[Peace] Minutes of AWARE Meeting Sept. 20, 2009

Tue Sep 22 11:05:48 CDT 2009

*Calendar (minutes of 09/20/2009 AWARE meeting follow below):*

TODAY, Tues., Sept. 22, 1 p.m.. Urbana City Council Chambers, 400 S.
Vine St. Taping of "AWARE on the Air" for broadcast later the same day.

TODAY, Tues., Sept. 22, Eric Heim of Campus Anti-War Network, will give
a presentation on Afghanistan at 7 p.m. in room 111 of Gregory Hall, 810
S. Wright St. Urbana.

TODAY, Tues., Sept. 22, 10 p.m. broadcast on cable channel 6, Urbana
public television, of "AWARE on the Air," taped earlier in the day 
Thurs. Sept. 24, 5:30 p.m., in front of the Courthouse in downtown
Urbana: Jobs With Justice organized demonstration on economic justice
issues. For more information contact Ricky Baldwin, 328-3037 or
baldwinricky at yahoo.com <mailto:baldwinricky at yahoo.com>.

Sept. 19 - 25 (Sat - Fri) Pittsburgh, PA. Call by National Assembly
for demonstration/action at G20 meeting See:
https://www.natassembly.org/G20.html. 

Sun., Sept. 27 Multi-Family Community Potluck to benefit the needy, 4 – 6 p.m., Church of the Brethren, 1210 N. Neil Street, Champaign, for
information call Sis. Carol 344-1811

Fri., Oct. 2, 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. Lucy Ellis Lounge (Room 1080 in the
Foreign Languages Building) Conference about Iranian Politics at
University of Illinois.  From Center for S. Asian and Middle Eastern Studies. The public is welcome.  “Presidential Elections of 2009 in Iran:  Causes and Consequences of the Confrontation:  http://www.csames.illinois.edu/news/iranstudies/

Sat., Oct. 3 Main Event and Unity March. This year's theme focuses on
the lack of adequate housing, healthcare, and food for the growing
number of needy in Champaign County. March begins at noon at the
Champaign City Building, and walks along University Ave. and down
Vine/Cunningham to a rally at the County Courthouse in Urbana and U-C
IMC. Bring donations of blankets, bedding, nonperishable foods to
benefit the safe haven homeless community.

Oct 9-11 "Midwest Liberty Festival" at the Du Quoin fairgrounds in
southern
Illinois. "A non-partisan, non-factional event for liberty lovers and
those who
respect our Constitution and the Bill of Rights" -- including perhaps Cindy
Sheehan; it should contain a substantial anti-war element. For more
information:
<info at midwestlibertyfest.com> and
<http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=119830955184>.

*Minutes of 09/20/09 AWARE Meeting*:

The group accepted the idea of following a format in our meetings (the
part after News of the Week and Introductions) where the segment of the
minutes of last week's meeting relating to that heading would be read
first as a stepping off point for the current meeting’s discussion.

*Finance Report*: Stuart reported a balance of $996.45. This included
a collection from Sept. 13 of $30 and a farmer market take Sept. 19 of
$11. Contribution jar was passed. Karen reported it was $24.95.

Stuart gave another report about the relocation from the closet. He
was asked whether the IMC was returning our prorated rent for the
remainder of the quarter. The answer was that they haven’t offered.
He was asked to find out. Tough talk of withholding it from our family
room rent the upcoming quarter.

It was also suggested and there was no objection to having someone count
the jar independent of Stuart. The way it was done was that the last
person to hold the jar counted it and then passed it on to Stuart who is
acting as treasurer.

· _Working Group Reports_: 

*Main Event*: AWARE's monthly street demonstration usually 1st
Saturday of the month from 2 to 4 p.m. at Main and Neil in downtown
Champaign. Stand displaying signs to the traffic stopped at the
intersection and hand out flyers to motorists and
passers-by. Bring a sign or use one of ours. We try to have a topical
flyer produced each month.

Carol read this from Sept. 13 minutes. “There was idea of having the
next flyer be about Honduras. Honduran friend of Shara Esbenshade with first hand
account from being in Honduras this summer is writing an article for the
Public I. Ron suggested NACLA for background info.” Karen Medina will
get the copy from the public I to adapt for a main event flyer.

At a point later in the meeting Ron remembered that the Unity March from
downtown Champaign to downtown Urbana is happening at noon on October 3
which would be our regular 1st Saturday for main event at Main and Neil
2 - 4 p.m. We decided that the Main Event in October will be marching
as part of the Unity March (take off from Champaign City building at Neil and University in downtown Champaign at 12 noon) contributing our AWARE messages. This will allow us to stay with the Unity March event (beyond 2 p.m.) for rally at the
Courthouse and for a celebratory meal at IMC in Urbana.

*The Weekly Action* is a concept started in mid June 2009. The idea is
you can come to the AWARE meeting and at the Weekly Action point in the
agenda suggest an action that you would like to see us take en masse
during that week or a day of that week: a letter to write, a phone call
to make. We thought it would often be things picked up from other
organized efforts but could be originated by the person suggesting.
(Putting up a yard sign or some other form of personal message could
equally be handled this way.) A standard part of the Weekly Action was
to be making a tally of the numbers who actually did the action. 

Carol will study the legislative alert to U.S. Congress on Afghanistan
at Friends Commttee on national legislation to see if it would be a good
weekly action for next week. 

Some people had trouble getting through to the State Department with the
Weekly Action of two weeks ago.

*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. We didn't think
that there was a representative at yesterday's CUCPJ meeting but Conrad
Wetzel had news of a new effort spearheaded by Carol Ammons for a
monthly fundraising event for the homeless which will be a monthly
community potluck hosted by a different church. The first of these
will be Sept. 27. See Calendar above Multi Faith Community Potluck.
We also learned from Carl that the midday meal has moved across the
street from the Catholic Worker house. At the New Covenant
Fellowship at Randolph and White they are giving out sack lunches. To
help 355-2038.

*AWARE Presents:*  (Organization of education outreach type AWARE-sponsored events in the community) The idea of collaborating with CAN on Tuesday night 7 p.m.
events (alternate or unused Tuesdays) in their space in Gregory Hall
sounded very good to one. General topics that are beckoning are anti
war servicepeoples' organizing and counter recruitment (support
IVAW). Also a background program on Afghanistan.

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

Carl reported that there will be "program pages" for shows on UPTV.

Conrad will contact Carol Ammons about joining the discussion. He
heard her eloquently at Champaign County Board.

Stuart will contact Ivan Ridgeway known to several as longtime activist,
radio person and articulate person who is African American.

Some "Aware on the Air" recordings are now available on-line. See the
AWARE home page at anti-war.net.

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 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.

*Farmers' Market* (AWARE's weekly seasonal presence at the Urbana
"Market at the Square")

Sept. 20 was staffed by Stuart and Carl 1st shift, Mort and Ron
2nd shift, and Stuart and Doug Olive last shift. There are lots of
Coexist bumper stickers. Karen asked for $100 to order Syracuse Cultural
Workers calendars. We'll sell out. Mort is finding out the terms
for Palestinian calendars that he can get through Campaign to End the
Israeli Occupation. No hostile responses this past Saturday.

*Monthly Message *
(Efforts to propagate the content of the Main Event monthly flyer through
various media channels)
 Letter to the editor by David Green in News Gazette on Sept. 20.

*AWARE Films*:
(Organization of film and video showings in the community)
 Possible future showings: Sir No Sir about resistance in the military
in the Vietnam era.

*Blackwater*
(Activism regarding notorious domestic policing and international
mercenary contractor Blackwater, including coordination with
Illinois-based activist group Clearwater: see:
http://www.noprivatearmies.org <http://www.noprivatearmies.org/> )
Nothing on this.

 *Working group on Israel Palestine* has had an initial meeting. Their
effort is to find out more about the Arms Export Control Act and Foreign
Assistance Act and enforcement of them. Carol reported that as of the
weekend of Sept 19 - 20, the HR 3081 and SB 1434 appropriation with the
foreign military financing of 2.775 billion for FY 2010 to Israel have
yet to be considered by the full Senate. The look up at Thomas shows
that they are on the senate calendar.   Mort passed around petition to members of congress about this appropriation.   He has the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions organizer's materials to share with the Students for Justice in Palestine.    

_Old Business_:

Karen was approved to speak for AWARE at Campus Anti-War Network's quad
rally tomorrow.

_New Ideas_:

 *AWARE postage stamp*. Post office allows you to create your own
stamp. The meeting was asked to consider spending $50 to have Karen
design an AWARE stamp. This amount will pay for an edition of [how
many? Karen will check] stamps.

_Events of the Past Week_:    Didn’t get time to hear how the movie “Rethink Afghanistan” went.   

Submitted Sept. 22, Carol McKusick

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