Unitarian Universalists for a Just Economic Community

The Great Turning At the 2006 General Assembly in St. Louis, Unitarian Universalists for a Just Economic Community (UUJEC), a UUA affiliate organization, sponsored a wonderful lecture by author David C. Korten: The Great Turning: From Empire to Earth Community. Over 800 people attended the two sessions presented by Korten. Korten, author of the classic bestseller When Corporations Rule the World (1995) and co-founder of Yes! Magazine, based his talk on his new book The Great Turning. In his book, Korten makes the case for why the model of Empire, a dominator model under which we have lived for 5,000 years, is not sustainable. He describes the components of the "Perfect Economic Storm" that is accelerating the decline of the Empire model: peak oil; climate change; and the U.S. economic meltdown due to trade deficits and extraordinarily high U.S. debt. We face, Korten says, two possible futures: the Great Unraveling or The Great Turning to Earth Community. The Great Turning to Earth Community is the choice we hope humankind will make. But it is a choice... a possibility.., not a prophecy or the outcome guaranteed by any means. UUJEC has chosen The Great Turning toward Partnership for Democracy and Peace as our core theme for our work during the next year and beyond. The Great Turning offers a wonderful framework to support the pursuit of social and economic justice for our planet and a shift to Earth Community.     Your Turn - Monthly column 1. The Great Turning - August 2007 2. What does it mean? ; September 2007 3. Reducing our carbon     footprint - October 2007 4. UU Turn? - November 2007 5. The Earth Community     Prosperity Story December 2007 6. Neva Welton on Prosperity - January 2008     Man, 62, discovers winter - February 2008 7. Externalizing Costs & Kitchen Wisdom - March 2008     Count your Carbon Worksheet 8. Consciousness - April 2008 9. The Earth Charter - May 2008 The Great Turning packet is intended to help congregations engage, educate and activate UU's and society as a whole to understand The Great Turning and work to make it a reality. Order The Great Turning Packet. It includes: ** a CD with David Korten's presentation at the 2006 General Assembly; This power point presentation can be shown to your congregation ** a model study guide that can be used to lead discussion groups through the book; ** materials to help in creating a service based on The Great Turning; ** a copy of the Summer 2006 issue of YES Magazine and, ** many other references both for additional reading and about groups supporting       and working to bring about The Great Turning. Ordering Information: Call UUJEC at (978) 374-4699 to order. Study packet on "The Great Turning" with book $50 Study packet on "The Great Turning" w/o book $30 Book only $24 Sample Sermons 1. Rev Dr Lucy Hitchock-Seck, Miami, FL Other information and resources are available on the web at www.greatturning.org David Korten has an active schedule of speaking engagements in the coming months. Check www.davidkorten.com/Calendar_State.htm to see if he will be speaking at an event close to your congregation. We hope these materials will help you get started on this critical journey. UUJEC looks forward to hearing about your plans to introduce The Great Turning in your congregation. We will be reporting on specific events and ideas on our web site: http://www.uujec.org Please e-mail us with news at uujec@verizon.net. Involve your congregation!