[Peace] December 12th AWARE meeting minutes

[Karen Medina]

AWARE meeting minutes, Sunday December 12, 2010

6 Attendees: Rob K., Stuart L., Charlie, Karen M., Don M., Ron S.



*Discussion of the peace demonstration:*

A week ago, the regular demonstration was cancelled because of the street
closings (Champaign was having a parade) and the weather (cold). At the
December 5th meeting, we discussed having a demonstration Saturday December
18th 2-4pm in solidarity with the demonstration in D.C. of the veteran-led
civil resistance to the wars that “ANSWER” and “Stop the Wars” are having on
Thursday, December 16th, 2010.



We discussed whether people would show up for a December 18th demonstration
and four people at the meeting said they would be there for it.



The group shot down a suggestion of having a noon demonstration on the
16thin front of a local federal building. It is hard for people to
leave work in
the middle of the day.



Stuart will put together a flier based on the “Stop the Wars” website. Don
suggested that the content be kept to about half a page and then to have
links to more information – people would be less intimidated by the amount
of text and it would save paper.  The group agreed.



Final decision: There will be a demonstration on Saturday, December 18th,
from 2pm to 4pm. If it has to be called off for weather reasons, Karen
Medina will be “dictator for 18 minutes.” A weather threshold was not set,
though 20 degrees Fahrenheit might seem reasonable. Ron reminded us that he
and others are getting old and infirmed.



For more information, see http://www.stopthesewars.org/ (note that the www
is important, otherwise you get the Boston area group, not the national
group).



*Discussion of AWARE meetings over the Winter Break:*

McKinley Foundation building will be closed for three weeks of AWARE
meetings: namely December 26th, January 2nd, January 12th. They have offered
a key to us, if we give a security deposit of $200.



The following decisions were made:

·      December 19th meeting will be a social meeting and will be held at
the Esquire Lounge (106 North Walnut, Champaign Illinois). They do serve
vegan Black Bean Veggie Burger. (see menu:
http://www.esquirelounge.com/menu.html )

·      December 26th meeting will be at Carl Estabrook’s house, no dogs
allowed. I don’t want to make his address public here.

·      January 2nd and January 9th meetings will be at McKinley Foundation.
Stuart wrote a personal check for the key deposit. Karen will give it to
McKinley secretary, Amy, on Monday. Stuart will hold the key.

·      Bars were preferable to a coffee house based on the people at the
meeting.



*Discussion Peace Calendar and Women Artists Datebook:*

Karen will post to the peace list that people can purchase Peace Calendars
and Women Artists Datebooks directly from AWARE, they don’t have to buy them
from the AWARE table at the Farmer’s Market. $12. Contact Stuart if you
would like to purchase a calendar: slevy at ncsa.illinois.edu



*AWARE on the Air* (UPTV) invites people to participate this Tuesday,
December 14, 2010, 1pm; 400 South Vine Street, Urbana, Illinois. Possible
topics mentioned: Cancun Climate Change Summit from last week; why we might
fight in the future article in the New York Times (“natural defense”).



Discussion of Farmer’s Market: a sign up sheet was passed around. We still
have calendars! Great gifts.



Discussion of inviting Brian Terrell to come to speak about his trip to
Afghanistan: see the letter from Brian thanking AWARE for the money
(peace-discuss post by Stuart Levy dated November 21st, 2010 --
http://lists.chambana.net/pipermail/peace-discuss/2010-November/029643.html)



*Past Events:*

·      Salt of the Earth showing earlier today (AWARE Films). Small
attendance (the weather was cold and slick, so it may have been due to
this). Two people attended who heard about it from a friend who read about
it in the newspaper. The film was great. Karen Medina said, “It is better to
touch a few people than no people”



*Upcoming events:*

It is rumored that the Coffee Party of Greater Champaign-Urbana, Illinois
will have their Holiday Meeting next Saturday, December 18th, 2010. They
postponed from yesterday. [I was unable to verify the new date via the
coffee party’s facebook account.]



Peace Demonstration,

Saturday, December 18, 2010 – our monthly demonstration was postponed
earlier this month; this date chosen so we would be in solidarity with the
veterans marching on D.C. to end the wars (http://www.stopthesewars.org/).

2-4pm

 at the corner of Main St. and Neil St. in downtown Champaign, Illinois

[If someone can volunteer to pick up the signs from Stuart’s house, you
should contact slevy at ncsa.illinois.edu ]





The People Speak – a community reading in Champaign-Urbana

January 27th 2011(on the first anniversary of Howard Zinn’s death).

Organizers: International Socialist Organization at the University of
Illinois

[I will try to find out where this will be]



*Non-peace related, but still interesting: *
Total lunar eclipse on the Winter Solstice night (shortly after midnight the
night of December 20th to December 21st) http://www.eclip
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