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)

Minutes for September 2023 meeting

AIUSA Group 342 meeting
20 September 2023 (hybrid: United Way of Chester County office and Zoom)
In attendance

—in person: Barbara, Bob

—via Zoom: Frank, Struan, Dorothee

Coordinator’s note: Thanks to Bob for taking minutes.

UPDATES

Meeting location

• Bob and Barb met for the first time at the United Way Office (see below) in Exton. UW provided
• a beautiful meeting room equipped with a huge monitor. With a laptop they conducted a
• standard Zoom meeting for the virtual attendees. In the future, Bob will learn Microsoft Teams
• so we can use the monitor’s built-in web cam effectively.
• United Way of Chester County, 150 John Robert Thomas Drive, Exton, PA 19341

Gun Violence Prevention (Bob)

• Democrats won back their one-vote majority in the PA House. Earlier in the year the House sent
• two GVP measures to the Senate for a vote. It is up to the Senate leader (Republican Lisa Butler)
• whether the Senate will vote on these.
• The PA Pre-emption Law will be ruled on by the PA Supreme Court soon. This is to resolve a suit
• brought by the City of Philadelphia challenging the pre-emption law so it can have tighter gun
• regulations within its boundaries. A ruling may be given in next few days or weeks.
• Bob attended a mandatory Active Shooter Training at his Community College. Instead of being
• teacher-oriented, this training by a veteran FBI agent was consumer-oriented. The FBI agent
• taught everyone to be aware of possible escape routes whenever we enter a supermarket,
• school, or any public space. The plan should be “Run, Hide, Fight.”

Co-Facilitator Need

• Barb made an appeal for a co-facilitator to occasionally prepare and conduct meetings and for a
• member to follow migrants’ rights news. 
• Anyone who can occasionally prepare Urgent Actions
• and post them to the Google Group would be also greatly appreciated.

Birthday Card for Leonard Peltier

• Amnesty has lobbied for the release from Federal Prison of Leonard Peltier, member of the American Indian Movement, for many years. Leonard is in poor health and has served over 40 years for the murder of an FBI agent, a conviction which remains in doubt. The Amnesty action was to send him a birthday card (his birthday is Sept. 12) but address it “care of” the White House.

Banned Books Week Action

• Barb explained how AI was celebrating Banned Books Week this year. She displayed AI’s webpage and asked everyone to take action by clicking on the button below the featured authors, singers, artists, etc.

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

Minutes for June 2023 meeting

  

AIUSA Group 342 meeting
21 June 2023 (via Zoom)
In attendance: Barbara, Bob, Struan, Dorothee

GREETINGS AND MEMBER CHECK-INS

Welcome to our newest member, Dorothee!

UPDATES

Meeting location

• Our former venue (Wegmans in Malvern) can no longer host meetings of organizations.
• A local nonprofit organization has a building in Exton where groups can meet at no cost. Attendees expressed interest. Barbara will contact for more information.

Gun violence prevention (Bob)

• Hopeful news: Two of four gun violence protection measures recently passed in the PA House: universal background checks (closes gun show loophole), and ERPO (extreme risk protection orders, also called red flag laws). Failed to pass: requirement to report stolen guns. Not yet voted on: Safe Storage Bill. 
• A Wear Orange event took place on June 2 outside the West Chester courthouse. Bob and Barbara attended. Victims of gun violence were remembered by family members. Local representatives and clergy spoke.
• A local GOP group planned to raffle off three firearms (including an AR-15) as a fundraiser. The raffle has been postponed following publicity.
• Gun Violence Archive (https://www.gunviolencearchive.org/) reports that 2023 is already the deadliest year on record for mass shootings (incidents in which four or more persons, excluding the perpetrator, are killed or injured).

Possible in-person actions

• “Take action” advocacy suggestions by AI: https://www.amnesty.org/en/get-involved/take-action/
• In past years, our group held in-person Write for Rights events during holiday shopping season in a store in Exton. We invited shoppers to sign W4R petitions and write notes that were sent to prisoners of conscience. As the venue no longer exists, Barbara suggested holding a W4R event in a local coffee shop. Attendees expressed interest. Barbara will check into coffee shops in the next few months.
• Struan recalled that book sales held by AIUSA group in Scotland were very successful in raising money.  Dorothee suggested tabling at concerts.

ACTIONS

• URGENT ACTION: "Political Activists Unjustly Detained" (Tunisia: UA 52.23) [expires July 17,  2023]
• URGENT ACTION: "Indigenous Rights Activists Reported Missing" (Philippines: UA 50.23) [expires July 12, 2023]
• URGENT ACTION: "Arbitrary Detainee Dying from Neglect" (Venezuela: UA 55.23) 

NEXT MEETING: Wednesday, September 20, 7:30 p.m (venue to be announced!)