MEETING NOTES FOR PEOPLE FOR PEACE, JUSTICE, AND HEALING

People for Peace, Justice and Healing met August 21, 2010, at 10:00 a.m. at Associated Ministries. Present for check-in: Sallie, Rob, Nancy, Sarah, Valerie, Susan, Mark, Carl.

AGENDA

1. BANNERS: Rob and Nancy
Further discussion of purchasing or making more substantial banners for use in demonstrations. Nancy prospected prices for large banners, ranging $49-$200. Discussion to be continued.

2. OPT OUT: Nancy
Nancy proposed trying something new, now that for the first time enough opt-out sheets have been distributed to local schools: to have people call and say: "I would like to know whether these sheets have been passed out to students yet. They're due back [to school administrators] by Sept. 30. It's students' legal right, you know." Discussion.

3. PIERCE COUNTY HUNGER WALK: Sallie
UFPPC is promoting a "peace community" group participating in the Associated Ministries Pierce County Hunger Walk on Sunday, October 3, 2010 (1:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m.; walk starts at 2:00 p.m.), at Fort Steilacoom Park in Lakewood. Sallie passed out forms for people to use in recruiting support.

4. DELEGATION TO TALK ABOUT PALESTINE: Nancy
A local delegation plans to meet with staff of Rep. Norm Dicks (D-WA 6th) on Monday, August 23, and with the staff of Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) on Friday, August 25. If you're interested in participating, call Nancy at 952-0571.

5. SO JUST! (Nancy)
So Just!, an all-volunteer organized festival of art, music, and dance, is this afternoon!

6. AUGUST 29 PICNIC (Sallie)
On Thursday there was a joint UFPPC-PPJH planning meeting for the August 29 UFPPC-PPJH Potluck Picnic. People will meet at the Fort Nisqually picnic site, which has been reserved, at noon, to help set up. There will be veggie burgers and turkey dogs, as well as the things other people bring. Time: 2:00 p.m.-dusk. There will be an hour or so of music and several drawings. Bring games, volleyballs, frisbees, etc. to add to the fun.

7. KENT ALCORN MEMORIAL (Sallie and Susan)
About sixty people attended the Wright Park memorial celebration of the life of Kent Alcorn on Saturday, August 14. After a potluck picnic, there were testimonials, with some music.

8. WWFOR CAMPAIGN (Susan)
Western Washington Fellowship of Reconciliation has begun a new campaign "focused on bringing U.S. dollars back to the the U.S. instead of having them spent on foreign wars." See here for more information.

9. IRAQ WAR (Mark)
Is the Iraq war really over, as mainstream media sources are telling people, or is it just moving into a privatized phase? Discussion.

INFORMED COMMENT

1. GOODWILL RESTAURANT (Nancy)
There is now a good "neighborhood bistro" at Goodwill (714 27th St., Tacoma, WA 98409): The cafeteria-style restaurant serves breakfast and lunch and is open to the public in Tacoma Goodwill’s Milgard Work Opportunity Center. Dishes are wholesome and healthy and prepared by Goodwill’s Culinary Arts participants. There are daily chef specials. Catering for lunches is available (call Nancy Beauchamp, 253.573.6646 or email nbeauchamp@tacomagoodwill.org). Bistro hours are Monday-Friday, 8:00-10:00 a.m. for breakfast; and 11:00 a.m.-1:30 p.m. for lunch.

2. CRUCIAL CONVERSATIONS (Sarah)
Sarah spoke highly of "crucial conversation training" she's been doing, based on the 2002 book Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes Are High by Kerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny, Ron McMillan, and Al Switzler (McGraw-Hill Professsional, 2002).

3. INTERFAITH PEACEBUILDERS (Valerie)
Valerie reported on the work of Interfaith Peacebuilders, which sends delegations of North Americans to Israel/Palestine.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

1. DIGGING DEEPER (Mark)
Coming up for the UFPCC book group Digging Deeper that meets at the Mandolin on Monday evenings—August 23 and 30—at 7:00 p.m.: on Aug. 23, Joseph J. Trento's PRELUDE TO TERROR: EDWIN P. WILSON AND THE LEGACY OF AMERICA'S PRIVATE INTELLIGENCE NETWORKS (2005) and on Aug. 30, Spencer Wells's THE JOURNEY OF MAN: A GENETIC ODYSSEY (2002).

2. PIERCE COUNTY ANNUAL AIDS WALK (Carl)
See the website: "Join us on Saturday, September 25th as we celebrate 19 years of raising funds and awareness for HIV/AIDS. The Pierce County AIDS Walk is a family friendly event to celebrate the commitment we have made as a community to end the AIDS epidemic, and to commemorate the lives that have been touched by HIV. -- Each year, over 2,000 Tacoma and Pierce County residents from all walks of life take to the streets in Downtown Tacoma to walk in support."

Respectfully submitted,
Mark