Anti-War Anti-Racism Effort

AWARE 8/1/04 meeting minutes
Facilitator: Gabe Stanton
Notes: Gabe Stanton
Cherry Tomatoes and Basil(God, G Stanton, C Green)
Time/Agenda( Durl&Jan Kruse and Consensus!)
Attending(18)

News of the week(Carl was absent)
Big News Item(Susan Davis)- U.S. Intelligence warns of potential terrorist
strikes on financial institutions in Washington, DC, Newark, New Jersey
and New York City during this week. Homeland security secretary Tom Ridge
raised the threat level to Orange and said information was specific but
could not tell if attack was imminent. Residents will probably have to
deal with increased, survelliance, police presence and blocked off streets
in these cities.  Earlier Ridge announced that there was information
that Al Quaeda planned to attack to disrupt election. In other words be
afraid and trust in your president to have a plan to pull us out of this
mess. Does anyone remember the October Surprise in 1980 before Reagan
was elected president?

-Bush Administration criticized for not recognizing conflict in Sudan as
genocide. Close to 160,000 dead and 500,000 are displaced.(AL) [ Ed. note
(REC) - the estimates on the dead and displaced vary - I've seen 50,000
dead, and about a million displaced ]

-International NGOs denounce World Trade Pact (check out OneWorld.net
or commondreams.org

Working Groups

ATTN:  Someone needed to write agendas/facillitate next meeting!

WILL- Susan checked website to find out if there was anything in the
mission statement or bylaws which would suggest that commentaries about
a broad ranging issue such as war were in fact not permitted as they
suggested in their rejection of AWARE's attempt to air commentary about
the Iraq war and or the occupation of Israel. The mission statement seemed
to suggest that commentary would be welcome and even desired as part of
a free exchange of ideas and wouldn't necessarily limited to something
strictly local such as sewage.A few in the meeting pointed out that war
was an issue with local effects and offered to write letters to WILL and
other media addressing our concerns with this area of concern. If one
of the mission statements of WILL is to seek new knowledge then limiting
our commentary would seem to be inconsistent.


UPTV- Randall has been working to get FSTV featuring Democracy Now Amy
Goodman on Urbana Public Television. He has worked to send a letter from
WEFT addressing the radio station's support of this news outlet. Randall
has written up a 11/2 page of summary of the issue and description of FSTV
and the programs that it offers. He has agreed to personally invest the
money needed to bring this service to the Urbana community. He has already
gotten some organizations to support the idea and has gotten more than 800
individuals to sign the petition supporting the move. Other organizations
could still be contacted including CCHCC and planned parenthood. Post to
the peace lists if you'd like to help.

Fahrenheit Art Theater -(Jan) Because Fahrenheit 911 sales are so good and 
it will know be kept into the seventh week we are keeping the table with the 
Michael Moore display as is at the Art theater on church street. Donations 
are coming in and people are taking bumperstickers, buttons and literature.

Legal Police- Susan researched towing ordinances in the city of Champaign
to determine where protesters could safely park. She found that it is
within the rights of Lowes and Tires Plus to tow if we are in their
lot. But the question remains where does the parking area for Lowes
begin? Directly in front of the store. Furthermore is parking area in
shopping malls public or private property? Susan found out that Marketplace
mall is owned entirely by the largest Mall contractor in the U.S. (The
World?) General Growth Inc. The conclusion is that we should try to learn
more about where it is permitted for us to park.

Farmer's Market- (Jan&Durl)Should we buy Fairly Trade Zapatista coffee
to sell at the Farmer's Market. Can we ask for more than a donation? If
we sold it for profit would that change our status as an organization
according to the Farmer's Market bylaws?  Are we only allowed to sell
locally produced food products. All of these questions are left to be
answered. What is clear is that the coffee is selling well in small
quantities and that it is from Chiapas Mexico.

-100 more yard signs were ordered (Vote out Bush and Cheney). There have
been some negative letters to the editor calling the signs (unpatriotic
and ugly) Perhaps someone should write a letter in favor of the signs.

-Janet has been asked to order more buttons and stickers. We are running
low on election related merchandise. Sales have been consistently good.

-Durl agreed to design a flyer advertising monthly demonstrations on
Prospect and Marketview(P4P)

-If you'd like to sign up for tabling at the Farmer's Market for the
coming weeks you can do so at the table.

-List of guidelines for tabling revised-Durl-Some highlights- AWARE
doesn't formally endorse candidates or parties.   We agreed to shorten
part to "Avoid being confrontational or hostile. Discussions should be
appropriate to supports positions that are opposed to war and racism.

-AWARE is sponsoring the protest of the Republican Convention organized
by United for Peace in Justice in front of Madison Square Garden the day
before the convention on August 29th of this year.

Prospect for Peace-Gabe et al.  The event will occur this coming Saturday
August 7 on the corner of Prospect and Marketview from 2-4PM. Invite
friends and neighbors. R.  will continue video coverage. David G. Has
the signs.  Paul Patton suggested people should bring or make signs having
to do with Hiroshima Day August 6, 2003.

Literature-Susan and Al handed out a pamphlet entitled American Foreign
Policy: Spreading Democracy or Imposing Empire? It addresses some of the
major changes in foreign policy after September 11 including the doctrine
of preemptive war, control of world oil reserves and the racist policy that
is a result abroad and in the U.S. It was sent out over the peace discuss
lists and small corrections were made.  It is an excellent overview of
some of the major issues that concern AWARE and includes contact info
for the group.

Events of the Past Week- B. Taylor is interested in moving shortwave
station Radio for Peace International from Costa Rica to his farm
near Allerton Park. He is interested in fundraising for transport
of the gigantic transmitter and for an affordable 6 megahertz AM
transmitter. Problems with FCC licensing have yet to be worked out.

Coming Events.
Vigil/protest in front of UofI Alma Mater at the corner of Green and
Wright streets in remembrance of Hiroshima Day, Friday August 6 12-1PM
Signs will be available and information about new nuclear weapons proposed
by Bush administration.

CU day-Saturday, August 14 11:00-6PM in Douglass park (AWARE still not 
signed up. Looking for someone to facillitate tabling at this event) Perhaps 
someone could take the table from the farmer's market to this event.

Quad Day (quad of University of Illinois) Tuesday August 24th-(we have a
spot reserved)Volunteers needed to table at this event. Durl volunteered
to put up the table.

Sweet corn Festival(downtown Urbana) August 27 10AM-6PM-AWARE has table
reserved and is looking for volunteers to sit at Table

CU Progressives picnic(Crystal Lake Park, Urbana) October 3, 3:30PM Object
of the meeting is to try to bring progressives together to share ideas and
get more people involved in progressive movement. Music and 2 confirmed
speakers (1 on the proposal for a Citizens Police Review Board and 1
speaker on Alternative/Independent media will be featured. Volunteers
needed to make cookies!

New Ideas:

-Mort Brussel- Boston Social Forum is offering social justice documentaries

-There will be a film about Howard Zinn coming out soon

-Gabe is leaving town but he'll be back someday. Thanks to everyone for
your support.

If you'd like to volunteer for anything stop by our farmer's market table
on Saturday 7-12 check out our website anti-war.net or email aware@grex.org