People for Peace, Justice and Healing met Saturday, April 15, 2005, at 10 a.m. at Associated Ministries. Present for check-in were: Katherine, Colleen, Mark, Sallie, Karen, Martell, Sheila and Kyle, Haley, Joel, Scott, Dan, Rob.

CONVERSATION CAFE: Katherine
Karen will facilitate this coming Tuesday. The question is: "How dependent are we on undocumented workers? Question for next Tuesday: Our lives, choice or chance? There was a lengthy and interesting discussion on how to phrase questions in an effort to provoke thought. I think I've worded the question as the group wished. The intent was to provoke questions about the role choices play in our lives.

PRIVATIZATION AND THE ROTC: Mark
Mark is researching the ROTC at his and other universities. He says ROTC supplies 75 percent of the army's leadership and 60 percent of that of other military groups. He has discovered that since 2002 a private company, COMTEK, has been supplying the instructors who teach military sciences or ROTC classes in the colleges. COMTEK currently has a $147,000,000 contract to supply services to the military. Discussion of privatization of military functions. Karen expressed interest in learning more about this complex of military and industry.

UFPPC MONDAY NIGHT GROUP: Mark
Monday night group now attracts over a dozen readers. Current book: AMERICAN THEOCRACY by Kevin Phillips. This book will be discussed the next two Monday nights.

INTERFAITH CAMP: Sallie
The camp now has it's funding. The camp will be free to all participating campers. Next step: finding the teachers and campers. New website going up soon -- possibly this week: Soundinterfaithcamp.org Campers will range in age from 12 to 14 and will include kids from the Christian, Jewish and Muslim faiths as well as Secular Humanists. A Camp director has yet to be chosen.

ACLU COURT WATCH: Colleen
Next Saturday, 4/22, there will be a training session for those willing to observe at least 2 1/2 day sessions a month for 3 months of court hearings of detainees at the Northwest Detention Center. Session will begin at 1:30 until 4 p.m. at Associated Ministries.

BANGOR TRIAL: Sallie
(I'm sorry, I failed to get the name of the protesters on trial.) Sallie explained that a case of current interest ended in a hung jury. Jurists were irritated with the obviously inaccurate graphics of the incident presented in trial.

EARTH DAY: Sheila, Scott, Katherine
Next Saturday is Earth Day and Sheila, Katherine and Scott are presenting a display at Snake Lake Nature Center (19th and Stevens) as representatives of Earth Charter. Scott shared some of their handsome graphics that will be on display.

For PPJH,
Karen