[Peace] minutes of 11/26/06 AWARE meeting

[Randall Cotton]

I wanted to get these out earlier today (in time to remind folks of the two
events that occurred today), but I crashed my car (I'm fine), so that threw off
my whole day 8-P

Note the Anti-Poverty Coalition meeting is already upon us (Wednesday, 5PM,
IMC - see below).

Some corrections from last week minutes:

1. The "Feet to the Fire" working group has been renamed "Postcards for Peace"
working group.

2. The Anti-Poverty coalition is *definitely* forming (not "may be" forming as I
said last week).

3. Finally, Steve Shoemaker's radio show on religious matters is called "Keepin'
the Faith", not "Faith Matters" (not sure where I got that from).

AWARE calendar of events:
====================
Tuesday, November 28, 2006
"Postcards for Peace" working group meeting
12:30PM at Jerusalem Restaurant (see more on this working group effort)

Tuesday, November 28, 2006
AWARE Presents working group meeting
7:00 pm at the Kruse's
2007 S. George Huff Dr. Urbana

Wednesday, November 29, 2006
Anti-Poverty Coalition meeting
5PM, IMC basement "Family Room"
202 S. Broadway, Urbana

Friday, December 1, 2006
William Alan Myers court date
(officer accused of tasing and beating inmates)
News Conference - gather at 1PM, meet w/press 1:30PM
(AWARE is a co-sponsor, see below - and read the press
release as well as the October Public I article "Torture
exposed in the Champaign County Jail")
Court proceeding: 2PM, Courtroom A
Champaign County Courthouse, 101 E. Main, Urbana

Saturday, December 2, 2006
Village Market (the inside version of Farmer's Market)
Table times are 9am-2pm.
Lincoln Square Mall, inside
Corner of Illinois and Vine Streets, Urbana

Saturday, December 2, 2006
Main Event (monthly anti-war/occupation peace demonstration)
2:00pm-4:00pm
1 Main St. (corner of Main and Neil in downtown Champaign)

Tuesday, December 12, 2006
Supporters needed for city-funding of the Township's assistance
program for the poorest of the poor (now that the election referendum
to fund this failed to pass)
Champaign City Council meeting
7PM, Champaign City Council Chambers
ground floor, 102 N. Neil St., Champaign

Thursday, January 4, 2007
Patrick Thompson will be in court to hear the judge's ruling on post-trial
motions which may result in a new trial, but could also result in his sentencing
and immediate incarceration. (Courtroom and time as yet unknown)
Champaign County Courthouse, 101 E. Main, Urbana

February, 2006
Poverty Forum (Anti-Racism/Court Watch will have more date/time details as it
gets closer) Topics will include: Environmental racism. The poorest
neighborhoods in Champaign-Urbana are built on the most toxic areas. In fact,
part of the reason that the school district does not want to build a school
north of University Avenue is because they cannot find a safe site, and they
don't want to clean up one. But the people live in this area! Ken Salo will be
there

Saturday, March 31, 2007
Illinois Coalition for Peace and Justice 2nd Annual Meeting
(They are looking for a venue around Champaign-Urbana)

------------------------------

1. News of the week with Carl Estabrook (may be posted separately)

2. New ideas: none this week

3. Finance Report: not much activity, $54 from Village Market. Balance is $2664

4. Main Event (monthly street demonstration against the occupations and other
issues) Coming up next Saturday, the 2nd of December, 2-4PM, Main and Neil. New
flyer is needed. One idea - publicize the troops-out and impeachment referendum
results and include Congressional and Senate addresses encouraging folks to prod
their representatives into acting on public opinion.

5. Village Market. There seems to be more tables, more activity than last year.
Someone from Ann Arbor expressed appreciation for our presence, said they
did the same type of work that we do up in Michigan. A Republican sent off
Anti-Bush postcards at our table.

6. AWARE presents: upcoming meeting Tuesday 7PM at the Kruses (details above in
calendar). This is a planning session for future activities.

7. Church Presence: Rev. Steve Shoemaker was receptive to our overture regarding
his program on religion  "Keepin' the Faith" broadcast on WILL, 5-6PM on Sundays
(it conflicts w/the AWARE meeting). Tentatively Mort, Carl, Linda W. and Jan K
would participate. We would be talking about our Church Presence effort.
Proposed date is on Sunday the 10th. If this goes through, we may listen in on
the first half-hour during the first part of the Sunday AWARE meeting. Also
tentatively, we're thinking of doing a Church Presence on the morning of that
Sunday. Organization for this will be via e-mail.

8. Anti-Racism/Courtwatch.
Dec. 1 Friday - Sgt. Myers courtroom A 2PM.
Press conference is set for outside the courthouse - arrive at 1:00PM, meet
w/news media at 1:30PM
(more details above in the calendar)
The Champaign-Urbana Citizens for Peace and Justice/Community Courtwatch press
release for Dec. 1 is read aloud (draft text included below)
CUCPJ requests endorsement. Endorsement approved without objection.

CUCPJ is also tentatively planning a teach-in at Douglass Center Library about
Myers, Hjort, Garret cases and more generally about the inequities of the
Champaign County Criminal Justice system. Tentative date is Dec. 9. Time to be
announced.

Anti-Poverty coalition meeting 5PM 29th November at the IMC.

CUCPJ held a meeting on their new Anti-Poverty Coalition last Wednesday, Linda
Abernathy and Giraldo Rosales attended. Top priority is attendance in support of
city-funding for the Township's assistance program at the Dec. 12 City Council
meeting, 7PM at Champaign City Council Chambers.

9. Counter-recruitment:
At the IHSA Counter-recruitment presence on Saturday, crowds were more receptive
than last year. 7 or 8 folks passed out 600 flyers. The Army National Guard
moved to a different location this year, nearer the fan tents, but further from
the street. Upon attempts to flyer near the Guard jumped into action,
aggressively passing out free items. Within 15 minutes there were 3 Champaign
Police squad cars and 4 police officers. We were told "this is private
property - you can't distribute flyers". Champaign police department harassed us
and were obnoxiously strict. Army National Guard is a sponsor of the tournament.
We moved to the corner, where we flyered last year. There was agreement on the
need to research the propriety of the Champaign Police's action.

Air Force Academy will have a presence at Uni High tomorrow. Working group may
plan a future response.

10. Student Groups:
There is a developing idea of fostering a network of community service or
political groups across schools in the community - making a coalition of these
groups. This to help coordinate activist efforts between schools and also
perhaps establish talks or debates publicized across the coalition in fun
environments that would attract kids.

11. Illinois Coalition for Peace and Justice:
Nothing new this week.

12. Postcards for Peace campaign:
More postcards are accumulating from Village Market, Mennonite Church, Amasong
rehearsal. More cards are out and may come back. Need people to man  a table at
the Peace Bazaar. Contributions are coming in as well to help with postage.
Committee meeting on Tuesday 12:30 Jerusalem. Ricky stresses that the purpose of
this effort is to press the Democrats and the rest of our representatives and
that we want this to culminate in a big publicized event with all the postcards
at one time, so it's important to let folks know this and convince them to fill
out the cards on the spot or at least strongly encourage them to fill the cards
out and give them back to us (and not mail them off themselves).

13. Events of the past week:
no comments

14. Upcoming events not mentioned:
no comments.

Dave H. volunteers to facilitate next week.
Shara E. volunteers to take notes next week