Saturday, June 28, 2003 Meeting Notes

Meeting notes, People for Peace, Justice, and Healing

June 28, 2003

Tacomapjh met June 28, 2003, at 10 a.m. outside on the grass, under a tree at Associated Ministries.

Check In:

Sheila: Has had a "wierd" week. She's processing a personal relationship in order to decide what to do next.

Kyle: Having too much fun to check-in.

Sarah: Has had a operation on her hand and still feels some pain. Has been gardening and is happy to be at the meeting.

Karen K: Relishing the stillness of her summer vacation, working in her garden. Quoted a poem translated by Robert Bly entitled THROW YOURSELF LIKE A SEED. Is enjoying contemplating the "wild part" of life. Recently visited Powell's Bookstore and loaded up on a pile of books including a collection of poetry.

Colleen: Glad to be here.

Susan: Also glad to be at meeting something she doesn't feel she can do during the school year. She is taking French lessons (encouraged by Mark). She and her husband are considering emigrating to Canada.

Rob: Comments on Canada. Recommends taking in humor of Brad Upton at the Comedy Tent at the Taste of Tacoma, a comedian he really enjoys.

Mark B.: Says he's at the meeting for "emancipation." (Sorry, Mark, my notes aren't clear.)

Karen: Told about serving on a jury for a criminal trial involving charges of assualt and harrassment.

Sallie: Very busy at work. Has been staying on occasion at Carl and Cathy's to water their lawn while they are out of town. While watering, she flashed back on the experience of chats with a former neighbor named Fred, a right wing Republican, and their talks while he watered his lawn.

Mark J: Will be out of town for 3 weeks. He's been neglecting his garden and now has a major blackberry problem. Mark says the way blackberries re-root themselves serves as a metaphor for a social process he won't name. Enjoyed UFP gathering at Bert's gazebo with Sallie and ten other people who are planning the July 15th Medea Benjamin event. Has finished his 4,000 word paper on National Strategy. They are discussing street theater.

Mark asked if anyone wanted to replace him while he is gone as web master. No volunteers.

AGENDA - Sheila facilitating.

Street Theater

Meeting with Marilyn

Earth Charter Earth Charter Summit

Non-Violent Communication - July 15

N-VC: Since neither Kent or Dorothy were present, Sallie announced that Dorothy and Kent are planning a session for us. Dorothy will be here next week.

EARTH CHARTER: Further discussion of article(s) Mark brought from the "right wing" POV re: Earth Charter concept. (It's a Commie plot.) Discussion of Dorothy's son Dick and his wife Mona who, starting in Miami, have biked around the US talking about the Earth Charter. A recent article appeared in the Boston Herald about them. They've biked 3,200 miles on their mission. Colleen said that (they) Mona and/or Dick were employed at Bangor and resigned as a matter of conscience. Sallie knew Mona before she married Dick and they are active in the Unitarian Church. Group proposes that we have them speak at Earth Charter Summit.

Sheila said plans have been cancelled to hold summit at UPS because it will be homecoming weekend. Adam is talking to First United Methodist about having the summit there. Another possibility is the Pierce County Environmental Services building in University Place. Some in the group felt that building is a little far away from city center. Sheila is also working on getting speakers for the event.

The Earth Charter committee meets the second and fourth Tuesdays of the month at 6:30 p.m.at downtown Tulley's, Broadway and 9th.

Sallie is concerned about raising funds for publicising the event. We need $200 to $300 for a half page ad. We have an artist who will donate a graphic for the ad.

JULY 15: Sallie tells Sheila she is to lead one of the break-away groups. There will be ten groups following Medea Benjamin's speech. (Focus: Aspects of the Earth Charter, regime change 2004, place of the Peace Movement in the Presidential Election.) Event takes place at 7 p.m. at First United Methodist and is sponsored by UFP. Sallie called for volunteers as greeters, ushers, cookie sellers, et al. If you want to volunteer, contact Marilyn Kimmerlyn at 752-0442. Vance Lelli will sing. Sallie asks us to phone (not just email) friends about the event.

Further discussion - Save Our Nation. Points: Finding new strategies for peace and justice. Liberals taking the summer off. Re-energizing the peace movement. Engaging those with opposing views.

Mark J: The culture wars.

Sarah: Finding positive statements and messages and not just negatives (i.e. against Bush, war, etc.) Discusses Howard Dean who she supports.

Karen H: Mentions reading THE EMOTIONAL LIFE OF NATIONS, from psychohistorian Lloyd De Mause.

Sallie suggests pjh craft a proposal and present it to Program Committee of Associated Ministries. Discussion: of their program for people with opposing views on certain issues (abortion, gun ownership) to meet. One strategy is for them to seek areas of agreement. Rob says they have received a similar proposal asking them to sponsor a group of 12 people interested not in convincing each other of their own POV but in seeking areas of agreement. This proposal has been looked at by the program committee but not taken to A.M. board.

Discussion: People against the war tend to be interested in talking about it, people for the war aren't interested in talking about it. Current interests tend to be gun control or gambling.

Rob suggests we put together a(nother) purposal.

Sarah: Are we against all war or just this one? Discussion. Gun control: discussion.

MEETING WITH MARILYN: Explanation to the group for the benefit of those who weren't there of fish bowl incident at NVC seminar. Various observations: dissatisfaction with facilitation of fish bowl encounter, Marilyn's concern expressed to Sallie through email about resolving the issue, desire by various members to clarify the purpose of the check-in. Sheila characterized Thursday meeting as challenging, leading her to consider her own "trust" issues but felt we need standards of behavior in our meetings in order to get things done after Marilyn had expressed a disinterest in observing boundaries. Colleen expressed the need for boundaries. Discussion: Do we want to stop and do group therapy in our meetings? Karen H. felt purpose of NVC training more appropriate opportunity for dealing with personal issues.

Sheila and Kyle leave for Snake Lake project.

STREET THEATER: Sallie mentions Argentinian playwright Bol whose street theater activities included actual confrontations with the staff of a bank when the (theater) was advocating for a person in conflict with a bank. (Bringing people into a fiction that becomes a reality.) Discussion: San Francisco Mime Troupe, Theater of the Oppressed. Karen K.: planting seeds preparatory to the educational piece.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

Mark J.: CD from National Security Group. (I'm sorry, my notes are vague on this CD. See Mark in 3 weeks if interested. I believe it features the poet Lawrence Ferlinghetti reading a document from the New American Century Project, a document that's been on the web since 1997.)

Circle.

Group saddened when Colleen tells us her son died a month ago. Silence.