Minutes of the July 2013 Meeting

Meeting minutes for 17 July 2013
In attendance: Barbara, Bob, Michele, Alex, and Marsha


REPORTS

Treasurer (Tilo)
Tilo did not attend this meeting. Those who were present agreed to wait until Tilo was present to collect dues. Please bring $25 to next month's meeting. Note that this amount is only for our group's dues (what Group 342 pays to AIUSA) and is submitted collectively to AIUSA. Membership is AIUSA is an entirely different matter than each person manages directly with AIUSA on an individual basis.

Coordinator (Barbara)
"Healing a Culture of Torture" event on 25 June in Washington, DC
—Barbara attended this event and heard a speech by Adotei Akwei (AIUSA managing director for government relations) that was very powerful.
People for People Picnic on 13 July in West Chester, PA
—Barbara set up a table for Group 342 at this event and described the event as a "bust." Only about twenty people attended the event.

Actions and Updates
—Marsha brought a letter on behalf of Arash Sadeghi, an Iranian activist currently on a hunger strike in prison. (Further information on this case is available here.)
—Michele brought a letter on behalf of Mohammad Sadiq Kadubvand, one of the Group 342 case files. (We have had no updates on this case since last fall.)
—Alex brought a letter urging local representatives to support a House Resolution 281, which calls for ending unethical organ harvesting in China.

New Business
—There was some discussion on working with other social justice groups in the area. Alex mentioned a group in Kennett Square that shows films three or four times per year; he will look into this further. Marsha reminded the group of our previous attempts to participate in Grove United Methodist's monthly series Films That Make You Think; those attempts had been met with some interest by the Grove rep who has since moved out of the area, but the new organizer hasn't communicated with us about it.
—Alex is now a member of the Rotary Club and is responsible for lining up guests speakers for that group (of 9-15 people) in March. Our group has agreed to do a half-hour presentation at one of those meetings (which take place on Wednesdays at 7 a.m.). The exact date has not yet been determined.
—Marsha suggested that Barbara be our group "post office": she'll be responsible for bringing stamps (purchased by here, then reimbursed from the group's funds) to each meeting. People who bring letters and petitions to meetings should also bring prepared envelopes at that time; then after signatures are gathered the letters can be prepped for mailing right away.
—We discussed showing a social justice-oriented film (possibly The Lady, about Aung San Suu Kyi; or possibly Bordertown, which might tie in with a presentation by a DREAMer) at the Unitarian Fellowship in West Chester. Michele also suggested the Tredyffrin Public Library as a venue that would likely draw a good crowd. Barbara is going to send Michele a list of possible films to show, and Michele will see if the library has access to them (and the ability to show them to groups).
—Barbara will be attending a Senate hearing (let by Dick Durbin of Illinois) on Guantanamo prison on Wednesday, 24 July. She will write a report about it for us.

Next Meeting
Wednesday, 21 August, 7:30 p.m.
Wegman's Cafe, Malvern, PA