITIES ARE WORKING THIS CAUSE?
UU & UU Adjacent Organizations
Local Community Entities
Resources
Other Stakeholders with Like Values
American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA)
Climate & Environmental Justice
While both climate justice and environmental justice aim for fairness, climate justice focuses specifically on the disproportionate impacts of climate change on vulnerable communities, while environmental justice addresses the broader issue of equitable access to a healthy environment and protection from pollution regardless of race, income, or background.
Image: Shutterstock
WHICH ENTITIES ARE WORKING THIS CAUSE?
Local Community Entities
Other Stakeholders with Like Values
RESOURCES
Why Western states are pushing for plug-in solar
Citizens’ Climate Lobby’s YouTube Channel
Recommended Viewing: Andrew Millison’s YouTube Channel
The Surprising Ways Food Packaging Is Exposing Us to Microplastics
Current Actions – Unitarian Universalist Ministry for Earth
Public Transportation Advisory Board - WA State
Front and Centered Climate Justice Page
“What if We Get it Right?” by Ayana Elizabeth Johnson (Audio version - choose your own independent
book store - also available at Kitsap Regional Library)
“Environmental Justice” by Pamela Starr (UUA Bookstore)
Legislation
See Environmental Priorities Coalition’s 2026 Legislative Agenda
See Faith Action Network’s 2026 Legislative Agenda
See Front and Centered’s 2026 Legislative Agenda
See Washington Immigrant Solidarity Network’s 2026 Legislative Agenda
Criminal Justice Reform
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The criminal justice reform movement is a broad, multifaceted effort to address issues within the criminal justice system, including reducing mass incarceration, addressing racial disparities, and improving the effectiveness and fairness of law enforcement and the courts. It encompasses a wide range of initiatives, from policy changes to community-based solutions, all aimed at creating a more just and equitable system.
WHICH ENTITIES ARE WORKING THIS CAUSE?
UU & UU Adjacent Organizations
Side with Love Action Center (UUA)
Local Community Entities
Kitsap for Racial Justice, formerly affiliated with Stand Up For Racial Justice (SURJ), is still active but its presence on the internet is dated. To express an interest in joining the group write: KitsapForRacialJustice@gmail.com
Other Stakeholders with Like Values
Washington Coalition for Police Accountability
RESOURCES
The Many Faces of Solitary Confinement in Washington’s Prisons
JUUstice Washington & Criminal Justice Reform
Legislation & Public Policy Priorities
See ACLU Washington’s 2026 Legislative Agenda
See Disability Rights Washington’s 2026 Legislative Agenda
See Faith Action Network’s 2026 Legislative Agenda - Fostering Rights, Belonging & Pluralism Section
See Washington Coalition for Police Accountability’s 2026 Legislative Agenda
See Washington Immigrant Solidarity Network’s 2026 Legislative Agenda
Democracy & Electoral Justice
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The fight to preserve democracy involves standing up to abuses of executive power and other authoritarian threats, strengthening accountability, and protecting our elections as well as other democratic institutions. Democratic backsliding can occur from within a country, often through the erosion of norms and institutions by elected leaders. Resistance refers to actions, efforts, and strategies undertaken by citizens and institutions to defend and strengthen democratic principles against authoritarian threats. Participants in the resistance can include can include citizens, nonprofit entities, independent institutions, and opposition parties.
Resistance movements typically mobilize in response to specific actions that undermine the integrity of a democratic system. These include: 1. Subverting elections; 2. Eroding institutional checks and balances; 3. Restricting freedoms; 4. Spreading misinformation; and 5. Inciting political violence against political opponents, minorities, or journalists.
Resistance to save democracy takes many forms, adapting to the specific threats it faces. These include: 1. Non-violent civil resistance such as peaceful protests; 2. Institutional pushback; 3. Actions like legislative bodies modernizing rules to prevent abuses; and 4. Public education and advocacy and online engagement.
WHICH ENTITIES ARE WORKING THIS CAUSE?
RESOURCES
Disability Rights & Justice
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Image: Shutterstock
Image: Shutterstock
The Disability Justice movement is a social justice movement that examines disability and ableism in relation to other forms of oppression, such as race, class, and gender. It builds upon the Disability Rights Movement, which established civil rights for people with disabilities. Disability Justice emphasizes recognizing all bodies as unique and essential, with unique strengths and needs that must be met.
The Disability Rights Movement and the Disability Justice Movement both aim to improve the lives of people with disabilities, but they differ in their scope and approach. The Disability Rights Movement focuses on securing individual rights through legal frameworks like the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Disability Justice, on the other hand, takes a broader approach, acknowledging the intersectional experiences of disabled people within other marginalized communities and emphasizing collective access and interdependence.
Who at KUUF is working this cause?
WHICH ENTITIES ARE WORKING THIS CAUSE?
UU & UU Adjacent Organizations
Unitarian Universalist Mental Health Network
KUUF has an Accessibility Committee working on issues internal to KUUF. It is reachable at: accessibility@kuuf.org.
Local Community Entities
Other Stakeholders with Like Values
Coalition on Humans Needs (CHN)
RESOURCES
Disability Stories for Disabled People
Cris Amburgey recommends this book: “Loving Our Own Bones: Disability Wisdom and the Spiritual Subversiveness of Knowing Ourselves Whole”. The KUUF library has a copy. Per Rev. Victoria the author was a featured speaker at the 2023 UUA General Assembly.
10 Principles of Disability Justice
Legislative & Public Policy Priorities
See Disability Rights Washington’s 2026 Legislative Agenda
SB 5680 - 2025-26 Washington State Legislature - Governor signed May 19, 2025.
Establishing a right to repair for mobility equipment for persons with physical disabilities.
HB 1418 - 2025-26 Washington State Legislature - Governor signed May 12, 2025.
Adding two voting members that are transit users to the governing body of public transportation benefit areas.
HB 1137 - 2025-26 Washington State Legislature - Governor signed May 19, 2025.
Establishing uniform policies and procedures within department of corrections facilities relating to disciplinary proceedings and administrative segregation. (Aka solitary confinement).
And something for kids…
Hawks say, Help for All!
A resource for introducing the concepts of
access & accommodation as well as the
UU value of pluralism to children. th
2 other videos in the Rooted in Rights
& Woodland Park Zoo Series
A video by Rooted in Rights
The Right to Be Rescued
A video at the intersection of disability, poverty
and failed emergency preparedness.
Pam Minning recalls her last conversation with her friend, Benny, who lived in New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina. People with disabilities have a right equal to that of people without disabilities to receive emergency services.
Economic Justice
The Economic Justice Movement is a broad coalition of individuals and organizations advocating for policies and practices that create a more equitable and just economic system. It's driven by the belief that economic well-being is a fundamental right and that everyone should have the opportunity to thrive. Core principles include: Equity and Fairness, Resisting Neoliberalism; Ending Poverty and Inequality; Securing Universal Healthcare; Supporting Workers' Rights; Protecting Social Safety Nets; Advocating for a Living Wage; Tax Reform; Land Rights; Financial Justice; and Ending Exploitation. Donation drives such as the clothing and food drives sponsored by the SJC fall under this cause.
Image: Shutterstock
WHICH ENTITIES ARE WORKING THIS CAUSE?
UU & UU Adjacent Organizations
Local Community Entities
Other Stakeholders with Like Values
Washington Low Income Housing Alliance
Washington Low Income Housing Alliance – Local membership includes Bremerton Housing Authority, Housing Resources Bainbridge, Kitsap Mental Health Services, and Kitsap County.
RESOURCES
News from Unitarian Universalists for a Just Economic Community -
Winter 2026 Spring 2026 Summer 2026 Autumn 2026
Winter 2025 Spring 2025 Summer 2025 Autumn 2025
Legislative & Public Policy Priorities
See Faith Action Network’s 2026 Legislative Agenda - Basic Needs Section
See Faith Action Network’s 2026 Legislative Agenda - Foster Rights, Belonging & Pluralism Section
See Front and Centered’s 2026 Legislative Agenda – Protecting the Safety Net Section
See Front and Centered’s 2026 Legislative Agenda – Revenue Section
End to Palestine Genocide
The solidarity with Palestine movement is a broad and diverse collection of individuals and organizations working to support Palestinian rights and resist the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories. It encompasses various actions and ideologies, from non-violent protests and political advocacy to humanitarian aid and cultural exchange. The movement aims to raise awareness about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, promote international pressure on Israel, and ultimately advocate for a just and lasting resolution that respects Palestinian rights and self-determination. An Amnesty International investigation concludes Israel is committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza (See resource below).
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WHICH ENTITIES ARE WORKING THIS CAUSE?
UU & UU Adjacent Organizations
Unitarian Universalist Association
Unitarian Universalists for Justice in the Middle East
Local Community Entities
RESOURCES
No Other Land Trailer - Award winning documentary
UUA Statement on Solidarity with Palestine
Jewish Activists Mobilizing Against War are Finding a New Community
It is time for moral clarity and Gaza is our test - A Letter to the Editor of the Kitsap Sun.
Gender Equity & Reproductive Justice
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The gender equity movement, encompassing various feminist waves and related movements, advocates for equal rights, opportunities, and social status for all genders, aiming to dismantle systemic inequalities and promote justice. The reproductive justice movement is a feminist framework and activist movement that expands on reproductive rights to encompass broader social justice issues. It centers on the right to have children, the right to not have children, and the right to parent in safe and healthy environments. This framework was developed by women of color in the 1990s and acknowledges the intersecting systems of oppression that impact reproductive choices.
WHICH ENTITIES ARE WORKING THIS CAUSE?
UU & UU Adjacent Organizations
UUA’s Reproductive Justice Initiative
Local Community Entities
League of Women Voters of Kitsap
Other Stakeholders with Like Values
In Our Own Voice - National Black Women’s Reproductive Justice Agenda
RESOURCES
Legislative & Public Policy Priorities
See Faith Action Network’s 2026 Legislative Agenda - Foster Rights, Belonging & Pluralism Section.
Humanitarian Crisis Response
Humanitarian need is skyrocketing, with over 300 million people needing aid in 2025 due to escalating conflicts (record armed conflicts, displacement), climate crises (more frequent disasters), and complex emergencies, far outstripping consistent funding, leading to chronic underfunding, forcing aid agencies to focus on protracted crises and sparking innovation in cash aid and tech, while facing increased risks to aid workers.
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Extent of Need (2024-2025)
Massive Scale: Around 300-323 million people require assistance, with 305.1 million targeted in 2025 across 72 countries.
Conflict-Driven: Over 120 million people are forcibly displaced; 1 in 5 children live in or flee conflict zones; 280+ million face severe food insecurity in conflict areas.
Climate Impact: Climate disasters displaced 26.4 million in 2023, increasing vulnerability and driving recurrent crises.
Protracted Crises: The majority of aid (94% in 2024) goes to long-term crises, not sudden-onset disasters, highlighting deep-rooted issues.
The Humanitarian Response
Despite gaps, aid organizations provide food, health, education, and protection, reaching millions.
Focus is shifting towards prevention, preparedness, and addressing the root causes, but funding remains a huge challenge.
Trends in Recent Years
Escalating Crises: The number of conflicts and displaced people is at historic highs (most armed conflicts since WWII in 2023).
Funding Gaps: Demand for aid ($49.6B in 2024) far exceeds funding ($21.2B received), creating massive shortfalls.
Increased Risk for Civilians & Aid Workers: Civilian deaths in conflict are soaring (e.g., 36,000 verified in 2024), making it the deadliest year on record for humanitarian personnel (360+ killed).
Shifting Aid Modalities: Cash and Voucher Assistance (CVA) remains vital but stagnates (around 23% of aid in 2023), while technology and innovative solutions are being explored.
Complex Interconnections: Climate change, conflict, and poverty are deeply linked, with conflict-affected nations often more exposed to natural hazards.
WHICH ENTITIES ARE WORKING THIS CAUSE?
UU & UU Adjacent Organizations
Unitarian Universalism Association
UUSC’s Humanitarian Crisis Response
Local Community Entities
Other Stakeholders with Like Values
RESOURCES
UUSC’s Emergency Response Fund
Examples of UUSC’s work: UUSC Work in Burma UUSC Work in Ukraine
Land Back Movement
The Land Back campaign ties together a decentralized group of different indigenous organizations to address structural racism faced by indigenous people that is rooted in theft of their land. Land Back promotes a return to communal land ownership of traditional and unceded Indigenous lands and rejects colonial concepts of real estate and private land ownership. Return of land is not only economic, but also implies the return of relationships and self-governance.
In Kitsap County, the Suquamish Tribe and the Port Gamble S'Klallam Tribe are actively engaged in efforts to reacquire land, with the Suquamish Tribe focusing on purchasing land within their Port Madison Indian Reservation for housing and cultural purposes. A major goal for the tribe has been to purchase land on the Port Madison Indian Reservation for the benefit of the Suquamish community. The establishment of tribal housing developments has enabled many Suquamish people,
Image: Shutterstock
Image: Shutterstock
WHICH ENTITIES ARE WORKING THIS CAUSE?
RESOURCES
Community Care & Deportation Defense - From UUA 2025 General Assembly
Illinois returns stolen land to Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation | AP News
Struggle for Native Lands in Indianola, Washington
Land Acquisitions, Suquamish Tribe, Washington
Legislative & Public Policy Priorities
See Faith Action Network’s 2026 Legislative Agenda – Foster Rights, Belonging & Pluralism Section
LGBTQIA + Liberation
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LGBTQAI+ Liberation refers to the ongoing movement advocating for the rights, recognition, and equal treatment of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) people. The movement aims to dismantle societal barriers, address discrimination, and achieve full equality for LGBTQ+ individuals in all aspects of life.
WHICH ENTITIES ARE WORKING THIS CAUSE?
UU & UU Adjacent Organizations
Unitarian Universalist Association’s UPLIFT LGBTQ+ Programs
Local Community Entities
Other Stakeholders with Like Values
Migrant Justice
The Migrant Justice movement is a collective of organizations and individuals working to improve the lives of immigrant workers, particularly farmworkers, by advocating for their rights and fighting for economic justice and human rights. They focus on issues like fair wages, safe working conditions, and legal protections, often through grassroots organizing and direct action.
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WHICH ENTITIES ARE WORKING THIS CAUSE?
UU & UU Adjacent Organizations
JUUstice Washington - Refugee, Immigrant, and Migrant Solidarity (RIMS)
Kitsap Advocating for Immigrant Rights &
Equality (KAIRE)
UUSC’s Migrant Justice Initiative
Local Community Entities
Other Stakeholders with Like Values
Coalition on Human Needs (CHN)
Northwest Immigration Rights Project
Washington Immigrant Solidarity Network
RESOURCES
Tools to Support Asylum-Seeker Accompaniment and Solidarity
Migrant Trail: A Reflection of Love, Faith, and Hope - Unitarian Universalist Service Committee
UUSC’s Stop Deportations to Haiti
UUSJ - Stop Violating Sensitive Locations & Protected Areas
UUSC - Stop the Round-ups, Detentions, and Mass-Deportations now!
Legislative & Public Policy Related Priorities
See Washington Coalition for Police Accountability’s 2026 Legislative Agenda
See Washington Immigrant Solidarity Network’s 2026 Legislative Agenda
Nuclear Weapons Elimination
The nuclear weapons resistance calls for prohibition and elimination of the most inhumane and indiscriminate weapons ever created and which cause severe environmental damage and undermine world security. Tactics include public proteests and acts of civil disobedience, lobbying, petitioning government authorities, influencing public policy through referendum campaigns, litigation, and involvement in elections.
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WHICH ENTITIES ARE WORKING THIS CAUSE?
Other Stakeholders with Like Values
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Peace & Nonviolence
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Image: Shutterstock
The peace and non-violence movement encompasses various social and political actions aimed at achieving peace and social change through non-violent means, rejecting the use of physical violence to achieve goals. Examples include the Civil Rights Movement in the US, Satyagraha movements in India, and the United Nations' International Day of Non-Violence which is observed on October 2nd, the birthday of Mahatma Gandhi. It was established on June 15, 2007 pursuant to a United Nations General Assembly resolution.
WHICH ENTITIES ARE WORKING THIS CAUSE?
UU & UU Adjacent Organizations
Religions for Peace USA (UU for Social Justice are a part of this)
Local Community Entities
Image: Shutterstock
Racial Justice
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The racial justice movement is a broad, evolving effort to address racial inequality and discrimination in various aspects of society, including the criminal justice system, education, healthcare, and the economy. It seeks to dismantle systemic racism and work towards a society where people of color have equal opportunities and are treated with dignity and respect.
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WHICH ENTITIES ARE WORKING THIS CAUSE?
RESOURCES
Bainbridge Island Japanese Memorial
UUA’s Mosaic Platform: A Foundation for Anti-Racism
Why progressive activist language turns off most people
How Unitarian Universalism Became a Church of Shaming, Bullying and Coercion
MyUU Congregation as "A Rapidly Shrinking, Self-Reinforcing Echo Chamber"
Legislative & Policy Priorities
See ACLU Washington’s 2026 Legislative Agenda
See Disability Rights Washington’s 2026 Legislative Agenda
See Faith Advocacy Network’s 2026 Legislative Agenda
See Front & Centered’s 2026 Legislative Agenda
See Washington Coalition for Police Accountability’s 2026 Legislative Agenda
See Washington Immigrant Solidarity Network’s 2026 Legislative Agenda
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