Holdeen

Comment

Comment by Jennifer Wright on November 23, 2009 at 12:14pm

Go to this website to see a video of the work of Shramajivee Mahila Samity in freeing bonded laborers: uuasocialjustice.blogspot.com

Comment by Jennifer Wright on October 30, 2009 at 2:32pm

The Holdeen India Program nominated this group and they won the award!

Shramajivee Mahila Samity Wins Freedom Award
Source: uuasocialjustice.blogspot.com
SMS, a partner of the UU Holdeen India Program, has received this year’s Harriet Tubman Award from international human rights organization, Free the Slaves.

Comment by Jennifer Wright on October 9, 2009 at 4:46pm

Thank you, Sarah. That works!
On Tuesday, October 13, the non-profit Free the Slaves is awarding Holdeen partner, SMS with the Harriet Tubman award for their work in freeing bonded laborers in India. You can check out the ceremony on Tuesday night or after at Huffington Post. Holdeen was honored to nominate SMS for this award.

Comment by Sarah Masters on October 8, 2009 at 11:08pm

Jennifer, I used your first sentence for the group description. Feel free to change it, but we would like there to be some description.

Comment by Jennifer Wright on September 28, 2009 at 9:37am

If you want to know more about Holdeen:

The Unitarian Universalist Holdeen India Program (UUHIP) works with key leaders and organizations of India's most marginalized and disadvantaged peoples in their struggle to secure human rights and economic and social justice. We focus on those peoples excluded or oppressed on the basis of gender, caste, ethnicity, religion or sexual orientation, especially dalits(untouchables), adivasis (tribals), bonded, migrant and child laborers, domestic and home-based workers and scavengers.

History

UUHIP was established thanks to a generous bequest to the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) from Jonathan Holdeen, a businessman and attorney with an interest in assisting the most impoverished people of India. In 1984 the Program (UUHIP) was organized in its current form as a non-sectarian religious and philanthropic trust.

Since 1984 UUHIP has identified and supported more than one hundred groups of marginalized peoples to help increase their organized strength and self-reliance; gain access to productive resources, services, and opportunities; improve their livelihoods, assets, economic independence, and social security; influence government policies, laws, and budgets in their favor; challenge discriminatory social practices; and build, manage, and control their own institutions, programs, and resources.

UUCA has supported the work of one of our partners, Vidhayak Sansad in its efforts to organize impoverished tribal people in a small village outside of Mumbai. Vidhayak Sansad also runs a residential school for tribal girls (only 1% of females in this tribe are literate!) and UUCA has made contributions to fund teacher salaries, school supplies and a computer for the school. Thank you!!