[Peace] AWARE minutes 12/15/03

[Gabriel Stanton]

AWARE minutes 12/15/03
Facilitator: Doug Olive
Time: Lisa Chasom
Notes: Gabe Stanton
Treasurer: Linda Evans

News of the Week Carl Estabrook (Posted on Website www.anti-war.net)

excerpts:
The pentagon prohibited contracts to companies that didn’t support invasion 
as James Baker tries to get them to forgive debts owed to them by Iraq.

1/2 of the US/Iraqi army has deserted because of terrible working conditions 
and pay

Article about Task Force 21 (American Death Squad) by Seynmour Hersh in the 
New Yorker.

Vice President Dick Cheney and group of hunters shot 417 pheasants in 
packaged hunting expedition-(metaphor for war?)

Karis Taylor passed out an article about the town in Israel called Neve 
Shalom/Wahat-al-Salaam (Oasis of Peace) located between Jerusalem and Tel 
Aviv-Jaffa. Started by 50 Jewish and Palestinian families in 1972 has served 
as an example of peace between the fighting people.

She also brought an article in about a fundraising campaign to support a 
bill to aid women and children who have been victimized by war. Others were 
unsure of the motives behind the group. Details at www.savethechildren.org


Working Groups

Dance Party- Thanks to Carol (who worked really hard to organize a really 
good time for a good cause)  The Noisy Gators for agreeing to play for this 
benefit (They rock) and  OJC  on 115 W. Main  for the great space to hold 
this  fund \raising event . Also thanks to everyone else who helped out 
..Lisa Chasom, Al Kagan, Paul King, Linda Evans ...et al. Also thanks to the 
Great Impasta and Mr. Glass for donating things to make this a success. We 
raised $1,400 for Oxfam Iraq and the Red Cross (about $700 ea.)


WILL Underwriting working group-Lisa Chasom we are not permitted to use 
“Anti-war” in our underwriting announcements. Lisa and group decided that 
they would ask WILL to change their policy so that they could expand there 
fundraising with a statement read similar to WEFT’s so that organizations 
like AWARE or even the NRA could be a potential source of funds. They were 
apprehensive about doing so because of fear of a fine by the FCC.

Carol- WILL could be paranoid but they did show sympathy to our particular 
dilemma and offered to list us for special events on their community 
calendar twice a year. Also they agreed to let us do editorials on some of 
their programs. Finally they have kept Bob Mchesney’s program the 
controversial “Media Matters” despite drawing a lot of criticism

Carl, Mort and others- Yes we should buy something like 10 spots and offer 
three editorials. (The working group would follow up on this. Carl agreed to 
do an editorial)

Finances- Linda Evans  AWARE has about $2300 in the bank

P4P David Green  He was told to “Go Back to France”. Anyone hearing his 
french might have reconsidered that request.
No major incidents this week. Santa Claus is apparently in favor of world 
peace. There will be another Protest this coming Saturday December 20th and 
then there will be a break. Mike offered to host a sign making party

New Ideas:

Mike Waltrop(Sp.?) wanted to do a huge community calendar to bring in more 
AWARE members. Others suggested that the IMC was the place for this but it 
was difficult to maintain as it is no longer in existence.  Doug reported 
that Cope Cumpston reads a community calendar at 700 AM on Saturday morning 
on WEFT. Pehaps AWARE could sponsor this if someone agreed to put some time 
in.

Upcoming events

Tuesday Prarie Greens meet at 7:00PM in main room in same place AWARE meets 
(IMC) 218 West Main St,Ste 110 Urbana.

Matt Murrey (AWARE member) will give a Poetry reading at Cafe Verde in 
Downtown Champaign on Wednesday December 17th at 8:00PM

Any errors please email the Lists.

Thanks,

Gabe

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