[Peace-discuss] AWARE meeting minutes, July 22, 2007

[Karen Medina]

AWARE Meeting Minutes for Sunday July 22, 2007
Durl Kruse facilitated
Karen Medina took minutes
15 people were present. 
Many people were absent due to trips. 
The Storms were home listening to "Keepin' the Faith" ("Zen Buddhist Practice in China Today: Notes on a Pilgrimage," Elihu Smith of the Prairie Zen Center in Champaign. http://willmedia.will.uiuc.edu/ramgen/archives/ktf070722.rm )

News of the Week
-----------------------
Carl Estabrook opened with his list of news (for the full list, see a posting from him, but here is a quick review):
1) US surge failing
   moving violence
   many wars
   tenuous alliances
   Ryan Crocker, United States Ambassador to Iraq, asking for visas for US employed Iraqi workers if the troops pull out.
2) Democrats say withdraw, but borders is not a withdrawal
3) Time Magazine, Dems and redeployment, not really different
4) Bush 3 actions this week
   a) blocking property of people who are threatening the efforts
   b) contempt citations
   c) torture (did not mention Pentagon)
5) Letter to Carl Levin
   veto habeas corpus
   veto withdrawal
   veto Iran
6) provoking war in Iran during Congressional recess in August? 3 air craft carrier in the gulf.
7) Gen. Kevin J. Bergner; Senate has voted 97 to zero to censure Iran
8) Cornym Amendment calling Iraq a failed state; 94 yes, 3 no (Feingold, Byrd, and Harkin)

Discussion of the News of the Week
----------------------------------
Mort: administration is saying that the September report won't mean anything, won't know until November if the surge is successful
Dave: Which November?

Mort: Impeachment, need 3 more votes, then will pursue

Jan: National Impeachment Day (tomorrow (Monday, July 23))

A discussion followed including a few questions about Conyers.

Several jokes followed, including jokes about the colonoscopy and the loss of Bush's presidential library.

Mort: a friend says that the number of incidences of violence and death in Iraq is as high as ever
Carl: Coburn in London also says this is true (I am assuming he means Judith Coburn ??? - kem)


Introductions
-------------
Marilyn - teacher (I will leave their place of employment quiet)
Neil - teacher (I will leave their place of employment quiet)

Working Groups
--------------
Financial: $19 from meeting last week; $48 from Farmer's Market; $50 to Sweet Corn Festival (Urbana Business Association)

Main Event: Saturday, August 4th
* flier suggestion of Hiroshima Day
* Mort is working on a flier for this month. Jan mentioned Notes N Quotes is inexpensive (Friday is really good)
* Durl checked on the issue with the banner on the construction fence at 1 Main last time.
  Answer: private fence; Roger Miller is in charge of demolition; Deputy City Attorney Trisha Crowley is expected to send us a letter for documentation purposes. Fence is off limits.
  Summary: The fence is off-limits to us.
* Durl asked about overpasses
  Answer: Overpasses are public sidewalks; we can treat them like public areas and hold things; however, we cannot hang anything on the overpass; we can distribute fliers.
  Summary: Overpass is just like being at 1 Main.

Farmers Market:
* Mort: We need impeachment signs (yard signs). Jan is looking into this.
* Janet: order had not come in yet. (As I write up these notes on the following Saturday, I think the order has come in because we have some new bumper stickers. And Bob W. made some impeach buttons!)
* Karen will contact Bernie of the anti-surge group for free signs that say "Support the troops, bring them home"
* Bob mentioned that there was a woman asking for a specific bumper sticker: "Do we fear our enemies more than we love our children?"
* The sign up sheet was passed around. Jan and Durl will post the shift on Monday this week.

Sweet Corn Festival is coming up
* AWARE will have a table there on Saturday August 25th, 11am-11pm
* 2 hour slots
* There will not be a Farmer's Market table that day
* This table has more space.
* Durl mentioned that they stayed till 11PM last time, and they got free pizza!

AWARE Presents
* Still looking for a date to meet. Now looking at August 14, 15, or 16 (Tues, Wed, or Thurs)
* There have been several suggestions for things to do this Fall.

Anti-Racism
* Bob Wahlfeldt mentioned that a new court date has been set for Patrick T.
* CPRB in Urbana still talking about it.

Student Groups
* Quad Day is coming up, Tuesday August 21st
   We'll need materials to hand out
   IMC has a table that they think they will have staffing problems, so AWARE is welcome to use

Someone said: We have more working groups than we have people tonight
The working groups that did not have reports included: Counter-recruitment, Iran, anti-torture

Old Business
------------
Illinois Coalition for Peace and Justice (ICPG) dues is $25 to maintain the website and calendar thing.
* This is a progressive "tax" based on the money that the groups handle. 
* Pay now, next time due will be April.
* Mort was in support of paying the $25. It is a minimal amount and a good thing.
* Conrad asked if a group doesn't pay, are they no longer considered members
   Jan answered that ICPJ won't kick people out
   Conrad agreed with Mort, small expense and sensible thing
* Official vote will take place at the next meeting, Sunday July 29th

New Ideas
---------
Mort suggested that we have a massive march right here in town.
* The peace movement needs millions of people in the streets!
* (We had two teachers in the room) M said that getting students would be good.
* A new Working Group has begun. A sign up sheet went around the room.
* Possible dates? 
   Labor Day? (Jobs with Justice usually have a march. Ask Ricky)
   Unity March people might be interested in recruiting for this type of thing (Bob Illyes was the one who thought of this)
* Durl mentioned that the march should be about anti-war, 1 message clear and singular

Peace Walkers coming through town! 
* "Not in Our Name" Project, "March for Peace" walkers walking from San Francisco to Washington DC
* This is a cross-country march for peace
* Will be in Illinois in August, specifically, will be walking through Champaign-Urbana
* Jay Mittenthal says the Quakers have enough housing for the walkers.
* Website is http://www.marchforpeace.info/
* Fliers are available from the website.
* Pamela Rochford offered to contact the walkers.
* Pamela emailed me (Karen Medina) with the information:
   Pamela spoke to Alison, one of the walkers.
   They will be arriving in town on August 9, then going through Champaign on the 10th (originally it was thought they would be here August 2, but it is actually August 9 and 10).
   Peter, the other walker, had been in touch with the Quakers.
   Pamela told them that we would like to join their march in Champaign. 
   The phone line was a very bad connection.
* (By they way, The Not in our name dot net has an online store, and one of the signs says "Iraq is Arabic for Vietnam")

Where is the Rage? (Veterans for Peace)
* They have some good stuff

Dave mentioned that there was a woman who was looking to interview WWII veterans. 
* WILL
* David Norren. Merlin Tabor.

EFF, the Electronic Frontier Foundation
* (Something about the) Appellate Court 
* Electronic eavesdropping
(This is what I found with a quick search:
* Thursday, July 26
* The EFF will argue for the release of court orders that supposedly authorize the government's domestic surveillance program that intercepts and analyzes millions of Americans' communications.
* EFF v. Department of Justice
)
 
Upcoming Events
---------------
July 28, 2007
Farmer's Market
8AM-12Noon

August 1, 2007 (Friday)
"War Made Easy: How Presidents and Pundits Keep Spinning Us to Death" a local showing
7pm
Community United Church
805 S. Sixth Street 
Champaign, Illinois 61820
Sign up online http://warmadeeasy.bravenewtheaters.com/screening/show/9627-champaign
(Note that a recent interview with Norman Soloman is available for download from WILL:
http://www.will.uiuc.edu/media/mediamatters070715.mp3 )
"War Made Easy reaches into the Orwellian memory hole to expose a 50- year pattern of government deception and media spin that has dragged the United States into one war after another from Vietnam to Iraq. Narrated by actor and activist Sean Penn, the film exhumes remarkable archival footage of official distortion and exaggeration from LBJ to George W. Bush, revealing in stunning detail how the American news media have uncritically disseminated the pro-war messages of successive presidential administrations."

August 4, 2007 (Saturday)
Farmer's Market table
8AM-12noon

August 4, 2007 (Saturday)
Main Event (demonstration in downtown Champaign, at the corner of Main and Neil)
2pm-4pm

August 9, 2007 (Thursday)
"Not in our name" Peace marchers to arrive in C-U
Staying with Quakers

August 10, 2007 (Friday)
"Not in our name" Peace marchers marching through Champaign!
JOIN!
http://www.marchforpeace.info/

August 11, 2007 (Saturday)
Farmer's Market table
8AM-12noon

August 18, 2007 (Saturday)
Farmer's Market table
8AM-12noon

August 21, 2007 (Tuesday)
Quad Day table

August 25, 2007
Sweet Corn Festival table (no table at Farmer's Market)
11Am-11PM
Sign up for a 2-hour slot!