Saturday, January 15, 2005

Meeting Notes for People for Peace, Justice, and Healing

People for Peace, Justice and Healing met Saturday, January 15, 2005, at Associated Ministries at 10 a.m. Present for check-in were: Colleen, Mark, Dorothy, Sally, Karen H., Sharon, Karen K., Sheila and Kyle. Discussion. Karen asked Mark for a report on the Peace Convocation at PLU featuring many prominent persons from Norway. Mark was unable to attend except for the Wednesday dinner. He did tell us about a small Norwegian town that has raised sixty million dollars for another town in Namibia. He told about a program in Norway's schools where children in middle school take one day a school year and 'adopt' a poor country -- to study the country and its needs.

AGENDA

Leonard Peltier Event: Sheila
Sheila passed around a volunteer sign-up sheet. Sheila recommends people sign up for 4-hour shifts. Discussion of needs: Basket donation for the church. Sheila hopes to begin shopping next week. Colleen advised Albertson's as a good place for bread -- they gave us 49-cent loaves of French bread last year. Karen will talk to Sallie about paying for groceries. Forces of good and evil -- Karen H. representing Forces of evil and Karen K. representing forces of good -- broke into open combat when Karen H. announced her intention of buying paper plates to save on dish washing day of event. Discussion: Saving on hot water. Mark and someone else volunteer to do all the dishes. Karen H. suggests offering guests their choice of paper or heavy china. Discernment: People are likely to choose real plates if they have a choice. Impasse. Will problem be solved in a non-violent way? Stay tuned. Sheila, Karen (2), will meet with Arthur on Tuesday night before Conversation Cafe for further planning.

UFPPC Reading Series: Mark
Focus is currently on Daniel Yergin's The Prize: The Epic Quest for Oil, Money and Power (1991). Participants will be discussing this book through the month of January -- 1/17, Chapters 12-23; 1/24, Chapters 24-29; 1/31, Chapters 30-36 & Epilogue. Book is widely available. The next unit of reading group will be a Study Circle on Peak Oil; some copies of books will be available for purchase or borrowing. This reading group is sponsored by UFPPC and takes place at the Mandolin Cafe, 7 to 8:30 on Monday nights.

Tools for Change: Karen K
Karen reported enthusiastically on the activities of this group, which focuses on developing strategies to implement and support individual(s) interested in bringing change to the public life of their communities. Applied meditation, appreciative inquiry, the open imagination are some of the "tools." Circles are forming in the Tacoma area. A "session" runs for 8 weeks. Call Marta at 253-582-4982 or Sol at 253-377-6078 for further information.

Conversation Cafe: Mark
Next topic question will be: "What is your idea of equality?" Question to be further formatted by Mark. Some discussion about "reservation" mix-ups at Mandolin. Discussion re: space and night. No change. Discussion of the fact that groups are tending to be more uniform and homogeneous now than they were, for instance, in the 1970s.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

MARTIN LUTHER KING DAY: Members to pamphlet grounds by clock tower and outside Dome as folks gather to celebrate MLK Day at the Dome. Meet around 10ish a.m. Monday, January 17

READING GROUP Meet at Mandolin, 7:00 p.m. to discuss Yergin's The Prize, ch. 12-23 (see above) Monday, January 17

PELTIER POTLUCK PLANNING GROUP, Mandolin, 6:15 p.m. Tuesday, January 18

CONVERSATION CAFE, Mandolin, 7:00 p.m. Tuesday, January 18

COUNTER INAUGURAL BALL, Jazzbones on 6th Avenue, 7:00 to 10:00 p.m. Wear a costume, Red noses will be available. No cover, No host bar

NEXT SATURDAY'S MEETING: "Swing-State Volunteering 2004": Sallie Shawl, Ken Miller and Annie Phillips will report on their adventures campaigning for Kerry out of state just before the election in the second hour of our next regularly scheduled meeting, Saturday, January 22 (at 11:00 a.m.)

Respectfully,
Karen H.