[Peace] Nov 28 AWARE Minutes

[Sandra Ahten]

Nov. 28
AWARE meeting minutes, Facilitator Randall Cotton, note taker: Sandra Ahten, 
approximately 30-35 in attendance.

Meeting began with an hour “brainstorming” sessions
Sandra re introduced the ideas of discussion of alternative forms of 
elections (instant runoff, ranking, etc ). Perhaps to have education as to 
what the possible alternatives are.

Lisa C. suggests at the state level we could possibly help make changes to 
election procedures and things like healthcare. Wants to focus on state wide 
change.

Susan P. chimes in stating that  things we are facing are national, but in 
our local area  --distinct, given efforts and connecting and community maybe 
we can try things here that can’t be tried anywhere else.

Possibly we could use concept of a sister city.

Greens have been working on election alternatives.  Jen reported , Urbana 
City Council can probably change their method of election. But it is before 
the Attny General right now. Greens are considering endorsing candidates if 
the are candidates that support change to Instant Runoff Voting. Jen was in 
San Fransico, where they had their first election with IROV. She said one 
seat had 22 candidates and there was much cooperation between the 
candidates. She suggests that she could bring a speaker Midwest Democracy 
and Voting Center  to town.

It was decided that Jen would give a presentation next week that included 
IROF and Illinois Voting Law. We may form a working group from there.

The next section of the brainstorming sessions started with Peter suggesting 
that we
Could possibly focus on the war on drugs as it will allow us to interact 
with a different populations. And it  ntertwines with news he had recently 
about foreign policy in central America wanting military and civilian police 
force combined.

This erupted into a larger discussion about racial aspect of awaRe and also 
about the criminal INjustice system.
Susan P,likes what Peter suggests in that we could find something that would 
be connection of many different concerns. She went with Minesha last week to 
court. Look at the injustice coupled with poverty. Could we have a meeting 
one week… and a court watch type the next.

Randall asks about NORMAL and VEYA and Citizen Police Review Board.

Peter: Why don’t we do what VEYA tells us to do.
Danielle S. : Planning a 3 day event Feb 18 – 20. Has plenty of 
opportunities for AWARE to be involved with this event that is going to 
include: 2 speakers; Who has felonies and why, what challenges felons face; 
Full day of workshops for people who have felony convictions: (knowing your 
rights, how to expunge, how to open a business, etc). And she asks AWARE to 
present on threat of prisoners to soldiers transition.

Dave Green – Involve athletes?

Are we equipped to be the group to be the best advocacy. (being all white, 
not being able to sort through who is guilty, who deserves advocacy, etc) 
Can we support the groups doing the work, CU police Review Board, Book to 
Prisoners,

Susan Davis:
VEYA screening did happen on campus sponsored by African American. Well 
attended. Should be able to help Danielle S. find connections on campus.
Suggests Education Policy Studies dept. Carol I. will help

Has interest in how poverty is created. Sees this clearly at Urbana Middle 
School… Everything at middle school is based on enormous inequity in 
preparedness between students

Susan P: Not going to be able to stop the war unless we get into the racism 
effort. Race provides a leverage in many many areas.

Note. Class is the issue. Poor whites are also disenfranchised.

Bob I:. He is suspicious of the given that Evangelicals and progressives are 
enemies.

Julio. So sad about the way Americans just take the inequities as a given. 
Others in the world are outraged and he is sad when he learns of the 
unjustices and of Americans who are inured with the facts.

Al  - We should take our cues in how to proceed in racism efforts from the 
groups that we are making connections with already. VEYA, NAACP

Rob -- Beware of organizations that look like they’re attacking racism. 
Wants to hear the "verb".

Agenda for next week. – Carol Inskeep
Some suggests more brainstorming.

Mort – Suggests we have more open ended questioning for brainstorming.
Durl suggests maybe next week we could start focus on how to proceed. 
Interesting discussion, but perhaps in writing concrete ideas we may make 
progress.
Rob wants proposal meeting.
It is decided that the agenda will be
15 minutes – presentation from Jen on voting
10 minutes questions regarding this
10 minutes News of the Week
30 min brainstorm
business at the end

REPORTS
Carl delivers the News of the week
Treasure reports - $4205.14 as balance but we still will be paying IMC their 
half of profits from Postcards 4Peace

Postcards for Peace. Looks like $2200 in profit.

Durl: SOA protest. Is collecting signatures to send to our congress person. 
Though  protest is important, there needs to be constant pressure on 
legislature. Amnesty says training of foreign  military similar to what goes 
on at Ft. Benning happens in more than 270 US military facilities.

Janet has Hidden In Plain Sight video (on this topic) available for 
borrowing.

Peace Bazzar. Need folks to sign up. We will donate a ¼ of what we make back 
to the Peace Bazzar.


Farmers Market Tabling: Making changes to allow community groups to table in 
the square. No letter received. Did receive a call from Urbana Bus Assoc 
saying that we would receive a letter from the mall manager. Danielle C. 
says owner of Lincoln Square (Jim Webster) was shown the letter and he 
agrees to meet with her and with someone with AWARE.

Did come up in the development agreement. Waiting on feedback from “legal” 
to at least have city sponsored events be “free speech” zone.
There is discussion that we want to press for free speech in the mall – not 
just at city sponsored events.

Can it be considered a free speech space… not just during a city sponsored 
event? Can we get the bigger right into the development agreement?
Danielle says that she would not jeopardize the project to get the wider 
definition of free speech
Susan says there is precedent both ways in malls.
Carl says we should not see it as an investigation. Must be dealt with by 
civil insistence.
Working group for “the Farmers Market tabling letter” expands to include 
this topic

PEACE TRAIN- Danielle reports
$104 round trip to go by train (not renting whole car). She will be sending 
email to those who have indicated interest to see if we can get enough 
commitment to rent our own train car. Dates – Jan 14 – Jan 20. (may do a 
five day trip instead of 7). Still discussion of AWARE subsidy. Peter says 
maybe van would be better.

Upcoming Events:
Coalition for Citizen Police Review
Thursday at 6:30 at Douglass Branch Library

Tomorrow night special program 6-7pm.WEFT 90.1fm Talk by Noam Chompsky.
IMCRN – 5:30pm Sandra interviewed nationals from the Green Party regarding 
the recount in Ohio.


Bedeebedeebee
That’s all Folks.