Friends and Allies of UCM,

UCM leaders attend meeting

Norma Mendoza , nmendoza@theintelligencer.com 12/15/2003

Members of the United Congregations of Metro East reported to the UCM Executive Board at its meeting this week about the National Leadership Assembly of the Gamaliel Foundation they attended last week in Milwaukee.

Ten local leaders of UCM met with more than 500 leaders of 54 other grass roots organizations, representing 1 million people in 1,158 congregations from 18 U.S. states and South Africa.

Rolling Thunder was the theme of the 2003 Leadership Assembly. Rolling Thunder was the term used for huge meetings and demonstrations that took place in major cities in South Africa during the struggle there to end apartheid.

Bishop Rubin Phillip, Anglican bishop of Natal, came to Milwaukee from South Africa to present the Gamaliel Foundation with the powerful Zulu Nation stick and the South African flag, symbols of the South African campaign.

Ken Aud, of Granite City, a UCM organizer, said the symbols will be passed in the United States from one Rolling Thunder meeting to another of the Gamaliel member organizations, starting in California and moving across the nation as reminders of the courage of their South African brothers and sisters and a sign of solidarity among members of the Gamaliel Foundation and their commitment to justice.

Here, Aud said, Rolling Thunder is a campaign of non-partisan voter registration, public action meetings, and get out the vote campaigns to achieve a stronger voice in political decisions. Leading up to the general election in November, Gamaliel members will conduct public meetings involving at least 60,000 people from coast-to-coast where they will call on presidential candidates, federal, state and local public officials to stake out their positions on the issues of each member organization such as the civil rights of immigrants.

In Milwaukee, UCM's own Rev. Sharon Smith of the First American Baptist Church in Granite City and Ron Trimmer of St. John's United Church of Christ, also in Granite City, addressed an audience of more than 800 on the issue of Metro Equity.

Aud said Metro Equity means restoring our cities, redeveloping abandoned industrial sites called brownfields, revitalizing our schools, transportation and housing issues, all topics they addressed at the Nov. 16 Public Action meeting of UCM in Collinsville.

Other issues brought to the meeting by other Gamaliel members included treatment instead of prison for non-violent drug offenders, civil rights of immigrants, and the campaign to Get Out the Vote in 2004.

Joining those at the Leadership Assembly and proclaiming their support of these issues were U.S. Sen. Russ Feingold and presidential candidate U.S. Rep. Dennis Kucinich.

Other leaders from UCM who attended the National Leadership Assembly in Milwaukee included UCM President Noncy Dooling, a member of St. Ambrose Catholic Church in Godfrey; recording secretary Rev. Helen Stumpe of Central Christian Church in Granite City; Rev. Jeanette Ervin of First American Baptist Church in Granite City; Carmen Roker, a member of Holy Tabernacle Church in East St. Louis; Sister Mary Clare Fichtner of St. Mary and St. Mark Catholic Church in Madison and Venice; Mary Trimmer of St. John's United Church of Christ in Granite City; UCM staff, Executive Director Herb Reisinger, a member of Holy Family Catholic Church in Granite City and organizer Ken Aud, a member of First Presbyterian Church in Granite City.

Aud said all of the UCM leaders were energized from their participation at the National Leadership Assembly with a commitment to work together on a campaign for social and economic justice in the Metro East region.

He said anyone who wants to learn more about UCM is invited to attend its next public board meeting at 7 p.m. on Jan. 20 at the First Presbyterian Church, 2160 Delmar Avenue in Granite City. For more information, call UCM at 451-1458, write to UCM at P.O. Box 166, Madison, IL 62060, or e-mail kaud@hotmail.com.