How We Work

Deep Personal Relatonships are the source of our strength, unity and power. See how we are actively building community through relationships. We Are All Leaders in different ways and at different times and value developing the skills and confidence to lead. See how we develop new leaders. We Work for Justice by identifying, researching and acting on the issues that matter to us. See how we are winning on issues.

Building Relationships

United Valley Interfaith Project is about building relationships across and within the diverse and distinct communities that make up our region.

Building relationships has been the hallmark of our group: from the first discussions about community organizing to the development of our core teams to our first public action and to our first Support Book campaign. We build relationships with each other and with organizations, businesses, faith communities and other groups to both understand the challenges of the region and to develop common cause on certain issues. UVIP Leaders have developed and strengthened relationships with many local and regional organizations, as well as statewide advocacy groups in both New Hampshire and Vermont. Our closest organizational relationship is with the Granite State Organizing Project in Manchester, NH. Similar in structure and purpose, our two groups have developed ways to work on issues specific to the state of New Hampshire and to build more power and have a substantive impact on the issues we work on.

This continuous process is what the United Valley Interfaith Project is all about. We seek to build thoughtful, sustaining relationships at all levels, from the personal to the organizational; within and among our congregations; between strangers and friends; and from the soup kitchens to the halls of power. By sharing our stories we get to know one another, develop trust, and better understand the challenges we face together. Community organizing is about developing collective power and acting for justice. Relationships are the source of our strength, unity, and power.

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Leadership Development

Anyone can be a leader—in different ways and at different times
— and this is why we refer to ourselves as UVIP Leaders.

An important aspect of UVIP’s work is to develop the leadership skills of all our volunteer members. We are a community organizing group dedicated to democratic decision-making and individual and community empowerment. It is essential that we develop the unique gifts each of us has and to participate in training opportunities that allow us to learn, grow and lead. As an organization made up of member groups, our leadership skills are brought back to our own groups, into our workplaces, families and communities. A good deal of the time and energy our volunteer leaders commit to UVIP focuses on developing our leadership skills. This is essential for the democratic health of our organization to provide us the skills, confidence and power to organize for justice.

UVIP Leaders have participated in various trainings in our issue team and Executive Council meetings, ranging from how to run an effective meeting, plan an agenda and facilitate active participation; to researching complex issues, carrying out public actions and engaging elected officials and decision makers. UVIP Leaders participate in the annual InterValley Project’s Leadership Institute that includes extensive training in the fundamentals of faith-based community organizing, building relationships, the organizing cycle, moving from problems to issues to action, and how to build and understand power. The work of UVIP is directed and carried out by volunteer members. Through our commitment, hard work and training, we volunteer members become Leaders in UVIP, in our member groups, and in our communities.

Opportunities for UVIP Leaders to develop their skills
have included:

• Participating in forums on community organizing and building participation in our member groups.

• Organizing and conducting Listening Campaigns in all our member groups and with the active participation of nearly six hundred community members.

• Organizing all our large gatherings, including our Issues Assembly, Founding Assembly, Public Action, and First Annual Convention.

• Convening, chairing and participating in our issue teams by identifying, researching, and developing campaigns to address the challenges facing
  our communities.

• Active participation from member group representatives and other Leaders in making decisions through our governing body, the Executive Council.

• Participating in the multi-day Leadership Institute hosted by the InterValley Project and attended by community members throughout New England.

• Participating in a workshop with Leaders from the Granite State Organizing Project on how our values shape the issues we work on and to understand how power can be built to better act on these values.

• UVIP Connects trained nearly thirty leaders on public speaking, building relationships and talking about our faith as the cornerstone of our work.

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