[Peace-discuss] Thank you for cosponsoring Fall Dinner!

[Jen Tayabji]

Dear AWARE--

Thank you for your organization's co-sponsorship of this year's IL Disciples
Foundation Annual Fall Dinner. It was held on Saturday, November 5th and
went extremely well!

We could not have pulled this event off without the support of our
cosponsors!

If you'd like to know more about how the event it, a recap is below.

Again, thank you for your support!

In solidarity,
Jen Tayabji
Executive Director, IDF


***
ILLINOIS DISCIPLES FOUNDATION
ANNUAL FALL DINNER RECAP

The Illinois Disciples Foundation (IDF) recently held its Annual Fall
Dinner, our biggest event of the year, on Saturday, November 5th. Over
seventy-five community members, students, activists and friends of the IDF
came out to this event to enjoy an all-vegan Indian buffet, anti-war
speakers, and the raffle.

After dinner, Jen Tayabji, the Executive Director of IDF, introduced our
keynote speakers, Paul and Patricia Vogel. They are active members of
Military Families Speak Out (MFSO), a national organization of over 3000
military families who are seeking an immediate withdrawal of our troops, the
proper care of our wounded and a full accounting for this disaster. The
Vogels have been speaking out against the war since their son Aaron was
deployed to Iraq in April 2003.

In November 2003, Paul traveled to Baqubah, Iraq, through the help of the
American Friends Service Committee, to visit his son. He was able to meet
many local Iraqis, from families with a daughter in the Baghdad orchestra,
to religious leaders who worked with local NGOs.  Paul also met with other
soldiers in Aaron's unit during his visit and heard of the suffering and
sense of betrayal these soldiers felt. The fear and anger the Iraqi people
also felt was very apparent even then. Their son returned safely in April
2004, but four soldiers in his unit were not as lucky.

In December 2004 Paul petitioned the Governor of Illinois to join only 5
other states in honoring the soldiers from our state who have been killed in
Iraq and Afghanistan, by lowering the US and State flags to half staff on
the day of the funeral for that soldier. The Governor issued a proclamation
to that effect in February 2005. In March 2005 Pat was one of six people
arrested by the Chicago police during a protest march to mark the second
anniversary of the Iraq war. Most recently, Pat joined Cindy Sheehan in
Crawford, TX to demand an answer from President Bush about what our soldiers
were dying for.
 
In their talk entitled, ³We¹re the Problem, Not the Solution: Out of Iraq
NOW,² the Vogels spoke of their personal experiences of having a loved one
serve in Iraq, on speaking out as a military family, current local and
national anti-war legislation, and what we can do to get the immediate
withdrawal of our troops from Iraq.
 
The final event of the evening was a raffle with a number of great prizes
from all of Urbana-Champaign. Non-profit organizations and student groups
donated merchandise from their campaigns, including t-shirts, buttons and
bumper stickers. Local merchants also generously donated some great gift
certificates and products from their businesses. Our grand prizes were very
exciting! Circles¹ Boutique offered a gift certificate of $100 for the
second prize. The grand prize was an ink drawing of Dr. Martin Luther King,
Jr. We would like to thank Old Vic Art Gallery and Victor Gallo himself for
donating a piece that really reflects the peace with justice Mission of the
IDF.
 
In all, the event was a great success that brought together the community to
really think about anti-war organizing while enjoying dinner, and of course,
each other¹s company.
 
The IDF would like to thank the following organizations and businesses for
donating gifts for our raffle: Old Vic Art Gallery, Circles, Dandelion,
G-Mart, Krannert Center, Moonstruck, Retro Rocket, and the Walnut St. Tea
Company, Cafe Luna, Caffe Paradiso, Dandelion, The Dragon¹s Table, The Great
Impasta, Jane Addams, Radio Maria, Red Herring, Strawberry Fields, World
Harvest, Campus Greens, Champaign County Health Care Consumers (CCHCC),
Graduate Employees¹ Organization (GEO), Illinois Disciples Foundation,
National Organization for Women (UI Chapter), Progressive Resource/Action
Cooperative (PRC), and the Vietnam Veterans Against the War (VVAW)

The IDF would also like to thank the following cosponsors: Activist Forum,
Anti-War Anti-Racism Effort (AWARE), Campus Greens, Champaign County Health
Care Consumers, Channing-Murray Foundation, National Organization of Women
(UI Chapter), Progressive Resource/Action Cooperative (PRC), U-C Friends
Meeting, Vietnam Veterans Against the War.

----------------------------------------------------------------
Jen Tayabji
Executive Director
Illinois Disciples Foundation (IDF)
610 E. Springfield Ave., Champaign, IL  61820
Work (217) 352-8721 | Cell (217) 840-8248
http://www.prairienet.org/idf

"If we remember those times and places--and there are so many--where people
have behaved magnificently, this gives us the energy to act, and at least
the possibility of sending this spinning top of a world in a different
direction. And if we do act, in however small a way, we don't have to wait
for some grand utopian future. The future is an infinite succession of
presents, and to live now as we think human beings should live, in defiance
of all that is bad around us, is itself a marvelous victory."

--Howard Zinn