[Peace] AWARE minutes 8/1/04

[Gabriel Stanton]

AWARE 8/1/04 meeting minutes
Facilitator: Gabe Stanton
Notes: Gabe Stanton
Cherry Tomatoes and Basil(God, G Stanton, C Green)
Time/Agenda( Durl&Jan Kruse and Consensus!)
Attending(18)

News of the week(Carl was absent)
Big News Item(Susan Davis)- U.S. Intelligence warns of potential terrorist 
strikes on financial institutions in Washington, DC, Newark, New Jersey and 
New York City during this week. Homeland security secretary Tom Ridge raised 
the threat level to Orange and said information was specific but could not 
tell if attack was imminent. Residents will probably have to deal with 
increased, survelliance, police presence and blocked off streets in these 
cities.  Earlier Ridge announced that there was information that Al Quaeda 
planned to attack to disrupt elections In other words be afraid and trust in 
your president to have a plan to pull us out of this mess. Does anyone 
remember the October Surprise in 1980 before Reagan was elected president?
   -Bush Administration criticized for not recognizing conflict in Sudan as 
genocide. Close to 160,000 dead and 500,000 are displaced.(AL)
  -International NGOs denounce World Trade Pact (check out OneWorld.net or 
commondreams.org

Working Groups

ATTN:  Someone needed to write agendas/facillitate next meeting!



WILL- Susan checked website to find out if there was anything in the mission 
statement or bylaws which would suggest that commentaries about a broad 
ranging issue such as war were in fact not permitted as they suggested in 
their rejection of AWARE’s attempt to air commentary about the Iraq war and 
or the occupation of Israel. The mission statement seemed to suggest that 
commentary would be welcome and even desired as part of a free exchange of 
ideas and wouldn’t necessarily limited to something strictly local such as 
sewage.A few in the meeting pointed out that war was an issue with local 
effects and offered to write letters to WILL and other media addressing our 
concerns with this area of concern. If one of the mission statements of WILL 
is to seek new knowledge then limiting our document Art supported commentary 
would seem to be inconsistent.




UPTV- Randall has been working to get FSTV featuring Democracy Now Amy 
Goodman on Urbana Public Television. He has worked to send a letter from 
WEFT addressing the radio station’s support of this news outlet. Randall has 
written up a 11/2 page of summary of the issue and description of FSTV and 
the programs that it offers. He has agreed to personally invest the money 
needed to bring this service to the Urbana community. He has already gotten 
some organizations to support the idea and has gotten more than 800 
individuals to sign the petition supporting the move. Other organizations 
could still be contacted including CCHCC and planned parenthood. Post to the 
peace lists if you’d like to help.

Fahrenheit Art Theater -(Jan) Because Fahrenheit 911 sales are so good and 
it will know be kept into the seventh week we are keeping the table with the 
Michael Moore display as is at the Art theater on church street. Donations 
are coming in and people are taking bumperstickers, buttons and literature.

Legal Police- Susan researched towing ordinances in the city of Champaign to 
determine where protesters could safely park. She found that it is within 
the rights of Lowes and Tires Plus to tow if we are in their lot. But the 
question remains where does the parking area for Lowes begin? Directly in 
front of the store. Furthermore is parking area in shopping malls public or 
private property? Susan found out that Marketplace mall is owned entirely by 
the largest Mall contractor in the U.S. (The World?) General Growth Inc. The 
conclusion is that we should try to learn more about where it is permitted 
for us to park.

Farmer’s Market- (Jan&Durl)Should we buy Fairly Trade Zapatista coffee to 
sell at the Farmer’s Market. Can we ask for more than a donation? If we sold 
it for profit would that change our status as an organization according to 
the Farmer’s Market bylaws?  Are we only allowed to sell locally produced 
food products. All of these questions are left to be answered. What is clear 
is that the coffee is selling well in small quantities and that it is from 
Chiapas Mexico.
-100 more yard signs were ordered (Vote out Bush and Cheney). There have 
been some negative letters to the editor calling the signs (unpatriotic and 
ugly) Perhaps someone should write a letter in favor of the signs.
-Janet has been asked to order more buttons and stickers. We are running low 
on election related merchandise. Sales have been consistently good.
-Durl agreed to design a flyer advertising monthly demonstrations on 
Prospect and Marketview(P4P)
-If you’d like to sign up for tabling at the Farmer’s Market for the coming 
weeks you can do so at the table.
-List of guidelines for tabling revised-Durl-Some highlights- AWARE doesn’t 
formally endorse candidates or parties.   We agreed to shorten part to 
“Avoid being confrontational or hostile. Discussions should be appropriate 
to supports positions that are opposed to war and racism.
-AWARE is sponsoring the protest of the Republican Convention organized by
United for Peace in Justice in front of Madison Square Garden the day before 
the convention on August 29th of this year.

Prospect for Peace-Gabe et al.  The event will occur this coming Saturday 
August 7 on the corner of Prospect and Marketview from 2-4PM. Invite friends 
and neighbors. R.  will continue video coverage. David G. Has the signs. 
Paul Patton suggested people should bring or make signs having to do with 
Hiroshima Day August 6, 2003.

Literature-Susan and Al handed out a pamphlet entitled American Foreign 
Policy: Spreading Democracy or Imposing Empire? It addresses some of the 
major changes in foreign policy after September 11 including the doctrine of 
preemptive war, control of world oil reserves and the racist policy that is 
a result abroad and in the U.S. It was sent out over the peace discuss lists 
and small corrections were made.  It is an excellent overview of some of the 
major issues that concern AWARE and includes contact info for the group.

Events of the Past Week- B. Taylor is interested in moving shortwave station 
Radio for Peace International from Costa Rica to his farm near Allerton 
Park. He is interested in fundraising for transport of the gigantic 
transmitter and for an affordable 6 megahertz AM transmitter. Problems with 
FCC liscensing have yet to be worked out.

Coming Events.
Vigil/protest in front of UofI Alma Mater at the corner of Green and Wright 
streets in remembrance of Hiroshima Day, Friday August 6 12-1PM  Signs will 
be available and information about new nuclear weapons proposed by Bush 
administration.

CU day-Saturday, August 14 11:00-6PM in Douglass park (AWARE still not 
signed up. Looking for someone to facillitate tabling at this event) Perhaps 
someone could take the table from the farmer’s market to this event.
Quad Day (quad of University of Illinois) Tuesday August 24th-(we have a 
spot reserved)Volunteers needed to table at this event. Durl volunteered to 
put up the table.

Sweet corn Festival(downtown Urbana) August 27 10AM-6PM-AWARE has table 
reserved and is looking for volunteers to sit at Table

CU Progressives picnic(Crystal Lake Park, Urbana) October 3, 3:30PM Object 
of the meeting is to try to bring progressives together to share ideas and 
get more people involved in progressive movement. Music and 2 confirmed 
speakers (1 on the proposal for a Citizens Police Review Board and 1 speaker 
on Alternative/Independent media will be featured. Volunteers needed to make 
cookies!

New Ideas:
-Mort Brussel- Boston Social Forum is offering social justice documentaries
-There will be a film about Howard Zinn coming out soon
-Gabe is leaving town but he’ll be back someday. Thanks to everyone for your 
support.

If you’d like to volunteer for anything stop by our farmer’s market table on 
Saturday 7-12 check out our website anti-war.net or email aware at grex.org

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