[Peace] minutes of weekly AWARE meeting 2008-12-14

Tue Dec 16 11:58:40 CST 2008

Minutes of 12/14/08 AWARE meeting are below, but first, AWARE Volunteer
Opportunities and the Upcoming Events Calendar:

AWARE Volunteer Opportunities
-----------------------------------
(various ways to volunteer in AWARE's work)

AWARE is helping search for locations to set up a portable electronic LED
display that reports (in a loop) various statistics on the wars in Iraq
and Afghanistan (casualties, financial cost, etc.). Here's a video of the
sign going through a typical loop:
http://dart.ncsa.uiuc.edu/stuffed/slevy/costofwar-sign.mp4
Dimensions of the sign are: 50.3" L x 6.3" H x 1.7" W and it weighs 12
pounds. Full specifications are at:
http://www.bigbrite.com/product.aspx?id=78
The display could be set up anywhere indoors - home, business, event -
where it will be seen by many, for as long or as little as you like. If
you can volunteer to display the sign somewhere or have any ideas where it
could be set up, contact Barbara Kessel, barkes at gmail.com, 365-9473 or
Randall Cotton, recotton at earthlink.net, 351-8644/722-8470.

Help is needed with content creation and maintenance for AWARE's website,
anti-war.net. Technical experience (UNIX/HTML/CSS) required for
maintenance work (but not content creation) Contact: Stuart Levy,
slevy at ncsa.uiuc.edu, 351-9264/244-1543 or Randall Cotton,
recotton at earthlink.net, 351-8644/722-8470.

Meeting minutes: Someone is needed to share or take over meeting minutes
duty (preparing these notes each week). Help will be provided (as much as
necessary). Contact: Randall Cotton, recotton at earthlink.net,
351-8644/722-8470

AWARE publicity: Someone is needed to maintain AWARE publicity documents
(and arrange for copies, as needed). This includes our business card,
intro sheet for new meeting attendees and our general information sheet
for tabling events). All reproduction costs reimbursed, Help provided as
needed. Contact: recotton at earthlink.net, 351-8644/722-8470

Upcoming Events Calendar
----------------------------
**NEW** Dec 16 (Tuesday, TODAY) noon, McKinley Health Center, 1109 S.
Lincoln, Urbana
Protest against healthcare cut (sonograms, which screen for ovarian
cancer, among other things).
Details at:
http://lists.chambana.net/mailman/archive/peace/2008-December/021858.html

Dec 16 (Tuesday, TODAY) 1PM, Urbana City Council Chambers, 400 S. Vine St.
Taping of "AWARE on the Air" for UPTV to be broadcast later the same day
(see below)

Dec 16 (Tuesday, TODAY) 10PM, UPTV (cable channel 6)
Broadcast of "AWARE on the Air", taped earlier in the day (see above)

**NEW** Dec 23 (Tuesday) 1PM, Urbana City Council Chambers, 400 S. Vine
St.
Taping of "AWARE on the Air" for UPTV to be broadcast later the same day
(see below)

**NEW** Dec 23 (Tuesday) 10PM, UPTV (cable channel 6)
Broadcast of "AWARE on the Air", taped earlier in the day (see above)

Jan 5 (Saturday) 2-4PM Main St. & Neil St., Champaign
The Main Event - AWARE's monthly (first Saturday of each month) street
demonstration event. Largely focuses on opposing U.S. occupations of Iraq
and Afghanistan, but is open for anyone to join us either using one of our
signs or one of their own. We try to have a topical flyer to distribute to
motorists and passers-by each month.

**NEW** Mar 8 (Sunday) 1PM, WILL AM-580
Juan Cole appearance on Media Matters with Bob McChesney

Mar 8 (Sunday) (time, place to be announced) Proposed date for
community-oriented presentation from Juan Cole: University of Michigan
Professor of History, author of Informed Comment blog at www.juancole.com,
and remarkably astute expert observer on Middle East affairs. Proposed
lecture topic: "Withdrawal from Iraq and the future of American security".

**NEW** Mar 9 (Monday) 10AM or 11AM (TBA), WILL AM-580
Juan Cole appearance on Focus 580 with David Inge

Mar 9 (Monday) (time, place to be announced) Proposed date for
university-oriented presentation from Juan Cole. Proposed lecture topic:
"Iraq's provincial elections and what they mean for relations with the
United States".

*****
Minutes of 12/14/08 AWARE meeting:

About 20 in attendance

News of the week was reviewed jointly.

Finance Report: Balance is $2482.75
Finance report passed around

A volunteer is requested to pass the contribution jar around during the
meeting next week.

Working group reports:
*****************
Main Event:
========
(AWARE's monthly street protest held at the intersection of Main & Neil
2-4PM on the first Saturday of each month).

The next Main Event is January 5 (see details above in Upcoming Events
Calendar).

Details still forthcoming (from David H) on Champaign/Urbana's busiest
intersections.

Some discussion on the venue for the next Main Event. No change proposed,
so plans still call for demonstrating at the usual spot at Main & Neil
despite the closure of Neil south of Main.

A current "World Can't Wait" flyer suggested for January 5th's presence.

Library Resources:
=============
(Compilation of valuable reference materials w/strategies to make them
available in the community through various channels including local
libraries).

(nothing new this week)

AWARE Films:
===========
*** new  working group ***
(Organization of film and video showings in the community)

Possible future showings being considered include:

1. Another showing of Naomi Wolf's "The End of America".

2. "Blood and Oil". See: http://www.bloodandoilmovie.com/

3. "The Take". See: http://www.thetake.org/

AWARE Presents:
=============
(Organization of AWARE-sponsored events in the community)

Working group meeting held Dec. 9th

Current AWARE Presents event lineup:

1. Proposal is now coming together for Juan Cole event. AWARE Presents now
has dates - March 8th and 9th - Sunday and Monday - see details above in
the upcoming events calendar. More info as it becomes available. Initial
University contacts at UIUC were: Center for South Asian and Middle
Eastern Studies and Center for Global Studies.

** new ** - Juan Cole now also scheduled to appear on Media Matters w/Bob
McChesney (1PM Sunday, March 8th, WILL-AM 580) and also Focus 580 w/David
Inge (10 or 11AM Monday, March 9th, WILL AM-580). An appearance on
"Keepin' the Faith" w/Steve Shoemaker is also a possibility (5PM Sunday,
March 8th, WILL AM-580). Urbana Civic Center has been reserved for 1-5PM
for Sunday, March 8th. Up to $300 AWARE expenditures proposed toward
honorarium and other expenses (to be ratified at a future AWARE meeting as
per standing rule).

2. Jeremy Scahill event still being pursued. Contact made, currently in a
"wait and see" pattern.

Anti-Racism:
=========
(AWARE's efforts to keep apprised of and provide support for
anti-racism/anti-discrimination efforts, including efforts of CUCPJ -
Champaign-Urbana Citizens for Peace and Justice)

CUCPJ meeting held yesterday (after a two-week break).

Two Urbana City Council members were present by invitation - Brandon
Bowersox and David Gherig. Primary discussion was regarding:

1. The marijuana ordinance that was passed earlier this year (concerns
regarding the "discretion" allowed by police and how it's believed this
will be used in a discriminatory manner, being more lenient toward, say,
white university students vs. black folks on the poor side of town).

2. The potential new "criminal nuisance" property ordinance, whereby
property owners could be fined or worse for police complaints regarding
residents of their property (concerns that property owners will be
punished for
behavior of other individuals and also that the result may include
evictions
affecting innocent individuals - especially children - who happen to be
co-tenants).

Postcards passed around (originally distributed at CUCPJ meeting) for
petitioning Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan to grant "evidentiary
hearings" for the 25 known police torture victims in Chicago (tortured
under John Burge's command). Postcards are from Midwest Coalition for
Human Rights, of which CUCPJ is a member. See:

http://www.midwesthumanrights.org/urge-illinois-attorney-general-grant-new-hearings-burge-torture-victims-still-behind-bars

Also see Neil's article in the October Public I (page 8) online at:
http://publici.ucimc.org/oct08.pdf

Holiday Market
============
(AWARE's presence at the indoor version of Urbana's "Market on the Square"
each Saturday from 8AM to noon where we offer progressive and anti-war
materials, generally at or below cost).

Sign-up sheet passed around for staffing the table.

AWARE on the Air:
==============
(AWARE's weekly television show on public access cable channel 6 - UPTV,
Urbana Public Television)

Discussion on who can make it this week. Some volunteered, more always
welcome.

** new *** Conrad (and perhaps Stuart) will provide details on the United
for Peace and Justice National Assembly conference that just took place
over the weekend.

Taping typically occurs each Tuesday at 1PM and is broadcast later the
same day at 10PM. AWARE members (and friends) invited to participate - the
more the merrier (see details above in upcoming events calendar). Program
quality is always better with more participants.

There is always room for more participation in AWARE on the Air - prepared
statements OK. Arriving late/leaving early is OK.

Blackwater
========
(Activism regarding notorious domestic policing and international
mercenary contractor Blackwater, including coordination with
Illinois-based activist group Clearwater: see:
http://www.noprivatearmies.org )

** new ** Activist event may come together in late April in the vicinity
of the Illinois Blackwater site. No details yet.

Student Groups
===========
(AWARE's efforts to keep apprised of and provide support for local
chapters of student-affiliated anti-war groups such as Campus Anti-Network
and Iraq Veterans Against the War).

** new ** It's finals week, but there is a demonstration at McKinley
Health Center on Tuesday (TODAY) at noon to protest the cutting of
sonogram services (see details above in upcoming events calendar). Also
see:
http://lists.chambana.net/mailman/archive/peace/2008-December/021858.html

Monthly Message
============
*** new working group ***
(Efforts to propagate the content of the monthly flyer we put together for
each month's Main Event street demonstration)

Tasks are being prioritized and broken up into manageable chunks. Startup
may be slow due to holidays. Requests for volunteers to start work
expected soon.

Old Business
**********
(new developments regarding ongoing issues)

United for Peace and Justice National Assembly report
Stuart, Mort and Conrad just returned from Chicago in time to provide
details:

Notable decisions made at the conference include:
1. Changes to structure document (structure of the organization)
2. Steering Committee members (who hold office until the next National
Assembly)
  - SC is about 30 people, half from local groups like AWARE, half from
national groups
  - a proposal to give permanent seats to some national groups failed
3. What national demonstrations will be organized:
  - there will be NO UFPJ-sponsored centralized national demonstration
around the anniversary of the start of the Iraq War (March 19). This is
being left to ANSWER, which has already announced a Saturday, March 21st
event.
  - Instead, there will be a UFPJ-sponsored national demonstration on
April 4th to coincide with:
  1. The death of Martin Luther King (1968)
  2. King's profound anti-war Riverside Church speech (1967)
  3. A large anticipated European protest against NATO on its 60th
anniversary
  - there will be no UFPJ-sponsored centralized national inauguration day
event (however, at least one local DC group plans to organize a large
showing, perhaps sporting signs saying "I hope for ____" where individuals
fill in the blank, with the group in question assumed to be Washington
Peace Center).

Conrad reports he focused on attending sessions dealing with Iran.
Highlighted a just-published book by Phil Wilayto: "IN DEFENSE OF IRAN:
Notes from a U.S. Peace Delegation's Journey through the Islamic Republic"
(see http://www.defendersfje.org/dpi ). Conrad attended a good
presentation by Wilayto and inquired with him about coming to
Champaign/Urbana. In fact, he was already planning to tour the area
(Milwaukee, Chicago, St. Louis, Columbus) in January. He said he's only
looking for accommodations ("a cot") and gas money. Conrad is waiting on
an e-mail from him for possible dates.

Code Pink folks just returned from Iran. They highlighted an effort there
to set up wind power. The project cannot proceed without hardware from
Denmark which is forbidden by the sanctions. The irony is that the
sanctions are ostensibly to prevent Iran from enriching uranium at all
(including for power generation), yet the sanctions interfere with efforts
to develop other energy resources as well. They've started a campaign that
includes investment by protestors in the Iranian energy company - they
were selling shares at the conference. More info at:
http://www.codepink4peace.org/article.php?id=4564 .

Notable presenters mentioned include:
Tom Hayden
William Mcnary
Antonia Juhasz
Ali Abunimah  (extraordinary presentation on Gaza)
Phyllis Bennis
Eugene Jarecki

Mention made of remarkable ability of UFPJ coordinators to engender unity
among the hundreds of disparate groups present

Mention made of the presence of many tremendously articulate and lively
young people, many of whom were nominated for the UFPJ Steering Committee
and who were given a lot responsibility.

Mention made of the positive, orderly, democratic and congenial
environment.

Mention made of "World Can't Wait", who are doing counter-recruitment and
could come down to Champaign for an event in the schools. A flyer they
have was also mentioned for use as a Main Event flyer.

Mention made of heavy discussion of criminality of outgoing
administration.

New Ideas
*********
Phil Wilayto invite for an event (see above under "Old Business")

Suggestion made to invite Stephen Kinzer again regarding Afghanistan.
However, it was mentioned Kinzer does not support immediate withdrawal
from Afghanistan as evidenced by at least one recent article.

Wayne asks for help in opposing the Urbana "criminal nuisance" ordinance
that may be passed soon.

Events of the past week
******************
(comments/reviews of recent events since the last AWARE meeting)

Mention made of UofI graduate and UFC fighter Jeff Monson, radicalized by
his education (anarchist, wobbly). See:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeff_Monson

Mention made of investigation of Norm Coleman's wife by the FBI..

Other Upcoming Events
******************
(events of note which aren't listed in the upcoming events calendar above)

The IMC video production of the memorial event for Grandpa Walhfeldt held
earlier this year will be broadcast on UPTV (cable channel 6) at the
following dates and times:

12/20 (Sat) - 7pm