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"With this project, something as
simple as the cup of coffee we drink at our social hour becomes an
opportunity to put into practice the U.U. principles,‘to affirm human
dignity' and to ‘respect the interdependent web of all existence of
which we are all a part.'"
- Michael Arnott, member First Unitarian Society in Newton, MA
The UUSC Coffee Project is an innovative
way for your congregation to reach out to communities in the
coffee-growing world. As Unitarian Universalists we can address a
consumer dilemma by buying coffee that is fairly traded. Through the
project, farmers and their families earn a fairer share of income, have
access to credit and technical support, and gain a trading partner they
can trust, a fair trade organization called Equal Exchange. At the same
time, your congregation can enjoy fellowship and learn more about the
world, its economy and our part in it.
There are many ways
that your community can become involved in the UUSC Coffee Project.
Within your congregation there are committees, such as Social Justice
or the youth network, that might sponsor the project. Then, as your
congregation enjoys this delicious coffee, members and visitors alike
can take time to learn more about its impact on the people who grow it.
Read about coffee farmers and the ways in which UUSC is helping the
farmers, their families, coops, and communities. Discuss issues of
human rights and economic justice in the global marketplace and take
action in the spirit of love.
UUSC is able to confront
injustice worldwide thanks to the dedicated support of its members and
supporters. For more information about this and other programs, contact
the Programs Department at UUSC, 130 Prospect St. Cambridge, MA
02139-1845, Tel. 617-868-6600, E-mail: postmaster@uusc.org, or visit www.uusc.org.
For more information see:
Event Highlight
Equal Exchange introduced its coffee and music sampler at Old Ship Church, First Parish Hingham Unitarian Universalist on 11/18/06 at the Coffee House on the Square where monthly folk music happens. 100 coffee and folk music lovers tasted samples of freshly brewed Peruvian and Guatemalan coffees. They savored Equal Exchange’s organic mint, milk with hazelnut and very dark chocolate bars to compare tastes and choose favorites. Equal Exchange singers Rob Everts and Virginia Berman topped off the Equal Exchange sampler with melodious songs from coffee country. Oaxacan ranchero style harmonies filled the room with the warmth and wonder of the coffee growing lands they come from.
Rob Everts & Virginia Berman | 
Nick Reid & Rob Everts |
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Interfaith Program 
