Massachusetts Conference Edition

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Annual Meeting to consider resolutions

April, 2004

The 205th Annual Meeting of the Massachusetts Conference, United Church of Christ, will be lively, with many resolutions to debate and vote on, as well as worship, workshops and gatherings. Four resolutions, including recommended Clergy Compensation guidelines, are described in this issue. Others that are still in process will appear in the May issue of United Church News, Massachusetts Section.

For the full text of the resolutions, see the Annual Meeting page.

Massachusetts Prison Control Units

This resolution opposes the use of control units (solitary confinement) in Massachusetts prisons for anything more than brief periods; and urges Conference churches to become involved with the Campaign to Build Safer Communities, which is dedicated to closing the control units. It describes control units as "prisons within prisons," where prisoners are held in sensory deprivation cells 23 to 24 hours a day. This resolution is backed up by a statement by the United Nations Human Rights Committee (UN Convention on Torture) which states that the "prolonged solitary confinement of control units in the United States constitutes torture." The resolution points out the racial unfairness of prison life, in which people of color represent 18.1% of the population of Massachusetts, but account for 51% of the prison population and 70% of those in control units. Proponents of the resolution ask that it be distributed to members of the Massachusetts state legislature and to the governor.

William Duffe, pastor of East Church Congregational, UCC, Springfield, spokesman for the resolution, said, "We would like to see the control units closed as a justice issue. Every day that this confinement continues, the injustice is repeated." The American Friends Service Committee has done extensive research on this topic, Duffe said, which will be shared at Annual Meeting.

Seafarers' Rights

This resolution calls for the freedom of seafarers of all nations to come ashore in the United States for shore leave, a right which is abridged or denied in various instances. The United States is the only country in the world where international seafarers are required to have a visa to be allowed shore leave, and numerous marine terminals in the United States prohibit crews from leaving their ship even if they have a visa.

Supporters of the resolution note that following the Amistad into Boston Harbor last October was the freighter Orchid Bay. All but one of its crew of 22 Filipinos had been aboard for 53 days, with no shore leave available due to lack of the proper visa.

During this incident, Bill Fleming, liaison between the Conference and the crew of the Amistad, became even more aware of the plight of "captives aboard a ship." He is also chaplain of the UCC-linked Seafarer's Friend, incorporated in 1827, which continues to minister to seafarers in New England ports.

"The last year and a half has seen an increasing problem of seafarers not being allowed off the gangway, said Fleming. "This has frustrated them. `We're being treated like criminals,' they say." Many speak little or no English, so communication problems are compounded. Fleming believes "there are solutions to the problems of getting shore leave, but we need some public pressure."

The resolution suggests urging our congressional representatives, and through them the State Department, to fully implement the Seafarers' Identification Documents as substitutes for crew member visas for shore leave. Marine terminal operators will be urged to allow seafarers to have shore leave at their terminals, especially any in Massachusetts ports.

Fair Traded Coffee

The Fair Traded Coffee resolution asks people to use "Fair Traded" coffee, which is produced in ways that eliminate the middle merchant and directly benefit the farmers in developing countries where it is grown. A UCC Fair Traded brand of coffee is now available and would be offered at UCC functions, as "a moral example for other conferences, denominations, and faith groups."

The resolution calls on the 425 churches in the Massachusetts Conference to offer the new "UCC Fair Trade" as the standard coffee served during fellowship hour, and for sale in their churches. It will be available on-line at UCC.org. The churches also are called to educate members about the impact their choice of products has on "either creating hope or destroying families in developing countries," and the problems inherent in trade agreements such as NAFTA.

The advantages of Fair Traded coffee include a living wage for producers, opportunity for democratically run cooperatives, and development of management skills and marketing independence for farmers. This might also improve conditions and gender equality for women and children in the coffee trade, and increase ecologically sustainable farming practices.

Stan Duncan, a proponent of the resolution, believes that "we will not only aid farmers directly, but also learn how our simple economic choices cause immeasurable help or immeasurable damage to other parts of God's creation."