MEETING NOTES FOR PEOPLE FOR PEACE, JUSTICE, AND HEALING

People for Peace, Justice, and Healing
August 30, 2008

People for Peace, Justice and Healing met on August 30, 2008, at 10 a.m. at Associated Ministries. Present for check-in: Sallie S., Nancy, Sol, Terry, Mark, Rob, and Colleen.

AGENDA

1. THE POLITICAL CONJUNCTURE (All)
Discussion of a momentous week, culminating in the acceptance of the Democratic nomination by Barack Obama on Aug. 28, 2008, and the announcement of John McCain's vice-presidential pick on Aug. 29.

2. OPT-OUT (Nancy)
It's hard to get people on duty at 6:45 a.m. next Wed., Thurs., and Fri. (Sept. 3-5) to help distribute Opt-Out forms to Tacoma high school students and their parents. (Contact Nancy at nfarrellvt@yahoo.com to help.) Sallie and Colleen volunteered.

3. INTERFAITH CAMP REPORT (Sallie)
This year's camp was very successful. Sixty kids attended; there was only one no-show. Number of Muslim campers this year: three; there was also a Muslim camp counselor. The Puget Sound Interfaith Youth Camp is about kids developing relationships. One of the staff said at a lunch: "So the underlying value here is unconditional love," and others agreed. Evaluations from campers are positive; kids liked the faith leaders. The desire has been expressed to open the camp next year to about-to-be-tenth-graders.

4. SUSTAINABLE CAFÉ (Sol)
Because of a need to move, the manager of a local café is consulting about the location and financing of establishing a "sustainable café" in Tacoma that could showcase products compatible with sustainability, art, etc.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

1. STUDENTS AND FREE SPEECH (Colleen)
On Wed., Sept. 3, at 7:00 p.m., at the Main Branch of the Tacoma Public Library (1102 Tacoma Ave. South, Tacoma, WA), the Pierce County chapter of the ACLU will sponsor "Students and Free Speech: You Have the Right Not to Remain Silent," a discussion by Christina Drummond and Sal Mungia of students' (especially high school students') free speech rights in using technology.

2. IRAN IS NOT THE PROBLEM (DOCUMENTARY) (Mark)
On Thurs., Sept. 4, at 6:30 p.m., United for Peace of Pierce County will show "Iran (Is Not the Problem)" (Scary Cow, 2008), a documentary film featuring Antonia Juhasz, Sahar Driver, Larry Everest, Robert Gould, Majid Baradar, David Glick, Shahab Layeghi, Mitchel Plitnick, Jim Haber, and Michael Veiluva, at its meeting at First United Methodist Church, 621 Tacoma Ave. South, Tacoma. "'Iran (Is Not the Problem)' is a response to the failure of the American mass media to provide the public with relevant and accurate information about the standoff between the U.S. and Iran, as happened before with the lead-up to the invasion of Iraq."

3. DIGGING DEEPER LVI & LVII (Mark)
On Mon., Sept. 8, at 7:00 p.m., at the Mandolin Cafe (3923 S. 12th St., Tacoma), Digging Deeper, the Monday evening book discussion group of United for Peace of Pierce County (http://www.ufppc.org) will discuss Ron Suskind's The Way of the World: A Story of Truth and Hope in an Age of Extremism (Harper, 2008). On Sept. 15, the group will discuss Jane Mayer's The Dark Side: The Inside Story of How the War on Terror Turned into a War on American Ideals (Doubleday, 2008).

4. CASCADE LAND CONSERVANCY LUNCH (Sol)
On Thurs., Sept. 25, 2008, from 12:00 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. the Cascade Land Conservancey will sponsor a Pierce County Conservation Awards Lunch at the Greater Tacoma Convention and Trade Center. Contact Lisa Wallace, 206-905-6924 or lisaw@cascadeland.org, for more information.

5. ROOM TO LET (Sol)
Sol will have a room to rent beginning Oct. 1, 2008. Contact sparkingwaves@hotmail.com for more information.

Respectfully submitted,
Mark