MEETING NOTES FOR PEOPLE FOR PEACE, JUSTICE, AND HEALING

People for Peace, Justice, and Healing
August 16, 2008

People for Peace, Justice and Healing met on August 16, 2008, at 10 a.m. at Associated Ministries. Present for check-in: Colleen, Susan, Rob, Sallie S., Nancy, Vivi, Terry, Mark, Ray.

AGENDA

1. Free Gaza (Nancy)
Everything is on hold because of heavy seas. Terrible things are happening -- harrassing telephone calls to family members of passengers, for example. Meanwhile in Gaza people have taken time off from work to wait to greet the ship -- as many as 100,000. The ship has been delayed in Crete. Nancy proposes to send a check in support, in the name of People for Peace, Justice, and Healing. Approved. -- [BACKGROUND: For more information, see the Free Gaza Movement web page. -- Writing in the Aug. 14-20 number of Al-Ahram (Egypt), Ghada Karmi, a professor at the Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies, University of Exeter, writes that when she first heard of the Free Gaza Movement, she thought it was "well-meaning but unrealistic, even naïve, and I was sceptical about the success of their enterprise." But "I could not have been more mistaken. Undeterred by our hints of problems they might encounter, these determined people pressed on vigorously with their preparations over the months, and this week they set sail in several boats as planned from Cyprus to Gaza. All are unarmed volunteers, some 60 people from 17 countries, amongst whom is an 81-year-old nun and an 83- year old Holocaust survivor, as well as journalists, human rights activists, religious leaders and others. Tony Blair's sister-in-law, Lauren Booth, is one of them, determined to go where Blair, Middle East special envoy and peacemaker since 2007, has still not dared to penetrate. Archbishop Desmond Tutu and the Carter Center have both given the project their support. What risks the volunteers are taking and what dangers are ahead, we do not yet know. But even if this brave fleet of boats is forced to turn back and never reaches Gaza, the enterprise will be a monument to human decency and compassion that few of the apathetic millions who watch Gaza's tragedy from afar have shown."

2. Co-op America (Rob)
Discussion of Co-op America's "Adopt Your Dealer" climate action campaign of economic action to stop global warming. PJHers please inform yourselves on this campaign to facilitate further discussion.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

1. Digging Deeper LIV (Mark)
On Mon., Aug. 18, United for Peace of Pierce County's Monday evening book discussion group will discuss Vincent Bugliosi's bestselling The Prosecution of George W. Bush for Murder (Vanguard Press, 2008) from 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Mandolin Cafe (3923 S. 12th St., Tacoma). 2. Tacoma FOR picnic (Vivi)
On Sun., Aug. 17, beginning at 3:00 p.m., Tacoma Fellowship of Reconciliation will hold its annual picnic at Hillside Community Church, 2508 South 39th St., Tacoma.

Respectfully submitted,
Mark