[Peace] minutes of weekly AWARE meeting 2008-06-01

[Randall Cotton]

Minutes of 6/01/08 AWARE meeting are below, but first, the Upcoming
Events Calendar:

*** CANCELLED ***
*** see: http://www.co.champaign.il.us/COUNTYBD/JSS/080602agendaCancel.pdf
***
* June 2 (TODAY) 7PM, Brookens Center 1776 E. Washington St., Urbana
* Champaign County Board Justice and Social Services Committee meeting
* On the agenda: Makeup of jury pools in Champaign County:

June 3 (Tuesday) 1PM, inside Urbana City Council Chambers, 400 S. Vine St.
Recording for this week's "AWARE on the Air" at UPTV

June 3 (Tuesday) 7PM, 2007 S. George Huff Dr., Urbana (home of Jan & Durl
Kruse)
First working group for AWARE's July 4th parade float. This year's theme
is "Honoring our military heroes". Many possible individual heroes to
honor have been brought forth.

June 3 (Tuesday) 10PM, UPTV (cable channel 6)
"AWARE on the Air" broadcast

June 6-8 (Friday-Sunday) IMC, 202 S. Broadway, Urbana
Books to Prisoners book sale - proceeds fund the shipping of free books to
Illinois inmates.
VOLUNTEER HELP WELCOME on Thursday and Friday before noon
as well as other times - email volunteer at books2prisoners.org
June 6 (Friday) - 3PM-9PM Special Preview ($2 admission)
June 7 (Saturday) - 8AM-4PM Free admission
June 8 (Sunday) - 11AM-2PM Bag Sale $2/bag

June 6-8 (Friday-Sunday) National Conference for Media Reform
Minneapolis/St. Paul
See: http://www.freepress.net/conference/

June 7 (Saturday) 2-4PM Main & Neil Streets, Champaign
Monthly "Main Event" demonstration, bring your own signs or use ours.
Help us distribute flyers to motorists if you like.

June 12 (Thursday) 7PM, 2007 S. George Huff Dr., Urbana (home of Jan &
Durl Kruse)
AWARE Presents Working Group meeting - discussion and organization of
future AWARE-sponsored community events.

June 15 (Sunday) 2-4PM at the IMC (Independent Media Center) 202 S.
Broadway, Urbana
IMC celebration of Bob Wahlfeldt and dedication of the Family Room in
Bob's name.

June 19-22 (Thursday-Sunday) "Socialism 2008" conference in Chicago -
impressive list of speakers. See: http://www.socialismconference.org/

June 21-22 (Saturday-Sunday) (details TBA): Jeffrey St. Clair will be in
town. He is editor of Counterpunch. See counterpunch.org . His new book
is: "Born Under a Bad Sky: Notes from the Dark Side of the Earth." Also
recent as co-editor: "Red State Rebels: Tales of Grassroots Resistance in
the Heartland". Event expected at home of Carl Estabrook on evening of the
21st. Illini Union Bookstore signing event expected the afternoon of the
22nd. He is a speaker at the Socialism 2008 conference as well - see
immediately above.

June 24 (Tuesday) 9:30AM, Courtroom D, Champaign County Courthouse (101
E.Main, 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.

June 28-29 (Friday-Saturday), Cleveland, Ohio
"National Assembly" Conference
see www.natassembly.org

*****
Minutes of 6/01/08 AWARE meeting:

About 20 in attendance

News of the week was heard, courtesy of Carl Estabrook

Finance Report: $2330
Finance report sheet passed around:
IMC rent for AWARE storage space may change
(currently $110 every 3 months)

Main Event:
Next demonstration is June 7. More discussion on possible flyers. Some
"Cost of War" flyers remain from last month, perhaps 150. Some IVAW flyers
remain as well, perhaps 50. Stuart volunteered to make copies of the
recent
UFPJ-distributed flyer from Wisconsin Peace and Justice Network, featuring
compelling excerpts from a recent NPR interview with Iraqi women's rights
activist Yanar Mohammed (who also has appeared often on Democracy Now! in
the past). The flyer is at:

http://www.wnpj.org/Flyers/Yanar%20Mohammed.pdf

More on Yanar Mohammed at:
http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/meast/06/26/pysk.mohammed/index.html
http://www.democracynow.org/2007/5/14/feminists_yanar_mohammed_of_iraq_and
http://www.whrnet.org/docs/interview-yanar-0603.html

Randall commits to ensuring flyers are distributed to at least 250
motorists (really, this time 8-)

Working group reports:
*****************
Library Resource Group:
=================
(Compilation of valuable reference materials w/appeal to Libraries to
carry them). Blackwater DVD received.

AWARE Presents:
=============
(Organization of AWARE-sponsored events in the community)
Meeting scheduled for June 12, 7PM (see details above in upcoming events
calendar).
Ideas being thrown around:
1. A film series at a local library this Fall.
2. Jeremy Scahill event(s) coinciding with his expected visit to town in
connection with an initiative by Dan Kenney of Clearwater.
3. An event focusing on the psychological hardships faced by returning
veterans

Anti-Racism:
=========
No news this week from CUCPJ (other than what was a call for turnout at
the now-cancelled meeting of the Champaign County Board's Justice and
Social Services Committee that was set for this evening (Monday) at 7PM).

Barbara Kessel provides a detailed update on developments in the "Tamms
Year Ten" campaign (see http://www.yearten.org/ ). Details reported on the
success of the recent Springfield lobbying event regarding legislation (HB
6651) to address the extraordinarily oppressive conditions at Tamms
Supermax Correctional Center. Also details on the subsequent Chicago
press conference. Unfortunately, due to the present gridlock in the state
legislature, bill passage is not expected anytime soon. Barbara noted
that State Rep. Julie Hamos also figures prominently in the support and
promotion of this legislation (she was the one who introduced HB 5700, the
Clearwater legislation to regulate Blackwater and other private military
contractors in Illinois)

Farmer's Market:
============
Sign-up grid passed around. Bumper sticker supplies replenished. Research
on lightweight canopy pending.

Blackwater:
========
John Cusack film "War, Inc." is out. See:
http://www.democracynow.org/2008/5/23/war_inc_john_cusacks_new_film

AWARE on the Air:
==============
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.

4th of July:
=======
Working group meeting scheduled for June 3 7PM (see details above in
upcoming events calendar)

Old Business:
**********
"Cost of War" billboard
================
News on a possible new location for the next month of the billboard is
pending and expected very soon. If there is no new location for now, we
will have to temporarily store the vinyl panels that make up the
billboard. Sign may come down as early as June 5th or 6th.

Events of the past week
*******************
Overpass Banner Drop
================
Memorial Day 1-3PM at the I-74 Neil St. overpass. Successful,
attention-getting and also provocative (two, TWO, McDonalds refreshments
thrown at us by passing motorists). Calls made for similar protests in the
future. I-57 truckers remarkably supportive.

New ideas:
**********
"National Assembly" conference in Cleveland, June 28-29
=======================================
This is an effort to create nationwide unity among anti-war groups toward
the purpose of effecting mass, unified national demonstrations (the first
of which is tentatively slated for next Spring) with an uncompromising
demand for *immediate and complete* withdrawal and an explicit,
categorical independence from all political parties. It is meant to be
all-encompassing and includes support from United for Peace and Justice
and International Answer, but it is even more grassroots-oriented.

See http://natassembly.org.

And in particular, see:
http://natassembly.org/uploads/docs/NatAssemb_flyer.pdf
http://natassembly.org/uploads/resources/1211603546.doc
http://natassembly.org/uploads/resources/1211603647.doc
http://natassembly.org/uploads/resources/1211603438.doc

Proposal that AWARE send one or more folks to this conference. Karen and
Stuart express tentative interest.