[Peace-discuss] AWARE Minutes (attachments separate)

[David Green]

AWARE Minutes

October 30, 2005

1. News of the Week: 

Report of death of Mohammed al-Heeti’s brother in Iraq
Bush approval rating at 39% and falling.

2. Introductions: About 15 present

3.  New Ideas

1. SOA: Wendy Edward requested that we consider
contributing to sending some individuals to the annual
protest at the School of the Americas in Columbus, GA,
November 18th. We will hear more about a trip being
organized—perhaps from contact with Peter Rohloff or
Catholic Workers. We will entertain a funding proposal
next week, if one is made.

2.  Veterans Day Events? There does not seem to be
anything being organized that we can promote, as of
yet.

3. PRC co-sponsorship request: the following
co-sponsorship was approved:

On November 17th, the PRC will be holding an anti-war
rally in solidarity with National "Not Your Soldier"
Student Day of Action from 12-1pm. We will also have a
quad booth for part of the day. With this anti-war
rally, we hope to focus on counter-recruitment and
military counseling on campus. The event will feature
several speakers (TBA), banners and signs, chants,
information and resources for people thinking about
enlisting, are currently enlisted, and veterans, and
much more!

4. David Green requested approval of a flier to
distribute at the talk by right-wing Israeli
journalist Yossi Klein Halevi (Wednesday, Nov. 2nd,
noon 336 Gregory Hall), and $20 funding. The flier was
approved for distribution, the funding will be decided
next week.

4. Working Groups:

1. Finances: no report

2. Farmers Market: Good day yesterday, will continue
next week

3. Anthony Shadid (Jamie Storm): wheels are turning
regarding university-based invitation for next year,
perhaps millercom

4. Main Event: This Saturday from 2 to 4—fliers
needed, will get something related to 2,000 dead from
United for Peace and Justice website

5. AWARE Presents (Kruses): Stories from Iraq set form
Nov. 16th at Urbana Free Library, 29th at United
Church of Christ. Paul Wood of the News-Gazette has
promised to provide some coverage. Speakers will be
Bushra Al-Heeti, her son, and perhaps a member from a
Christian Peacemaker Team.

6. Counter-recruitment (Mort Brussel): Consideration
of fliering at Illinois High School Athletic
Association Football games, Thanksgiving Friday and
Saturday, to counter recruiters there. There will be a
meeting at Mort Brussel’s house to discuss this and
perhaps other issues, next Monday, November 7th, 7
p.m., 2003 George Huff Drive.

7. Church demonstrations (Kruses): There will be a
meeting at the Kruses house, 2007 George Huff Drive,
tomorrow (Tuesday, Nov. 1, 7 p.m.), to discuss the
possibility of having a presence at conservative area
churches (such as the Vineyard and Urbana Assembly of
God) during the Christmas holiday season. 

5. Last week’s events: 

Move-on vigil was “support the troops” type event
(sponsored by a local Israeli couple), disappointing
those who attended. Randall was told that he could not
display his posters of Iraqi war victims.

6. Upcoming Events

The  Channing-Murray Foundation presents:

Social Justice Programs	Fall 2005

Wednesday, November 2nd  00 p.m.

Topic:  Poetry in Insane Times
Presenter:  Matthew Murrey

Matthew Murrey has been writing poems for about 19
years.  His work has 
been published in a number of journals including
Wilderness Magazine 
and The Progressive.  He received a National Endowment
for the Arts 
Fellowship in poetry in 1995.

Matthew states, ”My poems are serious, funny,
disturbing, and 
enjoyable.  I like to connect with my audience, and I
want to inspire 
people to love the beauty and possibilities of
language in general and 
poetry in particular.”

1209 W. Oregon Street, Urbana 

******************

Israeli journalist Yossi Klein Halevi speaking on
media coverage of the Middle East conflict, Wednesday,
November 2nd, noon, 336 Gregory Hall (see attachment
for flier, sources, etc.)

******************

Upcoming IDF Dinner: 

IDF Annual Fall Dinner
Featuring Keynote Speakers Paul and Patricia Vogel
"We're the Problem, Not the Solution: Out of Iraq
NOW!"

Saturday, November 5th
Doors open at 5:30pm
Wisegarver Lounge (1st Floor of IDF)**
Tickets cost $8-15 on a sliding scale
RSVP Online (see below)!

On Saturday, November 5th, the Illinois Disciples
Foundation will be hosting our Annual Fall Dinner,
featuring keynote speakers Paul and Patricia Vogel in
a talk entitled "We're the Problem, Not the Solution:
Out of Iraq NOW!" The doors will open at 5:30pm,
dinner will be served  At 6pm, and the keynote
presentation will start at 7pm.

Keynote speakers Paul and Patricia Vogel 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.

The dinner will include an ALL-VEGAN INDIAN BUFFET,
featuring Toovar 
Dal (lightly spiced lentils), Rasadar Aloo (potatoes
cooked in a tomato base), Matar Gobi (cauliflower and
peas with ginger), basmati rice, Phalon Ki Chaat
(fruit salad), and more!

DINNER TICKETS are $8-15 on a sliding scale. Raffle
tickets are $1 each Or 6 for $5 and winners need not
be present to win. Tickets are available at the IDF
office, which is open Monday through Friday from
12noon to 5pm, and at the door. We would greatly
appreciate tickets to be purchased or reserved in
advance. YOU CAN RSVP ONLINE AT
www.prairienet.org/idf/falldinner05.html!

The proceeds of this event will go to the Illinois
Disciples Foundation to further our peace with justice
mission. The IDF is a pioneering campus ministry with
the mission of peace with social justice. This year,
the IDF is celebrating a tremendous milestone: IDF's
100th anniversary. Since its inception in 1905 the IDF
and its programs have been at the forefront of many
peace with justice struggles including the civil
rights movement, the struggle against the Vietnam War,
the fight for the Equal Rights Amendment, the
Sanctuary movement, the struggle to eliminate U of I's
racist mascot, "Chief Illiniwek," and current anti-war
work around the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

This event is being cosponsored by Activist Forum,
Anti-War Anti-Racism Effort (AWARE), Campus Greens,
Champaign County Health Care Consumers, National
Organization of Women (UI Chapter), Progressive
Resource/Action Cooperative (PRC), U-C Friends
Meeting, Vietnam Veterans Against the War, and the
Women’s Direct Action Collective.

**The IDF is located at the NW corner of Springfield
and Wright St. in Champaign. Wisegarver Lounge is
located on the first floor of the building and is
wheelchair accessible. 




	
		
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