Meeting minutes for April

Amnesty International Group 342 
Meeting Minutes for 18 April 2012

In attendance: Jeff Singleton, Gina Buckman, Colin Evans, Marsha Brofka-Berends, Barbara Quintiliano, Struan Grant, Sheri Mewmark, Clair Curran, Kristy Byrnes, April Zappaterrini

I. Review of minutes from last meeting

Minutes from our March meeting were reviewed. These were accepted with some minor
changes.

II. Reports

Treasurer’s Report

We have a total of $ 534.00 in our account and another $ 174 in cash.

Group 342 Coordinator's Report

Jeff has been in contact with Michele Bolay about the AI chapter at the STEM Academy in Downingtown.

There is also a student group in the Owen J. Roberts School District.

Area Coordinator's Report

The Regional Meeting on 24 March 2012 went well and was well attended.

The “Get on The Bus” event will be on 27 April 2012. Groups will be going to both Washington DC and New York City. April Zappaterini will e-mail additional details to the group.

April Zappaterini is attending quarterly phone conferences on immigration issues. If anyone is interested in joining her please let her know. Gina Buckman agreed to send information on PICC (Pennsylvania Immigration and Citizenship Coalition) to April Zappaterini, Marsha Brofka-Berends, and Jeffrey Singleton.

There are open positions for a Student Area Coordinator and Regional Field Organizer.

III. Actions

We wrote to General Abelardo Colon Interior Minister and Raul Castro, head of state and government of Cuba, in support of Jose Daniel Garcia. He was arrested for nonviolent protests and held in prison for eight years. He was released and was arrested again on 2 April 2012 and will now possibly be sentenced for another twenty-five years.

IV. Updates

Casefile Updates

We wrote a letter on behalf of Siti Zainab Binti Duhri Rupa of Saudi Arabia. We summarized the case file for new attendees.

We did not write a letter on behalf of Mohammad Sadiq Kabuduad of Iran this month.

Gina Buckman was contacted by the AI office in regards to the Jessica Garcia case file from Honduras. We had that case file in the past but were told to stop work on it because of a political coup in that country. There is still a hold on that case file, but we were asked if we would like to work on that case file once it is reopened. The group agreed that we would want to consider this when that time comes.

NRCAT Update

They are focusing on preparations for events in June: National Month against Torture. Discussed doing another event at 10,000 Villages in Exton.

Death Penalty Update

There is a scheduled execution in Delaware tomorrow (19 April 2012). There are seventeen states that do
not allow the death penalty. Connecticut was just added.

V. Presentations

Gina Buckman provided a presentation on Amnesty International and GLBTQ (Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgendered, and Questioning) rights.


VI. New Business
Our Facebook site is up and running.

We are also on the events calendar for the Southeastern PA Progressive Network website.

VII. Other Items

Discussed the Kony 2012: Invisible Children campaign.

Our next meeting is Wednesday, 16 May 2012, at 7:30 p.m. at Wegman’s in Malvern.