[Peace] AWARE minutes 11/17/02

[Gabriel Stanton]

AWARE(The Anti Ware and Racism Effort) minutes 11/17/02

-Facilitated by Ricky Baldwin
-Timing- Lisa Chason
-notes myself(Gabe) email me with questions or comments

I. Child Care- Lisa Chason  Options being considered for protest (Saturday 
2-4pm) and Sunday(5-7pm).

II.   Antisemitism- How can AWARE address this issue and the claims that 
efforts to end the occupation are anti-semitic.

- Can we have a panel of speakers to engage in friendly debates about the 
issue? (General response was probably not.)
How can we defend the movement for the divestment of funds to Israel? 
(Called by some anti semitic)
    Contact the Democratic Solidarity Movement or other groups at the U of I 
to find out what efforts they are making toward the divestment of military 
aid to Israel given its abuse of this aid against innocent palestinians.

Main Ideas

A.  Revising literature and / or new literature addressing the problems

B.  Continuing to sponsor/fund Teach-ins addressing the Occupation of 
Palestine and bring up questions there.

C.  Internal (AWARE meeting)-information session about the history of the 
occupation in Israel and about failed peace accords.

D.  Writing letters to the editors of local newspapers about the problem and 
AWARE’s stance.


III. News of the Week- Carl Estabrook

- New administration in China. New “Young” Leader.

- Al Jazeera warned U.S. About supporting Israeli occupation, attacking 
Iraq. Promised terrorist retaliation

-School of Americas protest in Georgia. 10,000 people protested the 
organization that trains brutal terrorists in Colombia and other areas of 
the world.

-Hans Blix leads UN weapons inspectors 10 days from now.  U.S. will be 
looking for a material breach to have permission to invade.

-U.S. Committee- is finally addressing the security problems in airplanes 
and other transportation problems. Including a list of people who are not 
permitted to fly.

-Effects of war against Iraq covered in the New Scientist. 500,000 people 
will die most of them civilians.  Australian Defense Forces conclude that 
U.S. War will cause more deaths than any of the two previous wars.

-Famine hits hard in Ethiopia. Prime minister wonders where is U.S. aid? Why 
rush to war.

IV.  Announcements and Past events

Library Display- available for one unspecified month in the Champaign public 
Library. Books about Peace or recent histories of areas of conflict 
(Colombia, Israel, Iraq, Afghanistan). Email Charlotte Green w/ questions 
and suggestions.

Weekly protest 2-4 Saturdays- on Prospect- 6th week about 35 this week and 
as many as 50+ other weeks . Good advertising over the airwaves. Thanks to 
all for the calls. New lists available to be exploited for more outreach. 
Contact Ricky for assistance and concerns. Channel 15 the most responsive to 
the movement.

Danville protest. 12 people. Well organized. Carl Estabrook was there to 
lead.

Angela Davis (Civil rights worker and outspoken professor spoke to crowd 
about speaking out against the racism of the prison industrial complex and 
its connection to war.

Members of the IDF (Illinios Disciples Foundation) spoke up against Chief 
Illiniwek-racist mascot of UIUC at the Board of Trustees Meeting during the 
beginning when public comment welcomed. Then when the board stalled- They 
chanted Ban the Chief and went outside to join other protesters.


V. Upcoming Events.


Lori Serb- brought up the 85% coalition’s work to give equal rights to gays, 
lesbians and bisexuals by their support of house bill 101 to insure their 
protection under the law from discrimination. There will be a rally in 
springfield followed by direct action talking with senators. November 21, 
9AM Leaving from the Art Theatre Parking Lot. More info on the website 
www.prarienet.org/85percent/inde.shtml

Superintendent Delores Henry whose job was to find and root out racism in 
Champaign County Schools was fired by the board under secretive pretenses- 
Rally at the Mellon Building (School Board) Tommorow at 6 P.M.

Mirror of Truth Tour- Peace Bus(connected with Voices in the Wilderness to 
speak out against war on Monday at 7PM

Jeff Guntzel (Voices in the Wilderness) to speak about the  situation in 
Iraq.  Thursday at 7:00 PM.

VI Possible directions for AWARE

-Midwest IMC conference concerning peace activism

-March in Washington on January 18th

-Talking with Church groups about organizing march for peace on Martin 
Luther King Day. Religious Leaders for Community Care could be 
contacted-Carol

-Funding a well known speaker and charging admission-Amy Goodman for example

-Clint Poppets(sp?) named official archivist of group. We need to have an 
organizational memory

-Invite friends to lunch to talk about War.

-Finance Committee going strong. Checks seem to be preferred method of 
payment.



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