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AWARE minutes 12/15/03 Facilitator: Doug Olive Time: Lisa Chason Notes: Gabe Stanton Treasurer: Linda Evans News of the Week Carl Estabrook excerpts: The pentagon prohibited contracts to companies that didn't support invasion as James Baker tries to get them to forgive debts owed to them by Iraq. 1/2 of the US/Iraqi army has deserted because of terrible working conditions and pay Article about Task Force 121 (American Death Squad) by Seymour Hersh in the New Yorker. Vice President Dick Cheney and group of hunters shot 417 pheasants in packaged hunting expedition-(metaphor for war?) Karis Taylor passed out an article about the town in Israel called Neve Shalom/Wahat-al-Salaam (Oasis of Peace) located between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv-Jaffa. Started by 50 Jewish and Palestinian families in 1972 has served as an example of peace between the fighting people. She also brought an article in about a fundraising campaign to support a bill to aid women and children who have been victimized by war. Others were unsure of the motives behind the group. Details at www.savethechildren.org Working Groups Dance Party- Thanks to Carol (who worked really hard to organize a really good time for a good cause) The Noisy Gators for agreeing to play for this benefit (They rock) and OJC on 115 W. Main for the great space to hold this fund-raising event. Also thanks to everyone else who helped out ..Lisa Chasom, Al Kagan, Paul King, Linda Evans ...et al. Also thanks to the Great Impasta and Mr. Glass for donating things to make this a success. We raised $1,400 for Oxfam Iraq and the Red Cross (about $700 ea.) WILL Underwriting working group-Lisa Chason we are not permitted to use "Anti-war" in our underwriting announcements. Lisa and group decided that they would ask WILL to change their policy so that they could expand there fundraising with a statement read similar to WEFT's so that organizations like AWARE or even the NRA could be a potential source of funds. They were apprehensive about doing so because of fear of a fine by the FCC. Carol- WILL could be paranoid but they did show sympathy to our particular dilemma and offered to list us for special events on their community calendar twice a year. Also they agreed to let us do editorials on some of their programs. Finally they have kept Bob McChesney's program the controversial "Media Matters" despite drawing a lot of criticism Carl, Mort and others- Yes we should buy something like 10 spots and offer three editorials. (The working group would follow up on this. Carl agreed to do an editorial) Finances- Linda Evans AWARE has about $2300 in the bank P4P- David Green He was told to "Go Back to France". Anyone hearing his french might have reconsidered that request. No major incidents this week. Santa Claus is apparently in favor of world peace. There will be another Protest this coming Saturday December 20th and then there will be a break. Mike offered to host a sign making party New Ideas: Mike Walcher wanted to do a huge community calendar to bring in more AWARE members. Others suggested that the IMC was the place for this but it was difficult to maintain as it is no longer in existence. Doug reported that Cope Cumpston reads a community calendar at 700 AM on Saturday morning on WEFT. Pehaps AWARE could sponsor this if someone agreed to put some time in. Upcoming events: Wednesday Prarie Greens meet at 7:00PM in main room in same place AWARE meets (IMC) 218 West Main St,Ste 110 Urbana. Matt Murray (AWARE member) will give a Poetry reading at Cafe Verde in Downtown Champaign on Wednesday December 17th at 8:00PM