Saturday, February 19, 2005

Meeting Notes for People for Peace, Justice, and Healing

People for Peace, Justice and Healing met Saturday, February 19, 2005, at Associated Ministries at 10 a.m. Present for check-in were Sallie S., Mark, Sallie M., Gracie (the cat), Sheila, Kyle, and Colleen.

AGENDA

FINANCIAL REPORT: Sallie
PPJH presently has $802.62. in the bank. About $100 in outstanding debts remain to be paid.

POLICE ACCOUNTABILITY: Colleen
The effort to create a Citizen Review Board is moving along well. Lobbying of council members is proceeding.

EYES WIDE OPEN -- REPORT: Mark
The steering committee for American Friends Service Committee's Eyes Wide Open project, chaired by Chris Willard of Tacoma Friends, met on Feb. 16 at Tully's. Susan Segall, the regional coordinator of AFSC in attended the meeting. She announced a date change for the Tacoma visit: the traveling memorial to the human cost of the Iraq war will be in Tacoma Tuesday, April 12 and Wednesday, April 13 (not Apr. 8-9, as previously reported. Jo Eggers has taken on the responsibility of organizing and coordinating volunteers locally to help set up and take down the exhibit. Various outreach efforts are being contemplated. Thanks to help from Prof. Robert Crawford of UW Tacoma, the exhibit will be set up on the campus of the University of Washington-Tacoma. Weekly meetings of the steering committee will continue to meet on Wednesday's at 6pm. Call Chris Willard (756-0194) for more information.

EARTH CHARTER SUMMIT, OCTOBER 9, 2005: Sheila
An initial meeting of an Earth Charter Summit organizing committee will take place at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, March 9, at the Mandolin Cafe, 3923 South 12th St., Tacoma. Those interested are invited and encouraged to attend. (PPJH has formally endorsed the Earth Charter.)

HONORING SAM HAMILL: Karen H., in absentia
Karen H. proposes that PPJH take out (at her expense) a one-half-page ad in PPJH's name honoring Sam Hamill, the founder of Poets Against the War, who will be receiving a lifetime achievement award at the annual gathering of Washington Poets Association on Whidbey Island on April 30, 2005 (9:00 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.). Approved.

HOUSE JOINT MEMORIAL RESOLUTION 4006: Sallie (for Karen H.) and Colleen
The Washington State legislature will soon be considering House Joint Resolution Memorial 4006, defending the Bill of Rights of the United States Constitution, and endorsements are being gathered. PPJH endorsement approved.

CONVERSATION CAFE
Question decided for Tuesday, Feb. 22: "What expectations do Americans have about their standard of living?" 7:00 p.m.-8:30 p.m., Mandolin Cafe, 3923 South 23rd St., Tacoma.

REPORT ON PRESENTATION OF ADAM SMITH (D-WA 9): Sheila
At an Episcopal church in Lacey on Feb. 13, Adam Smith reported on a recent trip to monitor the Palestinian elections. Sheila reported on the event, which was attended by about 60 people.

ANNUAL SNOW MEETING: Mark
Report on the monthly meeting of Sound Nonviolent Opponents of War (SNOW) on Feb. 14 in Seattle was also the antiwar coalition's annual meeting. Mark reported that 80 bus-length ads featuring a dramatically presented "www.TooManyLives.org (866)-NO-IRAQ-WAR -- WAR KILLS THE INNOCENT -- Join together to end the Iraq war -- NOON -- March 19 -- Seattle Center" message are being placed on Seattle buses (at $300 apiece). Donations to help defray costs are tax-deductible and can be sent by mail to Church Council of Greater Seattle/Bus Ad, 4759 15th Ave. NE, Seattle, WA 98105; donations may also be made online at www.ChurchCouncilSeattle.org.

REPORT ON SCOTT RITTER/DAHR JAMAIL IN OLYMPIA, FEB. 18: Sheila
Sallie reported on the Feb. 18 Scott Ritter (Marine veteran who was UNSCOM weapons inspector in Iraq who, before the Mar. 19, 2003 invasion of Iraq, debunked the Bush administration's claims that Iraq had WMDs and who continues to denounce the war as illegal) and Dahr Jamail (unembedded freelance journalist who has spent eight months in Iraq) event at the Capitol Theater in Olympia. Scott Ritter said the antiwar movement had failed to prevent the war in Iraq, and that it now needs to attempt to prevent a war on Iran (Ritter said a June 2005 aerial attack on Iran is being planned). Ritter also said the U.S. had manipulated the election results, and that the United Iraqi Alliance slate really won 56% of the vote, not 48%; without naming them, he hinted that Seymour Hersh would soon publish an account to that effect in the New Yorker. Dahr Jamail spoke before Ritter, and narrated a slide show on Iraq focusing on Fallujah. He argued that the U.S. media is complicit in the war and sustains support for it by deliberately downplaying the truth about the level of devastation and death that it has caused and continues to cause. See below for further Dahr Jamail appearances in the Puget Sound area this weekend.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

STEVE AND KRISTI NEBEL will be performing at RHAPSODY IN BLOOM & CAFE LATTE COFFEEHOUSE, 3709 6th Ave., Tacoma, on Thursday, Feb. 24, from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

The first meeting of the TACOMA/PIERCE COUNTY PROGRESSIVE ROUNDTABLE will take place on Saturday morning, March 5, at 10:00 a.m. at CARPENTERS HALL, 1322 South Fawcett, Tacoma. RSVP to ProgressiveRoundtable@yahoo.com, or call 253-351-0511 (e-mail preferred). "Finally... A relationship-building forum for progressives. Community leaders, progressive organizations of all kinds, and active progressive group members are all welcome. Enjoy a continental breakfast/Speakers outlining this vision/Introductions to other community leaders/Networking. BECAUSE WE CAN GET MORE DONE TOGETHER. This first event is sponsored by the Tacoma/Pierce County Chapter of the Steelworkers Associate Members. (The Saturday, Mar. 5, meeting of PPJH will consist of attendance at this roundtable. The time of future meetings will be determined at the Mar. 5 event, but we are assured it will not be on Saturday mornings.)

DAHR JAMAIL (see above) will appear three times in the Puget Sound region this weekend: (1) SATURDAY, FEB. 19, 7:00 p.m., at the Kirkland Congregational Church, 106 5th Avenue, Kirkland WA. Admission $5 -- Sponsored by Evergreen Peace & Justice; (2) SUNDAY, FEB. 20, 1:00 p.m. at the Vashon Land Trust. Vashon Islanders for Peace will be hosting Dahr Jamail and Bert Sacks on the subject of Exit Strategies from Iraq. For more information, contact: Kate Hunter, 206-463-5117; (3) SUNDAY, FEB. 20, 7:30 p.m. at UW Kane Hall, Room 120. Hosted by the Interfaith Network Of Concern for the people of Iraq (INOC), the University of Washington -- Department of Communication, the Iraqi Community Center of Seattle (ICCS), and the United Nations Association, Seattle. For more information contact the Rev. Richard Gamble at Keystone United Church of Christ 206 632-6021.

CONVERSATION CAFE: Tuesday night, 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Mandolin. Be there or be square.

COUNTER RECRUITMENT COMMITTEE: Jean's House, 1414 Tacoma Avenue, enter through the back of the house off the alley. (The alley is between Tacoma Avenue and South G Street off South 15th Street. House can be identified by a Japanese garden. Tacoma Rescue Mission and its back parking lot is to the south of the house and another parking lot (50 cents for all day) to the north. Meeting starts at 6:30 p.m.

BASRA TO SEATTLE: IRAQI CHILDREN AND DEPLETED URANIUM. The public is invited to an evening with Dr. Janan Hussein, a pediatrician from Basra, Iraq, who will talk about the conditions in her country today and, more specifically, about the health effects of depleted uranium on children. Wednesday, Feb. 23, at 7:00 p.m., in Wyckoff Auditorium, Seattle University, 901 12th Ave., Seattle, WA 98122. (Parking available in Lot P7; entrance at 12th Ave. & E. Marion.) Sponsored by: Coalition for Global Concern and Capitol Hill Neighbors for Peace and Justice (SNOW).

CAROL MOSELEY BRAUN in Seattle, Friday, Feb. 25, 7:00 p.m. BENAROYA HALL, Downtown 3rd & Union. $20 general admission, $40 VIP includes a one-hour reception through Ticketmaster and at the door. The 2004 Democratic presidential candidate is a strong voice for women's and minority rights in American society. Sponsored by And Justice For All. Contact: william@andjusticeforall.us.

PAX CHRISTI: Peace Group will meet at Jean's House (see above) the third Thursday of every month at 7 p.m.

FEMINIST ACTIVIST and writer bell hooks will be in Seattle at the Town Hall on Thursday, March 3, at 7 p.m. Free.

Respectfully submitted,
Mark