Saturday, September 14, 2002 Meeting Notes

AGENDA

  • -Check-in
  • -Oct. 7th Event Discussion
  • -Julio Quan workshop on Oct. 26th
  • -Web Site
  • -Conversation Cafe's
  • -Announcements

    Check-in
    - The flyer handed out at Cheney Stadium on Sept. 11th brought a new member who says she'll come again!

    BUSINESS

    1. Oct. 7th Event commemorating the anniversary of the beginning of the bombing of Afghanistan, to take place in front of the Federal Building an hour before sunset until sunset.

  • A ceremony of remembrance for the people of Afghanistan on the day bombing began.
  • The group discussed the possiblilities and took on work tasks:
  • - The hour from 4:37 p.m. to 5:37 p.m. (sunset) will constitute a vigil in commemoration of the innocent civilian lives lost due to the U.S. aerial bombing that began October 7, 2001 at approximately 0420 GMT (12:20 p.m. EDT, 3:20 p.m. PDT, 1:20 a.m. in Kabul). The setting sun will symbolize the untimely deaths of the innocent victims of the U.S. bombing.
  • - candles
  • - signs with slogans like: NO MORE CIVILIAN DEATHS: WAGE DIPLOMACY, BREAK THE ADDICTION TO WAR, OUR GRIEF IS NOT A CRY FOR WAR, NO WAR IN IRAQ and others.
  • - leaflet for the event containing casualty statistics and facts about the war in Afghanistan - Mark and Susan will reserach and bring to 9.21 meeting.
  • - puppets - Sally will ask Guadalupe House.
  • - peace pole - a wooden obelisk we could place at the center of the vigil - Rob will see if he can locate it and get permission to borrow it.
  • - Earth Flags - Sally has five now.
  • - Praxis - Amy will find out if they might join the vigil.
  • - Speakers - Mark knows Tosh Kakar, a prof at PLU and a powerful speaker from Afghanistan who might come to speak. He'll also try to check with RAWA to see if any Afghani women are available to speak.

  • - Music - James Morgan and Mike Honey were mentioned. Who will ask them?
  • - PA System - we need one - or need someone to pick one up in Seattle and return it.
  • - Publicity - Sally will try to get an announcement in the Channel. Ken will draft the press release for 9.21 meeting. Marion will draft a flyer for 9.21 meeting. WE NEED PEOPLE TO HELP WITH THE MAILING 9.23,24, OR 25. Also will email widely to anyone/everyone all of us know to attend.
  • - Op-Ed Piece - It's a good time for someone to do another op-ed piece... orfor many of us to send letters to the editor.

    2. Julio Quan Workshop, October 26th from 9-1 at Associated Ministries

  • - We will not advertise except on the listserv since the workshop will focus on developing our peace, justice, and healing movement.
  • - After some discussion, we decided to refer to the original organizing group (you know who you are) to come to our next meeting with the details about the workshop.
  • Look for more after 9.21.

    3. Web Site www.tacomapjh.org

  • It's out of date and could broadcast more public education/calls to advocacy/meeting announcements, etc. No one has taken on the task of creating the content. Thanks to Xeno for offering to do the postings.
  • Mark agreed to work up new content and be the webmaster. People at Saturday's meeting agreed to review the site and offer suggestions to Mark for fresh content from time to time.
  • Please submit your ideas/content to Mark for consideration. He sent an annoucement, but in case you didn't get it, his email address is: jensenmk@plu.edu
  • Thanks to all the former webmasters for their good work.

    4. Conversation Cafe

  • The momentum for holding conversation cafes has faded. After the original five conversations, the plan for a major kick-off didn't materialize. The group at Saturday's meeting agreed that it's a good time now to revive the idea because getting some ongoing conversations in place BEFORE the next major international event (like bombing Iraq) will provide a venue.
  • We looked briefly at what it'd take to organize the conversations and agreed that there's already lots in place from the good work that was done by the original committee. We need more information before we can proceed. Will talk again at our next meeting.
  • Some questions:
  • - are the trained facilitators still interested?
  • - is there anyone who would like to chair the committee?
  • - are others willing to be trained as facilitators?

    ANNOUNCEMENTS


    Sorry, I didn't take good notes on the announcments. Those who have announcements, please send separate emails.

    FINAL THOUGHTS FROM THE PEACE, JUSTICE, AND HEALING CIRCLE:
    SEND WORLD LEADERS YOUR THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS FOR PEACE. PLANT PEACE SEEDS!

    The meeting concluded at 12:15 p.m.

    Respectfully submitted,
    Marion Hogan.