Our dialog series provides a forum for intellectual pursuit and rational thought as integral to our spiritual journeys at UUCMC. Dialogs are planned on the first and third Sundays of the month at 9 am from September to May.
We welcome suggestions for speakers and topics. Please email uucmc@uucmc.org.
Upcoming Sunday Dialogs, 9:00am, Community Room
April 5th: Immigration Today: Policies, Trends, and Enforcement — Where Are We Now? – And What Are Young People Asking of Us in This Moment?
Itzel Hernandez
Many of us know Itzel from her work with young people who are dealing with the impact of immigration enforcement on their families and themselves. Always willing to educate us about laws and policies, Itzel will share updates on the status of immigrant rights in Monmouth County. She will tell us about this years’ trip to DC where she teaches students to lobby and exercise democracy.
Itzel Hernandez is an immigrant rights organizer with the American Friends Service Committee. She has played key roles in statewide campaigns including access to driver’s licenses, tuition aid and equity for immigrant students, occupational licensing for immigrant communities and others. Her work centers on amplifying youth voices and challenging systems of exclusion, contributing to broader state, national, and international conversations on immigration and social justice.
April 19th: Why Are Our Electric Rates So High? And What Can We Do About It?
Pat and Steve Miller
We have all seen our electric rates reach all-time highs this past winter. The primary cause is a spike in energy demand that our electricity supply cannot meet. Hyperscaler data centers are major cause of increased demand. Supply limitations are mainly due to administrative bottlenecks in grid operators, utilities and government. What can we do that helps both Us and our environment? There is a LOT we can do in addition to personal reductions in energy use: 1) advocating for regulation of data centers and new innovative products and services, 2) growing clean energy supplies, and 3) use of developing new technologies. We can continue to transform our electric grid and accelerate the growth of our clean energy supply, even in the face of current barriers.