Minutes for the September 2024 meeting

 AIUSA Group 342 meeting

18 September 2024 (hybrid)
In attendance (in person): Barbara, Bob, Marsha, Alex

In attendance (via Zoom): Frank, Struan, Shreya

GREETINGS AND CHECK-IN

GUN VIOLENCE PREVENTION (Bob)

• July 2: The U.S. Supreme Court declined to review a challenge to Illinois ban on assault weapons
• Assault weapons were used in both assassination attempts on Trump. Democrats have called for a ban on them; Republicans are silent. 
• A few months ago, two ghost gun makers sad they would stop selling in Philly. One has closed up shop completely.
• September 4 shooting in Georgia
• The shooter is 14 years old and will be tried as an adult.
• The father is also being charged. (This is a new tactic by prosecutors.)
• Kentucky highway shooting: assault weapon used
• The Trace website: investigates gun violence in the USA
• Recent report: through 8/11/24, 400 fewer people were shot in Philly over the same period in 2023 (a 39.2% decrease)

AIUSA REGIONAL CONFERENCES

• NYC—October 26
• Phoenix—October 19
• Georgia—September 28

AIUSA PRESS RELEASES

• Apache High School shooting
• AI reaction to US release of $320 million in conditioned military aid to Egypt
• Egypt is supposed to meet certain human rights standards but hasn't.
• The State Department overrode Congress to give the full amount to Egypt anyway, in spite of human rights abuses.

BANNED BOOKS WEEK 

• Barbara met with Shreya last week, will visit her high school group soon
• Presentations:
• Kamile Wayite (Marsha)
• Nidal al-Waheidi and Haithem Abdelwahed (Barbara)
• Alberto Amaro Jordan (Bob)
• Unite Against Book Bans (Barbara)
• The BK-16 (Barbara, briefly; Shreya, more fully later)
• mnesty International calls for a ceasefire and suspicion of weapons shipments [petition to Biden]
• Salman Rushdie's new book, Knife (about the August 2022 attack on him at Chatauqua)

ACTIONS

• Petition to US senators to support S. 761: Stop Forced Organ Harvesting Act of 2023

Next Meeting: Wednesday, 20 November, 7:30 pm (hybrid)

Minutes for the July 2024 meeting

AIUSA Group 342 meeting

17 July 2024 (hybrid)
In attendance (in person): Barbara, Bob, Marsha

In attendance (via Zoom): Kara, Dorothee

GREETINGS AND CHECK-IN

2024 NORTHEAST REGIONAL CONFERENCE

• Will be held in NYC on October 25
• Will be in-person only (no remote option)

GUN VIOLENCE PREVENTION (Bob)

• 30,000 guns seized in NC—but because they weren't reported stolen, the person who had then was sentenced to only 14 months in prison (instead of 30 months)
• June 30 op-ed in The Inquirer by the founder of RAWTools Philly (an organization that turns guns into tools) about challenges to eliminating guns on the streets 
• The police department sells old weapons, thus creating a "blue market"
• GA law mandates that all seized guns must be resold
• NC law prohibits destroying seized weapons
• STATE LEVEL: CeaseFire PA protests again PA State Rep. Craig Williams
• NATIONAL LEVEL: 2 recent U.S. Supreme Court decisions
• 8-1 ruling to ban domestic abusers from owning guns
• 6-3 ruling to overturn the ban on bump stocks

DEATH PENALTY UPDATE

• Recently: 200th death row exoneration
• Questionable convictions: Melissa Lucio (TX); Robert Roberson (TX)
• Other cases:
• Toomaj Salehi (Iran): death penalty has been lifted but still in prison [petition to Iranian authorities]
• Keith Gavin (Alabama): sentenced to die 7/18/24 [petition to AL governor Kay Ivey]
• Rocky Meyers (Alabama): celebrated his 63th birthday [birthday card to sign]

WAR ON GAZA

• Amnesty International calls for a ceasefire and suspicion of weapons shipments [petition to Biden]

SUMMER SOLIDARITY POSTCARD ACTION

• On behalf of Floriane Irangabiye (Burundi), Ilham Tohti (China), and Vahid Afkari (Iran)
• Send postcards c/o AIUSA office in Boston

Next Meeting: Wednesday, 18 September, 7:30 pm (hybrid)

Minutes for the May 2024 meeting

AIUSA Group 342 meeting

15 May 2024 (hybrid)
In attendance (in person): Barbara, Bob, Marsha

In attendance (via Zoom): Kara, Struan, Frank

GREETINGS AND CHECK-IN

GUN VIOLENCE PREVENTION (Bob)

• LOCAL LEVEL: The city of Philadelphia reached a settlement with two ghost gun manufacturers
• They agree to stop selling ghost guns in Philly permanently
• They agree to stop selling ghost guns in the collar countries for four years
• They will pay the city $1m for gun violence prevention measures
• Shootings at SEPTA facilities in Philly
• STATE LEVEL: Gun Violence Prevention Advocacy Day held May 7, organized by CeasefirePA
• Bob and Barbara attended event in Harrisburg with group led by Tom Buglio
• drop-by visits to two GOP reps: Rep. John Lawrence (from southern Chester County); Sen.Trish Baker, who runs the Senate Judiciary Commitee and keeps blocking House-approved measures from Senate consideration
• scheduled visits with two Dem reps: Rep. Melissa Shusterman (who says the House plans to put together lots of small gun violence prevention bills in the fall; Sen. Carolyn Comita (who says that the measures Trish Baker is sitting on will probably be part of budget negotiations next month, and that maybe Shapiro will trade school vouchers for a vote on these measures)
• On May 7 the PA House voted on two GVP measures: one on banning gun stocks, one on computerization of paper records of gun sales; both failed by one vote when Dem Frank Burns voted with the GOP
• NATIONAL LEVEL
• Justice Dept has closed the gun show loophole, but legal challenges are expected
• Next year the US Supreme Court will hear challenge to ghost gun regulations

DEMISE OF GROUP 112 IN PHILADELPHIA (Barbara)

• This group did not pivot to online meetings during the pandemic and just didn't meet at all, then struggled to regain members/momentum afterward. Recent efforts to rejuvenate the group have failed. 
• Dave Rendell says the group is now dormant. 
• Susanna may try to organize speaker series.

AIUSA NEWS (Barbara)

• Thanks to pressure from Amnesty, Amazon has reimbursed $1.9m in unlawful recruitment fees to 700+ migrant workers in Saudi Arabia
• Egyptian human rights lawyer Mohamed Baker (a 2021 Write for Rights case) is free after spending almost four years in arbitrary detention
• Somali journalist Mohamed Ibrahim Osman Bulbul was released the day after an Amnesty Urgent Action on his behalf went out; a few days later all charges against him were dismissed
• AI report on the state of human rights in the USA
• increase in anti-LGBT legislation
• increase in anti-Semitic and Islamaphobic incidents since the Oct 7 attacks by Hamas
• since the US Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade in 2022, increase in states limiting/criminalizing abortion [however: in Oct 2023, the state of Ohio voted in a law to protect abortion in that state]
• Hyde Amendment still limits healthcare for the poor
• sexual/gender violence especially affects indigenous, American Indian, and Alaskan Native women
• increased restrictions on the right to protest

URGENT ACTIONS (Barbara)

• Journalist at Risk: Alberto Amaro Jordán (Mexico: UA 17.24)
• Iranian rapper Toomaj Salehi now under death sentence
• We brainstormed ideas to include in a letter on his behalf
• Barbara will send out those ideas (and links to relevant online resources) in an e-mail to everyone

Next Meeting: Wednesday, 17 July, 7:30 pm (hybrid)

Minutes for March 2024 meeting

AIUSA Group 342 meeting

20 March 2024 (hybrid)
In attendance (in person): Barbara, Bob, David, Heather, Marsha

In attendance (via Zoom): Shreya, Struan, Dorothy

GREETINGS AND CHECK-IN

AREA COORDINATOR REPORT (David)

• At AGM (March 2024) there was a presentation about AIUSA's strategy for 2024 U.S. elections
• We cannot said anything in Amnesty's name about any candidates
• Top goal is to mobilize people to vote as if human rights depend on it
• Counter harmful narratives (especially negative news about the U.S./Mexico border)
• Prepare for and try to prevent crises
• Build our movement to exert more influence on the next administration and Congress
• At AGM: no presentations by former prisoners of conscience (which was a longtime tradition at AGM)
• Regional meetings will return next fall
• "Get on the Bus" campaign scheduled for April 5 (gotb.org)
• Local groups are struggling: Group 112 in Philly is dormant, may try to form coalition with PADP and Ethical Society 

OTHER AGM REPORTS (Barbara and Bob)

• Barbara: attended session on Gaza
• Bob: attended session on local groups (we now have the ability to send e-mail to AIUSA members in our area!); attended session on top issues for young people (reproductive rights, gun violence, climate change)

CASE FILES (Barbara)

• On April 16 Barbara will attend a meeting about restarting case files
• Dorothy expressed interest in being in charge of prisoner of conscience case for our group

GUN VIOLENCE PREVENTION (Bob)

• Shootings at SEPTA facilities in Philly
• "Zero Eyes" program to use AI to detects guns in subways
• May 7: Gun Violence Prevention Advocacy Day in Harrisburg
• morning: constituents visit their representatives
• afternoon: speeches on the capitol steps
• Report on Lewiston, ME, shooting from October 2023: the shooter's guns should have been seized earlier, but police did not do so

GOOD NEWS (Barbara)

• Greece legalized same-sex marriage
• In Saudi Arabia, Amazon must pay $1.9m to workers because of a major Amnesty report about deception and treatment of migrant workers there
• France enshrined abortion rights in its constitution
• Victories on past actions
• Human rights defended Bishop Don Luis Fernando Lisboa transferred to safety in Brail (Mozambique: UA 132.20)
• Human rights defender Munther Amira released (Isreal/Occupied Palestinian Territories: UA 2.24)
• Four of five families freed from detention (USA: UA 116.20)

NOWRUZ ACTION

(Thanks to Barbara and Bob for bringing mailing supplies and printouts about this year's cases!)

Next Meeting: Wednesday, 15 May, 7:30 pm (hybrid)

Write for Rights 2023 Certificate

 

Minutes for January 2024 meeting

 AIUSA Group 342 meeting

15 November 2023 (via Zoom because of inclement weather)
In attendance: April, Barbara (facilitating and recording), Bob, David, Emily, Heather, Kathleen, Shreya, Struan, Suzanna

UPDATES

• Welcome to new member Suzanna McGee,
• Welcome to guests: 
• David Rendell, AIUSA area coordinator
• Kathleen Lucas, AIUSA death penalty abolition coordinator for PA and executive director of  Pennsylvanians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty (padp.org)

GUN VIOLENCE PREVENTION (Bob)

• Newly elected Philadelphia mayor Cherelle Parker declared state of emergency, issued executive order to combat thefts, shootings, and the proliferation of open-air drug markets in Philadelphia.
•  Global Action on Gun Violence (GAGV): U.S.-based nonprofit organization working with and for the international community to  prevent gun violence (actiononguns.org)

HIGHLIGHTS ON THE STATE OF HUMAN RIGHTS IN THE USA (Barbara)

• Amnesty International’s Annual Report 2022/23: www.amnesty.org/en/documents/pol10/5670/2023/en/

AIUSA NEWS

• (Barbara) AIUSA Annual General Meeting, March 3–5, 2024 (www.amnestyusa.org/virtual-annual-general-meeting-2023/AGM)
• Lobby Day: February 26, 2024
• (David) Get on the Bus, April 2024 (date to be announced)

WRITE FOR RIGHTS

• Thapelo Mohapi (Heather)
• Ana Maria Santos Cruz (Barbara)
• Maung Sawyeddollah (Barbara)
• Thulani Maseko (Bob)
• Uncle Pabai and Uncle Paul (Bob)

DEATH PENALTY ABOLITION IN PA (Kathleen)

• On October 31, 2023, a PA House committee voted to repeal the death penalty
• Kathleen presented a strategy for visiting and urging our PA senators and representatives to repeal the death penalty and for thanking those who are already working on abolition. 
• She will be in contact with Group 342 members in the near future.

Next Meeting: Wednesday, 20 March, 7:30 pm (hybrid)

Minutes for November 2023 meeting

AIUSA Group 342 meeting

15 November 2023 (hybrid: United Way of Chester County office and Zoom)
In attendance

—in person: Barbara, Bob, Heather, Marsha

—via Zoom: Frank, Shreya

UPDATES

Meeting location: Thank you to United Way of Chester County for allowing us to use this terrific meeting space!

Member check-in: How's everyone doing?

Coordinator's Report (Barbara)

Good news updates from Amnesty International

• Release of 5 detainees from Guantanamo Bay
• LGBTQI+ right activist Zahra Sedighi-Hamadani released (Iran), had been sentenced to death
• More rights for same-sex couples/families in Taiwan
• Anti-veilng activists Yasaman Aryani and Monireh Arabshahi released after serving 4 years of 16-year sentence (Iran)

Situation in Gaza

• Most recent AIUSA press release (10/26/23)
• AIUSA petition to Biden to demand ceasefire
• AIUSA Toolkit: Occupied Palestinian Territories and Israel

Amnesty International Global Death Penalty Report 2023

GUN VIOLENCE PREVENTION (Bob)

• PA Supreme Court expected to issue ruling soon on preemption laws: might allow Philly to have stricter gun laws than what PA allows
• In March the PA House (Dem controlled) passed 2 laws: red flag law, universal background checks. GOP-controlled Senate hasn't even moved it out of committee (175 days of inaction)
• new legislation introduced to ban assault weapons: urge legistlators to consponsor
• Good news: IL just banned all assault weapons, MI now requires background checks, Biden formed national office of gun violence prevention
• Lewiston, ME shooting: ME has yellow flag laws (have more steps than red flag laws)

WRITE FOR RIGHTS

• Rocky Myers (Heather)
• Rita Karasartova (Marsha)
• Ahmed Mansoor (Barbara)
• Chaima Issa (Bob)
• Justyna Wydrzyńska (Bob)

THE FUTURE OF GROUP 342

• Barb is asking for a cofacilitator to help plan/run meetings and help with AIUSA communications
• Marsha will prepare Urgent Actions and send to the e-mail group. 

Next Meeting: Wednesday, 17 January, 7:30 pm (hybrid)