[Peace] minutes of weekly AWARE meeting 2008-07-20

[Randall Cotton]

Minutes of 7/20/08 AWARE meeting are below, but first, the Upcoming
Events Calendar:

July 22 (Tuesday) 1PM, Urbana City Council Chambers, 400 S. Vine
St.
Taping of this week's "AWARE on the Air" for UPTV.

July 22 (Tuesday) 10PM, UPTV (cable channel 6)
Broadcast of "AWARE on the Air", taped earlier in the day (see above)

July 22 (Tuesday) 7PM, 102 N. Lincoln Ave, Apt. 3, Urbana (Steve Wyatt)
Campus Antiwar Network at UIUC, Summer meeting. AWARE members invited.

July 24 (Thursday)  7PM, Brookens Administrative Center (1776 E.
Washington St., Urbana)
Regular meeting of Champaign County Board.  UofI Prof. Rachel Schwartz
expected to speak on Champaign County Nursing Home finances (more details
below in the minutes).

July 29 (Tuesday) 1PM, Urbana City Council Chambers, 400 S. Vine St.
Taping of next week's "AWARE on the Air" for UPTV.

July 29 (Tuesday) 10PM, UPTV (cable channel 6)
Broadcast of "AWARE on the Air", taped earlier in the day (see above)

July 30 (Wednesday) 2PM, Courtroom D, Champaign County Courthouse, 101 E.
Main St., Urbana
Final ruling expected on Patrick Thompson's small claims case against
Harvey Welch for return of legal fees due to ineffective representation of
Patrick during his 2nd trial.

July 31 (Thursday) 7PM, home of Jamie and Gary Storm, 304 E. George Huff
Dr, Urbana
AWARE Presents working group meeting.

August 2 (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 on any topic. We try to have a topical flyer to
distribute to motorists and passers-by each month.

August 22-23 Urbana Sweetcorn Festival
AWARE will be tabling at our own booth.. Booth staffing required 5PM-11PM
on Friday, 11AM-11PM Saturday.

September 12 (Friday) (time, venue TBA)
Luis Alberto Urrea, author of "The Devil's Highway: A True Story", about
an incident in 2001 of 26 men attempting to cross the Mexican border into
the desert of southern Arizona, through the deadliest region of the
continent. Only 12 men emerged. Luis Alberto Urrea, is from Tijuana but
now lives outside Chicago. Study guide available. AWARE will co-sponsor
this event

*****
Minutes of 7/20/08 AWARE meeting:

About 15 in attendance

News of the week was heard courtesy of Carl Estabrook

Finance Report: No finance report this week (Jan out of town)

IMC rent for AWARE storage space may change (currently $110 every 3
months).

Main Event:
========
(AWARE's monthly street protest held at the intersection of Main & Neil
2-4PM on the first Saturday of each month).
A flyer on Iran being contemplated as a possibility, but this is not
finalized or definite, so other ideas are encouraged and welcomed.

Working group reports:
*****************
Library Resources:
=============
(Compilation of valuable reference materials w/appeal to libraries to
carry them).
"Bookcrossing" model (see bookcrossing.com) being pursued. AWARE label for
distributed books is being developed.

AWARE Presents:
=============
(Organization of AWARE-sponsored events in the community)
Working group meeting held Thursday, July 17th. Next meeting is July 31st
(see upcoming events calendar above for details).

Current plans for future presentations include:

1. PTSD panel - including local individuals that work with veterans
affected by PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder). Projected for
September, focusing on how PTSD affects people in our community.

Mention made of upcoming Focus 580 program Tuesday morning at 10AM with
Terri Tanielian, co-editor of "Invisible Wounds of War". See:

http://will.illinois.edu/focus580/
http://www.rand.org/pubs/monographs/MG720/

Tanielian is billed as "Codirector of the RAND Center for Military Health
Policy Research, and the Deputy Director for Public Health Preparedness of
the RAND Center for Domestic and International Heatlh Security." It was
suggested that the RAND Corporation, originally set up by the Air Force in
1948, is a Washington establishment of dubious reputation.

Mention made of the tragic PTSD-related death of Iraq Veteran Joseph
Dwyer. Details at:
http://lists.chambana.net/mailman/archive/peace-discuss/2008-July/017535.html

Suggestion - Let's include information on the rate of suicide and murder
in our PTSD program..

2. Blackwater event w/Dan Kenney of Clearwater and possibly Jeremy Scahill
if he is available (he will be on a book tour this fall). Projected for
October.

3. Still being considered, some time further out: Film festival at Urbana
Free Library. Possible titles: "Body of War". "Winter Soldier"
footage, "War Made Easy" "Redacted", "Blood and Oil: The Middle East in
World War I", "Reel Bad Arabs", "Iraq for Sale".

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)

Canvassing has begun within CUCPJ for Carol Ammons' campaign for Champaign
County Board with accompanying efforts to register voters in the 5th
district (North Champaign) and  to get the word out on the Township
funding referendum and the Nursing Home issue.

Also mentioned: At this month's County Board meeting (this Thursday, see
upcoming events calendar above), UofI Accountancy Professor Rachel
Schwartz from UofI is expected to speak regarding her analysis of  Nursing
Home finances. There are rumors of illegal financial improprieties that
have yet to be fully exposed.

Farmer's Market:
============
(AWARE's presence at the Urbana "Market on the Square" each Saturday from
8AM to noon).

Rained on 3 times on Saturday, poor sales. ACLU table was next to us -
they had a big tarp which we shared with great results Suggestion: we
ought to get a tarp. Carl says he may be able to donate one.

Coexist bumper stickers are back in stock.

We're out of half-sheet introductions to AWARE for Farmer's Market
distribution. Karen volunteers to make more.

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

Taping occurs each Tuesdays 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.

Progress made on future Youtube posts of recent editions.

Always room for more participation in AWARE on the Air - prepared
statements OK. Leaving early is OK.

Business Card
==========
Progress being made, should have something to show the group next meeting.

T-shirt working group
===============
A T-shirt working group may form to work on making some available at
Farmer's Market.

Old Business
**********
July 19th demonstration
=================
Turnout was about 17. Someone brought a bunch of bottles of cold water in
appreciation. An active duty Army man said he was against the war(s), but
can't talk about it to anyone. Thanks to Ron and Ann for help with
transport of our signs.

Suggestion that future "extra" demonstrations be held on the 3rd Friday of
each month as part of the nationwide "Iraq Moratorium" movement. See:
www.iraqmoratorium.org

New Ideas
*********
Recent inquiry from Jay was fielded regarding whether any Hiroshima Day
activities were being planned.

Events of the Past Week
=================
July 14 presentation: "Sustainability -- A Choice to Consider: Living on
Earth as If We Want to Stay" - reported as very well-attended.

July 18/19 "Marx in Soho" performances also well-attended (and successful
fundraisers).