[Peace] AWARE Minutes

[Morton K. Brussel]

Corrections and additions are solicited.

December 18, 2005

Facilitator: Durl Kruse

Minutes: Mort Brussel/Bob Ilyes

1. News of the Week: Carl Estabrook: Lies and snooping. Posted  
separately.

2. Introductions: 15 attending.

3. Haiti: Ricky Baldwin, Carl Estabrook, and Mort Brussel.  Questions  
posed at our previous meeting were discussed: A sordid history of  
U.S. interference and connivance came to light against persistent  
resistance by the Haitian populace to occupation and repression.

4. New Ideas:

a) Sponsorship of Action Darfur program: Speaker Simon Deng on campus  
(Allen Hall?) 2/19 - 2/23.

b) Request from YMCA to co-sponsor William Schultz, Director of  
Amnesty International, at Friday Forum in Spring semester was  
approved with contribution of $50.

c) Proposal that AWARE rent office space at IMC with two other  
organizations for $180/month, meaning $60 per organization/month,  
less than what we currently pay. Space would include office adjoining  
current meeting area in basement.

d) UPTV Commission opening? Candidates solicited.  Call Mayor  
Prussing if interested.

5. Working Groups:

a)  Finance: No report. $52 collected at Lincoln Square market Saturday.

b) Market on the Square: Final week--a successful venture.

c)  Church Presence:  Good turnout, albeit frigid, at St. Mathews  
Catholic Church, Champaign.  No problems encountered. Police presence  
was mild. Pamphlets handed out to passing cars were exhausted. A  
variety of responses were observed including an friendly invitation  
for tea by a neighbor. Future "Presences" are planned at a rate of  
one/month after the holiday vacation.

d) Urbana City Council Resolution to end the occupation: Meetings  
continue with individual members of the City Council, and a meeting  
with mayor Prussing has been scheduled for Wednesday next. The  
Council members met with so far (Smythe, Chynoweth, Roberts and  
Bowersox) seem sympathetic. Petitions in support of the resolution  
are being collected [at McKinley Church --the interfaith coalition  
against the war ceremony-- and at our Lincoln Square table]. A Town  
Hall meeting on the issue is being planned for Thursday, 2/21, in the  
U. City Council chambers. We have suggested that a vote on the  
resolution by the City Council be taken on 3/21/'06, close to the  
third anniversary of "Shock and Awe".

• Working group meeting: [Jamie/Gary Storm's home, 104 George Huff  
Dr., U., January 4] This will include consideration of Peacepac effort.

e) Counter Recruiting:  Recruiters have been noticeably present in  
the High School. A letter sent to the UHS by Durl requesting  
information on military recruiting in the high school was answered by  
the principal with a formal request for completion of a Freedom of  
Information form! Durl complied, with answers expected within a  
week.  Letters have also been sent by Durl to Central and Centennial  
high schools. We plan for a counter-recruitment table in the UHS post- 
vacation.

f) "One Main" anti-war demonstration".  Next on January 7, 2006, 2-4 PM.


6. Events:
a) Ricky noted that the Walmart picketing went well, but did not  
deter the Walmart shopping frenzy.

b) We've received complements on the McKinley interfaith demonstration
from folks who assumed that AWARE organized it!

c) The Venezuelan ambassador was unable to touch down (fog), but the  
Venezuelan Consul from Chicago happened to appear, and an  
enlightening and spirited discussion ensued about the situation there.

7. Next week: There will be no AWARE meeting on Christmas day.

Ricky has offered to facilitate the New Years day meeting.

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