Spiritual Progressives of the Hudson Valley

The meeting’s organizers (Mike Ignatowski, Dave Belden and Debi Clifford) outlined the national context for starting this initiative, and the mission and goals of the group. Two local projects that exemplify what spiritual progressives are doing in our area were profiled by their organizers. 1) Wanda Goldstein of the Restorative Justice Group of the UU congregation in Kingston described the group’s lobbying in Albany and their resource guide for people returning from prison. 2). Rev. Richard Witt described the work of the Rural & Migrant Ministry, which runs educational programs and has lobbied successfully for legal changes to bring more equal rights to farmworkers. Both were asked how the NSP could help them. Richard Witt invited us all to participate in Farmworker Solidarity Month this May: information will be posted on our website.

The meeting was opened to brainstorming from the floor about the practical things we could do. We finished with general comments from the floor. Please see the list of goals and principles listed in the information packet for the first meeting (which is available at the link at the bottom of this page). This formed the framework of our presentation and discussion. Among the suggestions of other groups that we could publicize:

• A healthcare reform group which is collecting stories about people’s problems with healthcare, mentioned by Barbara Sarah, director of the Oncology Support Program at Benedictine Hospital.
• Citizen Action, which is working on health care legislation as well as other issues. See www.citizenactionny.org
• Enlist for Peace, which is working on reducing militarism in high schools. Needs contacts in Kingston who can show up at Board and PTA meetings. Sorry – I didn’t get the name of the contact person for that.
• Dutchess Peace Coalition, also working against military recruitment in high schools – see http://www.dutchesspeace.org/ , mentioned by Nick Sarin
• Ken Walsh mentioned the efforts to get an LGBTQ Community Center for Ulster County

• How to make this a truly spiritual group, one that nourishes its members and that recognizes and draws on the power within to effect renewal
• The need to broaden the group to include African American, Latino and younger people

First, we clearly need to engage a whole lot more people. Most of us at the meeting were white and middle-aged. A primary goal for my own efforts during the coming weeks will be to talk with African American Christians about what they might want from a group like this. Others have already offered connections with Latinos and younger people. As Richard Witt said, our demographic profile at the beginning will be hard to change as time goes on. So right now the priority must be making contacts and talking with a wider range of people. That feels more important to me than holding meetings and discussions at this stage. The next meeting, though, is already set for a month from now: May 31, 7:30pm, New Paltz Town Hall. Let’s make that a more inclusive crowd.

Second, we need inspiration and big scale strategic thinking. The DVD of last summer’s first NSP national conference provides that. It’s an inspiration for understanding what we are trying to do. Book discussion groups can take that understanding further. We need to be developing our thinking at the same time as making contacts with more people.