UUSC REPORT 5/2024

2023 Activities & Accomplishments

From accelerating impacts of the climate crisis to ongoing military brutality in Burma, UUSC partners and their communities confronted multiple intersecting crises along with new challenges in 2023.

Responding to Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine. UUSC was able to partner with five organizations in Poland and five in Ukraine to support long-term services for communities that were facing injustice prior to Russia’s full-scale invasion, including people living with disabilities, people of color, people who have experienced sexual violence, LGBTQ+ individuals, women and girls, and the Roma community.  UUSC’s partners provided food, shelter, medicine, legal aid, psychological support, information to combat human trafficking, and more. For example, through a women’s shelter in Krakow and a 24/7 hotline in Kviv UUSC’s partner Martynka provides support for women experiencing sexual violence in Ukraine from Russian soldiers or in Poland.

ICJAO Victory.  On March 29, 2023, the United Nations General Assembly voted affirmatively on a resolution requesting that the International Court of Justice offer an advisory opinion stating the obligations of countries in mitigating and addressing the impacts of climate change. UUSC has been collaborating closely with Pacific Island Students Fighting Climate Change, our partner who initiated the campaign, to advance this effort as part of our growing advocacy within agencies of the United Nations and other international institutions. This resolution is a historic victory for climate justice and a new mandate for definitive action at the international level.

Special Rapporteur Visit. Through UUSC’s joint advocacy, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights Special Rapporteur on Economic, Social, Cultural, and Environmental Rights visited our partners in Louisiana and Alaska in May 2023 to document the impacts of climate change and subsequent lack of government response in tribal communities. This one-week tour – the first of its kind for climate-forced displacement – enabled community members to share their experiences of discrimination and displacement due to climate change. In August, the Special Rapporteur released a 23-page report of their findings and recommendations for the U.S. government.

Pacific Island Convening.  In October 2023, UUSC organized a second regional gathering for our partners in the Pacific facing climate-induced loss and damage (e.g. lack of water supplies, loss of burial sites, damaged sea walls). The convening was held in Fiji in follow up to our first convening in June 2022, which focused on planning and coordination ahead of incoming international funding. In October, the same community leaders and funders gathered to discuss progress and challenges they have experienced since the initial funding, as well as next steps for the future.

COP28. As UUSC has done for the past several meetings of the COP, we supported nine of our partner organizations to attend the 28th annual UN Climate Change Conference, the Conference of Parties (COP28), held in Dubai in November and December 2023. UUSC sponsored and organized seven side events at the conference, and The New York Times reported on our panel featuring partners addressing the spiritual crisis stemming from climate-forced displacement. UUSC staff and our partners drew major attention to this often-overlooked component of the climate crisis, stewarding conversations around the intersections of faith, community, and climate change.

Cyclone Mocha.  Cyclone Mocha made landfall in Rakhine State, Burma, on May 14, 2023, breaking records as one of the most powerful cyclones ever recorded in the country. Striking in the midst of ongoing military violence, the storm impacted 3.4 million people and killed more than 400 people. UUSC moved quickly to provide our partners in the region with funding for shelter, medicine, food, and water. We also supported partners in researching and documenting the factors that led to the hundreds of preventable deaths at the time of the storm.

Fire in Cox’s Bazar.  In March 2023, a massive fire impacted a refugee camp in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, where one million Rohingya refugees continue to live (many of whom were displaced by the 2017 genocide). UUSC rapidly distributed an emergency grant to support victims of the fire with lifesaving aid, in addition to continuing our ongoing advocacy, accountability, and genocide prevention work with Rohingya communities.

Karenni State Report.  In February 2023, UUSC supported our partners in releasing a new report called “How can we survive in the future?”: Atrocity Crimes in Karenni State. The report documents human rights violations amounting to war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by junta forces in Burma’s Karenni State and surrounding areas. In the report, our partners urge the international community to pursue justice and accountability to end the cycle of impunity for the Burmese military, among other policy recommendations. Following the release of the report, UUSC arranged for our partners to travel to Washington, DC, to engage in awareness-raising and advocacy efforts with allied organizations, members of Congress, and State Department.

Burma Sanctions.  In October 2023, after more than two years of advocacy by UUSC and our partners, members, and allies, the United States imposed sanctions on Myanmar Oil and Gas Enterprises (MOGE), the main source of foreign revenue for the military junta. UUSC’s Senior Partnership Officer for International Justice and Accountability, Myra Dahgaypaw, wrote this commentary in 2022 about the importance of sanctioning MOGE.

Congregational Accompaniment Project for Asylum Seekers.  UUSC’s Congregational Accompaniment Project for Asylum-Seekers (CAPAS) supports communities of faith as they host and accompany individuals and families seeking asylum in the U.S. Last year, the program expanded its resources by offering Ethical Storytelling Workshops, a series of webinars that incorporated guest speakers, group discussion, and tools to change the narrative around how asylum-seekers are perceived in the United States. To date, 48 congregations in 26 states have participated in CAPAS by sponsoring an asylum-seeker or assisting with family reunifications, and 18 congregations are currently working with families. In September 2023, UUSC released a four-part CAPAS podcast about the experiences of people seeking asylum in the U.S. and the community groups working in solidarity with them. Each episode features information about the process of seeking asylum, the challenges faced, and personal stories of those participating in our program. The podcast episodes, and a bonus webinar, can be accessed by clicking here.

Women’s Rights in Nicaragua.  This summer, UUSC staff visited our partner Fundación Entre Mujeres (FEM) in Nicaragua, which is experiencing an unstable funding environment that has led many funders to withdraw their financial support in the country. With UUSC’s flexible funding, FEM has been able to decrease the rate of migration from their community compared to the rest of the country through their water initiatives, farming cooperatives, educational opportunities, feminist leadership programs, and more.

Cuba Convening.  In March 2023, UUSC organized a convening in Cuba for five of our Central American partners. Participants included a partner in Guatemala that supports Maya communities, an independent journalism organization in Honduras, two feminist organizations, and a community foundation that supports the Guapinol Water Defenders. Our partners discussed economic, political, and cultural struggles and opportunities, and have expressed interest in a follow-up convening.

Media Support for Partners in Haiti.  Our partner Solidarite Fanm Ayisyèn (SOFA) requested media support from UUSC to bring international attention to the issue of violence against women in Haiti. After close collaboration with SOFA’s staff, UUSC ghostwrote a piece on their behalf for the Miami Herald. The opinion piece describes the social and humanitarian emergency in Haiti while highlighting the strength and narrative-change work that SOFA is leading in their country and internationally. (Trigger warning: the content contains descriptions of rape and sexual assault.)

Haiti Coalition.  The humanitarian crisis in Haiti further deteriorated in 2023, with frequent reports of kidnappings, arson, and murders. Gang violence increased, forcing the closure of schools and banks, and threatening to cut off telecommunication with the outside world. UUSC is a member of a Haiti Coalition, which released its first public statement in March 2023, making clear asks of the U.S. government and international community around security, sanctions, and governance. UUSC is one of three coalition members participating in targeted outreach to the White House, and one of only two organizations in the coalition with the ability to sign on publicly.

Connection Building for Haitian Partners.  UUSC arranged for our long-time partner Groupe d’Appui aux Rapatriés et Réfugiés to meet and build new alliances with Haitian-led human rights organizations in the United States, including members of the Florida Immigrant Coalition and Family Action Network Movement. Together they discussed common goals to support immigrants and build Haitian transnational power. Among the key takeaways were strategies to find new funders, connections with immigrant rights networks, and commitments to long-term collaboration.

2024 Proposal Goals & Activities

UUSC is dedicated to uplifting local solutions and advancing self-determination for communities facing intersecting crises around the globe, including state-sanctioned oppression, crackdowns on migration, criminalization of activism, and forced displacement due to climate change.

Goal 1: Partner with frontline community leaders and grassroots groups to address root causes of displacement in Central America; provide aid along the migration route; and advance justice for immigrants, asylum-seekers, and people relocating for their safety within the U.S.

Addressing root causes of migration from Central America.  Gender-based violence, poverty, discrimination against Indigenous peoples, and ecological degradation due to climate change and extractive industry are a few of the factors driving migration from Central America. In Honduras, Nicaragua, and Guatemala, UUSC supports partner organizations whose work includes:

  • Investigative journalism and documentation of human rights abuses
  • Collective actions to defend rights, combat impunity, and protect access to natural resources
  • Promoting sustainable agroecological practices, for example through farming cooperatives
  • Providing comprehensive support to returned migrant children, training key local actors on issues related to migration, and developing communication on issues related to migration, such as the search for separated children and missing persons in migration
  • Academic scholarships and leadership training focused on women and youth
  • Comprehensive accompaniment with women survivors of violence

Supporting people in migration in Mexico.  In response to the discriminatory and dangerous conditions many people in migration face in Mexico – such as extortion, organized crime, and raids by immigration authorities and the Mexican Army – UUSC’s partners in Mexico are operating shelters, providing food and medical aid, and advancing justice and accountability mechanisms. This includes ensuring the families of disappeared or deceased people in migration have tools to exercise their rights with the Mexican government and in their countries of origin, strengthening transnational search and investigation mechanisms, and pushing the Mexican government to institutionalize innovative methodologies for investigations of grave human rights violations.

Central American partner convening.  Following the success of our gathering of five partner organizations in Cuba in March 2023, we plan to organize a second in-person convening of Central American partners this calendar year. The meeting will offer another opportunity for partners to not only provide feedback and input to UUSC but also to connect, build solidarity, and strategize with one another regarding shared challenges and opportunities.

Congregational Accompaniment Project for Asylum Seekers.  Launched in 2019, UUSC’s Congregational Accompaniment Project for Asylum Seekers (CAPAS) program continues to provide sponsorship matches between asylum-seekers and congregations – including guidance through the decision to become hosts or sponsors, preparation for teams to welcome and care for guests, regular connection with other CAPAS congregations around the country, and advocacy opportunities for widening engagement in immigrant justice issues. This fall, UUSC hired a part-time CAPAS Coordinator to support our expanding area of work.

The Pink Haven Coalition.  In addition to serving asylum-seekers through the CAPAS program, the CAPAS team has started working with Pink Haven, an organization led by experienced trans organizers, to assist with the urgent task of getting trans and gender expansive people out of unsafe states to safer ones in the United States. In this work, UUSC is in coalition with the UUA, progressive Quaker, Jewish, and Christian organizations, local mutual aid groups, care providers, as well as transgender activists and organizations. We are exploring partnerships with other progressive faiths groups as well. In response to the increasingly hostile legislative environment in the United States, with more than 550 legislative acts in 2023 seeking to eradicate transgender people from public life, we are working together to create networks of safety and direct support for trans beloveds and their families who need to relocate, access healthcare across state lines, or stay as safe as possible where they are. UUSC’s work with CAPAS already provides an important framework and network for this emerging crisis. UUSC is working closely with key congregations in “safer” states to create welcoming villages as well as recruiting and vetting housing hosts. As anti-trans legislation continues to create a community of internally displaced people in the U.S., we know that the need for congregations and communities to offer housing, resources, and welcome will only increase.

Goal 2: Protect the rights and human dignities of frontline communities, particularly Indigenous and First Peoples, being threatened by displacement and the climate crisis.

COP29.  Following our recent presence at the 28th annual United Nations Climate Change Conference, the Conference of Parties (COP28) in Dubai, UUSC looks forward to sponsoring our partner organizations to attend COP29 in November 2024 in Azerbaijan. Reliable sponsorship of our partners’ attendance at the annual climate conference is one critical way that UUSC amplifies community voices and demands and supports small island and Indigenous participation in international decision-making forums, which are often dominated by the Global North.

Pacific Partner Convening.  We are currently conducting follow-up from our October 2023 partner convening in Fiji with 12 of our partners. Part of these efforts include collaborating with attendees on a detailed report about their use of loss and damage funding to submit to the Scottish government. Following the success of our two most recent climate convenings, we plan to reconvene our partners in the Pacific this calendar year. In the coming months, we will be collecting feedback from participants regarding location, timing, and content of the meeting, as part of our commitment to a partner-led gathering that UUSC supports in a coordinating role.

Supporting a Pacific-led Climate Fund.  UUSC has been supporting a coalition of Pacific Island communities as they develop a new mechanism for funding climate adaptation and addressing climate-induced loss and damage. In addition to establishing the Kioa Climate Emergency Declaration, their collaborative efforts have resulted in the Kato Pacific Community Climate Fund, the idea of which first emerged from UUSC’s gathering in 2022. Following the initial planning of the fund, UUSC worked with partners to provide grant support for subsequent stakeholder meetings, conducted research for the development of the fund, and helped launch the fund in August. Now, we are continuing to assist our partners as they work to usher in support for and expand the new project.

Ongoing climate advocacy.  Last year, UUSC celebrated many climate justice advocacy victories – from the successful UN General Assembly vote in March to the Special Rapporteur visit with our partners in Alaska and Louisiana in May. In addition to supporting our partners’ ongoing advocacy and next steps in the wake of these achievements, we are continuing to participate in joint advocacy efforts and international decision-making forums in order to amplify our partners’ demands. For example, UUSC is member of the Climate Migration Displacement Platform, a coalition of civil society organizations calling attention to climate-forced displacement on a global scale. In light of the transition of the UU at UN work from the UUA to UUSC – and to help us manage this growing portfolio of international advocacy – UUSC will hire a new role, Global Advocacy Strategist.

Goal 3: Support democracy, international justice, and accountability in Burma (partner names are confidential).

Addressing media misrepresentations regarding Burma. UUSC is supporting our partner U.S. Campaign for Burma (USCB) on a research project, accompanied by a series of blogs and op-eds, aimed at changing the narrative around ethnic resistance groups in Burma. These minority groups are often misrepresented by the media as “insurgents” or “rebels,” which USCB is working to counter with narratives that focus on the efforts of ethnic resistance groups to regain their land.

Partner visits in Thailand.  In January 2024, UUSC’s Senior Partnership Officer for International Justice and Accountability, Myra Dahgaypaw, visited 13 partners and allied organizations in Thailand. During her trip, Myra gathered information about the current conditions on the ground amid the ongoing attempted military coup d’état, as well as developing new ways that UUSC can provide support beyond our grantmaking, including offering fundraising and advocacy trainings. In follow up to her site visits, Myra will convey her learnings, on-the-ground updates, and advocacy asks of our partners to U.S. representatives.

International justice and accountability efforts.  Several more countries, including France, have joined the Gambia vs. Myanmar case before the International Court of Justice regarding the decision on whether the Burmese military has committed acts of genocide against the Rohingya. UUSC and our partners are eagerly awaiting to hear final arguments by mid-2024 and a judgment in early 2025. Progress is also being made in a case brought forward by our partner, Burmese Rohingya Organization UK (BROUK), before the Argentinian judiciary in June 2023. UUSC staff member Myra accompanied BROUK to witness the five-day testimony in Argentina, which was provided by eight Rohingya survivors (seven women and one man) living in Bangladesh. We expect another session to be scheduled this year to decide who will be prosecuted in follow up to those hearings.

Goal 4: Reform international disaster assistance to follow the expertise and experience of directly affected communities.

Grassroots partnerships in Haiti.  From the recent resignation of unelected Prime Minister Ariel Henry, to the escalation of gang activity in the streets of Port-au-Prince, the people of Haiti are facing a deteriorating human rights crisis. Since late February, criminal gangs have orchestrated kidnappings, torched and looted businesses, attacked the airport, and released thousands of people from prisons. All public administration institutions have been non-functional, and police officers have abandoned entire neighborhoods in the West Department. And yet, despite these dire circumstances and threats to their own safety, civil society organizations continue to respond to the needs of their communities. With UUSC’s support, our partners continue to monitor abuses and government collusion, distribute information to help keep people safe, and support victims of violence and displacement. While responding to urgent needs today, our partners are also working towards a true democracy shaped by the talents, resilience, and courage of the Haitian people.

Research with Haitian partners.  UUSC is in the final stages of our collaborative research project with Haitian Bridge Alliance, which examines Anti-Blackness in the U.S. asylum system through survey and interviews. We completed research in December and anticipate releasing the report this spring. Our newest collaborative research project began in January at the request of our Groupe d’Appui aux Rapatriés et Refugiés. The work will focus on human rights abuses committed against Haitian migrant workers by the Dominican Republic border officials, employers, and police.

Ongoing Ukraine crisis response.  UUSC continues to partner with grassroots organizations in Ukraine and Poland to respond to the continuing devastation of the war and the long-term impacts of Russia’s invasion. The support that UUSC is providing today is critical as local organizations ­– which opened their hearts, volunteered to their limits, and expanded their capacities to support the influx of people displaced by the war – now face restrictive and diminished funding. UUSC is committed to long-term support for women and other activists leading an equitable response.

Submitted by Denominational Affairs Chair Barry Nobel.