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home › ICUU Africa Leadership Training Conference, 2008 The ICUU will sponsor and facilitate a leadership training conference for leaders of emerging The ICUU will sponsor and facilitate a leadership training conference for leaders of emerging U-U's groups in Africa, February 7-12, 2008. The gathering will help new and existing African U-U's increase their understanding of what it means to be Unitarian or U-U in the context of our global movement, will provide training and experience in the growth and development of congregations and in skills for ministers and religious leaders, will strengthen their regional ties and open avenues for cooperation and collaboration between them. The nearly 50 conference participants will come from groups in Nigeria, Kenya, Burundi, Congo, and Uganda, including ministers, and lay-leaders who are primarily members of governance committees. The faculty will include leaders and ministers from U-U groups and congregations in Canada, the U.K, India, Transylvania, South Africa, and the USA, who have some or all of the following credentials: broad understanding and experience of the member groups of the ICUU, leadership training experience, and language facility. The conference will focus on stated needs from the emerging groups themselves - including theological foundations of liberal religion, theories and practice of worship and religious education, congregational organization and governance, and decision-making in pluralistic systems. We will incorporate a variety of training materials gathered from programs such as UU leadership schools, Renaissance Modules, small group ministry, academic courses, and organizational development literature. Unitarian and UU history, the nature of Unitarian and UU practice around the world, and personal leadership development will be emphasized (including leadership styles, leadership vs. management, conflict management, and basics such as running a meeting). UUA, British GA, Transylvanian and Indian religious education curricula will be offered as models for lifespan religious education. In all activities, participants will explore ways to incorporate U-U values into leadership processes, at the local, national, and international levels. Worship will be an integral part of the program as well as the subject of study; participants will help prepare and lead daily worship services. Throughout the conference, participants will address ways to make all materials, curricula, and practices culturally appropriate and relevant for their own communities. Participants will also prepare organizational development plans for their own groups, focusing on local needs and resources. These plans will then be shared and discussed by the entire group, as case studies. In addition, each participant will share their ideas and experiences about growing U-U groups in their home places, including some of the social, economic and cultural resources and obstacles. In addition to plans for development and growth, each group will set goals for international connections within the ICUU - for mentoring relationships, partner relationships, cooperation, collaboration, and/or small-scale development projects such as micro-lending. WE NEED YOUR HELP With grant support, and with help from as many North American and European congregations as possible, the ICUU will fully subsidize the participation of most of these leaders, all of whom live in situations of extreme economic stress. We need your help and support to undertake conferences like this one, which serve our larger movement, and offer all of us opportunities to learn and grow. But the ICUU needs your help to make this conference a reality: Please take responsibility for raising at least $400 in your congregation, in support of this African leadership conference. (If you can raise more, that would be wonderful!) You might schedule an "ICUU moment" within a Sunday Service - giving some of the background about our international connections, and announcing this special effort to support the growth of U-Uism. The fund-raising can be a special collection, or individual donations, or a church dinner, or whatever will work in your congregation. Our aim is for 50-60 congregations to join in this effort between now and February 2008. (As of the end of November, we have 30.) Not only will this enable a successful first-time gathering of African U-U leaders, but we will also have made many more North Americans aware of the work of the ICUU. We will provide a packet with plenty of materials for you to use within the worship service or at whatever kind of fund-raiser you design, and will be happy to help you in the planning process - by phone and e-mail. We'll do whatever we can to support your efforts, if you will be the "point person' to make this happen in your congregation. How to get started:
We look forward to working with you on this effort - it will be good for all of us - our congregations and those in other parts of the world who are eager to lift up the banner of liberal religion! The world needs us more than ever! Sincerely,
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