[Peace] AWARE meeting minutes 2/2/04

[Gabriel Stanton]

A. Kagan-Gracious Facilitator
R.l Cotton-Time
G. Stanton-Notes




News of the Week- Carl Estabrook

-Sources say Bush administration threatens to carry out an offensive in 
Northern Pakistan in the war on "terror" before he leaves office.

-U.S. delegation to meet with Uzbekistan Dictator Karamov(Known for terrible 
human rights violations) to negotiate with him about working with U.S. bases 
there.

-Blair Gov't supporting the apartheid wall in the Occupied Territories.

_BBC under fire from the Hutton commission. Public response is against the 
findings of the Hutton Commision. Blair's motives in pushing to war is 
questionable.

                        WORKING GROUP REPORTS

Honduras- Carlos Euceda, activist representing COHNPA an indigenous peoples 
human rights group  spoke with a translators last Thursday at Channing 
Murray foundation about the effects of the U.S. corporate exploitation of 
Central American people through the Plan Puebla Panama. People are being 
driven off their land to make room for highways, logging routes and 
Hydroelectic dams which cause huge environmental damage. Sadly, 
environmental groups are working against these people when they set aside 
land for national parks(kick people out) that the corrupt government of 
Honduras now can sell to people for resources. In general the people want to 
be left alone. Bill Taylor has set up a community radio station with donated 
equipment for these people with others by the project PCP (Primary 
Communications Project). He welcomes contributions

PPP   On February 7th, 2004 AWARE will be demonstrating on the sidewalks on 
the corner of Prospect and Marketview in downtown Champaign (In Front of 
Tires Plus) from 2-4 PM. All are welcome to come protest. Signs will be 
available. Do not park at Tires Plus, Hobbies or Lowes.(Cars have been towed 
from these locations) It will be cold so dress warmly.  If you only stay a 
half an hour you are still making a difference

Education/Incarceration- Excellent conference examining the connection 
between the school system and the prison industrial complex organized by 
Activist/ University faculty member Stephen Hartnett. There will be a follow 
up sometime after February 9th.

WILL - There will be PSAs for AWARE on AM 580 on Mondays and Thursdays 
editions of Focus 580 from 10:30-12 and on Friday from 4-7 running for a 
total of 3 weeks. We were not permitted to spell out our name (Anti War Anti 
Racism Effort) on these spots.

                           UPCOMING  EVENTS

Michael Goldman Lecture GLOBAL  INSTITUTIONS WHAT ARE THEY GOOD FOR? on 
Sunday February 8th from 3-5 PM before scheduled AWARE meeting

International Women's Day- Anybody interested in organizing suggesting an 
event email  aware at grex.net or bring it up at next meeting

Rosemary Slovenas ANti War mother of son killed in Iraq and volunteer with 
the American Friends Service Commitee is tentatively scheduled to speak on 
April 1st about the perspective of veterans who are against war.

A representative of a student group supporting Dennis Kucinich for President 
, Dan asked if anyone in the group needed support in starting a community 
movement to support himor would like to attend meetings of a student group 
should check out  website: www.cornfields4kucinich.org

FUTURE EVENTS

Promoting Voter registration
Tuesday at 5:30 at County Clerk's office in Urbana there will be voter 
registrar training.  Many suggested AWARE should try to expose Bush's role 
in stealing last elections. Jeff Nicholson Owens
program on WEFT( Digital Citizen) exposed the connection between Bush and 
major voting machine maker Diebold(as heard about in Greg Palast's opus "THE 
BEST DEMOCRACY MONEY CAN BUY"

Please email the lists with any corrections/additions

Peace,

Gabe

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