[Peace] minutes of weekly AWARE meeting 2008-08-31

[Randall Cotton]

Minutes of 8/31/08 AWARE meeting are below, but first, the Upcoming
Events Calendar:

Sep 2 (TODAY, Tuesday) 1PM, Urbana City Council Chambers, 400 S. Vine St.
Taping of this week's "AWARE on the Air" for UPTV.

Sep 2 (TODAY, Tuesday) 10PM, UPTV (cable channel 6) Broadcast of "AWARE on
the Air", taped earlier in the day (see above)

September 6 (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.

September 7 (Sunday) 2-4PM, Urbana Free Library
"PTSD: Our Troops, Our Community"
Panel on PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder) co-sponsored by AWARE and
IVAW (Iraq Veterans Against the War). Six panelists slated, including
veterans suffering from PTSD and local folks whose work includes assisting
PTSD-affected veterans:
Martin Smith - IVAW (Iraq Veterans Against the War)
Mike Mlekowski -  IVAW (Iraq Veterans Against the War), suffering PTSD
symptoms
Paul Anderson - IVAW (Iraq Veterans Against the War), suffering PTSD
symptoms
Ann Russell - clinical social worker, works w/veterans
Abigail Malone - Psychiatrist, works w/veterans
Trent Stevens - disabled Army veteran, UofI academic advisor

Sep 9 (Tuesday) 1PM, Urbana City Council Chambers, 400 S. Vine St.
Taping of next week's "AWARE on the Air" for UPTV.

Sep 9 (Tuesday) 10PM, UPTV (cable channel 6)
Broadcast of "AWARE on the Air", taped earlier in the day (see above)

September 11 (Thursday) 7PM, home of Jamie and Gary Storm, 304 E. George
Huff Dr, Urbana
AWARE Presents working group meeting.

September 12 (Friday) noon - 1:30PM, Latzer Hall at University YMCA, 1001
South Wright Street, Champaign
"Friday Forum" presentation: 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. Lunch may be
purchased for $6.00 ($3.00 for students with a valid ID.). Join a book
club that is reading the book by contacting Patricia Syoen
psyoen35 at sbglobal.net. Study guide available. See related event
immediately below.

September 12 (Friday) 5PM-7PM, Pages for All Ages bookstore, 1201 Savoy
Plaza Lane, Savoy
Luis Alberto Urrea book signing event with a reading, food, activities.
See related event immediately above.

September 15 (Monday) 6PM, WEFT 90.1FM audio broadcast of Luis Alberto
Urrea "Friday Forum" presentation (see related events immediately above).

September 18 (Thursday) 6:30PM, Urbana Civic Center, 108 E. Water St.,
Urbana
"Interfaith Breaking of Bread", a feast at sundown catered with a variety
of Middle Eastern Hallal foods. Fasting from dawn to dusk encouraged  (as
done by practicing Muslims at this time during the month of Ramadan,
though this is an interfaith event), but fasting is not at all required.
Sponsored by Champaign-Urbana Interfaith Alliance, Muslim Women's
Outreach, and the Central Illinois Mosque and Islamic Center. Reservations
required by Monday, September 15, $13 donation suggested. Contact: Sadia
Bekal - sbekal at uiuc.edu .

October 9 (Thursday) (TENTATIVE, UNCONFIRMED), Allen Hall (on campus, 1005
W. Gregory Drive, Urbana)
Dan Kenney of Clearwater on Blackwater and the privatization of war

October 10 (Friday) English Building on campus (time, room TBA)
Dan Kenney of Clearwater, brown bag lunch sponsored by History Dept.

October 10 (Friday) 7PM-9PM Urbana City Council Chambers (400 S. Vine St.,
Urbana)
Dan Kenney of Clearwater: "Outsourcing our Sovereignty - Blackwater and
the privatization of War". To be recorded for broadcast on UPTV.

October 29 (Wednesday) 7:30PM, Auditorium, Smith Memorial Hall, 805 South
Mathews Ave., Urbana
Naomi Klein: "Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism in Latin
America"
(hosted by the UofI Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies as
part of the CAS/MillerComm Lecture Series).
See: http://www.cas.uiuc.edu/casmillercomm.php#oct29

*****
Minutes of 8/31/08 AWARE meeting:

About 20 in attendance

News of the week was heard courtesy of Carl Estabrook

Finance Report:  Balance is $1777.62

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).

Next Main Event is this coming Saturday.

Roger volunteers to announce to AWARE "peace" mailing list during the
coming week

Flyer plans include publicity for the AWARE Presents PTSD panel event on
one side, and Afghanistan material from Carl on the other side.

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

(no new info this week)

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

Next AWARE Presents working group is scheduled for Sep. 11 (see upcoming
events calendar above).

Current AWARE Presents event lineup:

1. PTSD panel - including local individuals that work with veterans
affected by PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder). See above
in upcoming events calendar for date/venue/program details.

Gary, Conrad, Barbara met with panelists to plan details of event (during
the AWARE meeting last Sunday) and this went very well.

Publicity so far: News Gazette calendar of events, email to Debra Pressey,
Paul Wood at News Gazette w/press release, lots of flyers passed out at
Farmer's Market, posted at Armory.

IMC will bring sound system over to the event.

Facilitator will be Conrad Wetzel

Conrad expects to do a Public Square spot on WILL-AM 580 to publicize

2. Dan Kenney of Clearwater on the privatization of war, including
Blackwater, in an event for the community (to be recorded as well) on
October 10 (see above in upcoming events calendar for date/venue details).

Dan's presence on October 9 at Allen Hall is unconfirmed and tentative.

Public Square spot is planned for publicity

Other events may be arranged in town.

3. Jeremy Scahill event still being pursued (he is on a book tour this
Fall).

Tentative date of October 28th still possible. This would be the day
before Naomi Klein's appearance on campus.

4. Proposal under development: Invite Juan Cole to speak (University
of Michigan Professor of History, middle-east expert, author of Informed
Comment blog, see: www.juancole.com ). Initial contacts to promote
interest in this at UIUC: Center for South Asian and Middle Eastern
Studies and Center for Global Studies.

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)

Unity March planning has begun. Tentative date is October 4. Tentative
rallying issue is the ballot referendum to increase funding to Champaign
Township to partially restore "General Assistance" financial support to
the poorest of the poor. Possible route mentioned: Rally at Douglass Park
followed by a march to the Township Supervisor office (Green & Randolph)
with a demonstration there.

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

Possible record $158.80 for Farmer's Market income yesterday.

Support the Troops/End the War signs are gone. Question raised whether
more can be obtained through Bob Naiman.

Mention made that Vic Pella, the owner of the Old Vic Gallery in Champaign
has many of this year's Martin Luther King Jr. posters left.

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

Taping 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.

August 12th edition of AOTA is available on newsfromneptune.com, will be
moved to AWARE website (anti-war.net) along with later editions.

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 )

Barbara read an account from Dan Kenney illustrating how Blackwater
smooth-talked their way into the good graces of the Jo Daviess County, IL
Board to gain a permit for a "shoot house". Suggests folks call JoDaviess
County Board members to describe to them how supporting and hosting
Blackwater brings infamy to JoDaviess County and stands to affect their
tourist industry. See www.jodaviess.gov for contact information.

Suggestion: Start circulating petitions in Illinois to send to Obama
opposing Blackwater, as he is on record in support of increased government
utilization of Blackwater.

Mention made of Blackwater's practice of operating numerous subsidiaries,
perhaps as a way to obfuscate their various enterprises. Roger may
research this.

Mention made of Blackwater apparently recruiting for "sworn law
enforcement" personnel for work in the wake of Gustav.

John Timony has apparently been hired by Blackwater as a private
consultant. Timony was Miami police chief during the violent attacks on
protestors during the 2003 Free Trade Agreement of the Americas" meeting
in 2003.

Mention made of Harrold, TX approving teachers to carry firearms. See, for
instance:: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/29/us/29texas.html .

Old Business
**********
AWARE introduction sheet (a short welcoming half-sheet introduction to
AWARE for new faces attending our meeting.):  draft copies passed around
to all. Comments, suggestions, criticisms solicited (no feedback so far).
Tentative plan is to make them available in the room (in an envelope on
the wall) starting next Sunday.

Suggestion made to either use current sheet or customized version to hand
out at tabling events such as Farmer's Market. Randall volunteers to
follow up on this.

Suggestion made to confirm we still are advertised in the UPTV Community
Bulletin Board (and to update that panel as necessary). Such a panel could
be used during AWARE on the Air. Randall volunteers to follow up on this.

Bill Walton (issue of long-time local homeless man banned from Lincoln
Square Mall, City Building and Library):
Roger reports that Bill's childhood friend met with the mayor, who
reported that she banned all homeless folks from staying in the City
Building. Further work is being done outside of AWARE to explore Bill's
rights.

All Channing-Murray events proposed for co-sponsorship last week were
accepted by consensus. For a list, see:
http://lists.chambana.net/mailman/archive/peace-discuss/2008-August/017943.html

Events of the Past Week
*******************
Mention made of Greenpeace "Rolling Sunlight" tour.

Other upcoming events
******************
September 21 is the UN International Day of Peace. See:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Day_of_Peace .