[Peace] AWARE meeting minutes for 4/11/04

[Randall Cotton]

AWARE meeting minutes 4/11/04

attendance: 14
minutes: Carol/Randall
facilitating: Ken

1. News of the week (Carl absent, quality freeform discussion ensued on the
bloody week in Iraq)

2. Discussion on lawyer meeting:
No agreement on whether to spend money for Gerstein work so far - decision
on this put off. Concern was raised over whether we really need a lawyer.
Others expressed continued support for obtaining legal help. New
reservations were expressed about Gerstein -  in particular that he has some
history of confrontational behavior (and sexist behavior was also noted).

[Ed. note: see this News Gazette story on how he lost his license for 30
days:
http://www.news-gazette.com/story.cfm?Number=12833 ]

It was expressed that perhaps other lawyer options should be investigated.
Further discussion put off since attendees of the Gerstein meeting weren't
present.

3. Peace-discuss mailing list archives
Ken requested that the peace-discuss list archives be changed to "private".
This would still allow peace-discuss subscribers to get to the archives
(after entering a password), but would prevent search engines such as Google
from scanning the entire archives. There was no objection so Randall agreed
to make this change. This can be revisited in the future if objection
arises.

4. Tax Day Flyering
Carol is organizing tax-day flyering at the Mattis Post Office to educate
people on what their tax dollars are being spent on. She proposed $50 for
cost recovery on the flyers - to be discussed/approved at next week's
meeting. See her note to the peace list for details:

http://lists.cu.groogroo.com/mailman/archive/peace/2004-April/003473.html

5. Chuck D event report
There was a diverse, decent-sized crowd, perhaps 400. Tabling went really
well - lots of contacts and many pamphlets passed out (in fact, we're
running low). Chuck D's content covered many, many bases.

6. Finance report
$1576.76 - one large expense: 20 weeks of IMC space rental

7. Literature
We're running low and we need some new material. Suggestions: include:
- A new Iraq pamphlet, perhaps a short, easily digested document
  (Al and Susan may work on this after the semester is over)
- Electronic Iraq has material that could easily be adapted:
  http://electroniciraq.net/news/factsheets.shtml
- Robert Fisk articles
- Naomi Klein articles

8. Nick drew attention to Michael Rupert and his "From the Wilderness"
publications (on the web at http://www.copvcia.com ). He is interested in
trying to get folks together to bring him to town as a speaker. [Ed. note -
Nick also followed up with a note to the peace list:
http://lists.cu.groogroo.com/mailman/archive/peace/2004-April/003470.html
and Carl responded to that with his own view of Michael Rupert:
http://lists.cu.groogroo.com/mailman/archive/peace/2004-April/003471.html ]

9. Upcoming Events

--Tim Johnson will be at Provena/Covenant (1st floor, 1400 W. Park, Urbana),
speaking on Medicare Prescription Drug program. It was suggested he be
questioned on what special "intelligence" he claimed he was privy to that
informed his decision to vote for the war.

--Earth Day festival, April 15, 6:30-midnight, Illini Union Courtyard Cafe,
cosponsored by AWARE. Tabling!

--Martin Espada appearance/poetry reading. Co-sponsored by AWARE. April 15,
7:30 pm, Lincoln Hall Rm 192

--Jeffrey St Clair book signing, Pages for All Ages, April 16, 7:30 pm

--Jeffrey St Clair talk, sponsored by AWARE, April 17 time/place TBA

--Estabrook Talk "The Continuities of American Policy" April 21, 7 pm,
Channing-Murray

--Amy Goodman WEFT benefit, Illinois Disciples Foundation, April 23, 6:15 pm

--Justice for Palestine Event: Hip Hop for Palestine (The Iron Sheik), April
23, 9 pm, YMCA.

--Justice for Palestine Event: The Tale of the Two Occupations, 6:30pm,
Allen Hall, April 26

--Justice for Palestine Event: Mike Miles and David Rovics, 8pm, Allen Hall,
April 26

--Liberation Education Conference --  Beth. April 30-May 2

--Estabrook Talk "The Coming October Surprise" May 5, 7 pm, Channing-Murray

--Taste of Champaign, June 25 (5-9 pm), June 26 (11 am-9 pm), June 27 (12-5
pm). Westside Park. Tabling!