Meeting minutes for September 2016

Meeting minutes for Wednesday, 21 September 2016

In attendance: Barbara, Bob, Jeff, Gina, Alex, Kara (via Skype)



Welcome and Introductions

Announcements

• AIUSA Mid-Atlantic Regional Conference
• Saturday, October 8, 2016
• University of the Sciences, 600 South 43rd Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104
• More info to come (event website)
• Our October meeting will have two guest speakers: Emily Abendroth of DecarceratePA, a local organization dedicated to the issue of mass incarceration (an area of interest to Amnesty International); and Layne Mullett of LifeLines, which provides a voice for PA inmates serving life sentences without the possibility of parole
• Our annual Write for Rights fundraising event will be held at Ten Thousand Villages in Exton on Saturday, 17 December, 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.

New Business

• Alex presented updates on legislation and other actions to stop forced organ harvesting in China
• H. Res. 343 passed on 13 June 2016
• In June 2016 the founders of the International Coalition to End Organ Pillaging in China released an updated version of their extensive report on this subject.
• Doctors Against Forced Organ Harvesting has named 1 October as the first International Day Against Forced Organ Harvesting and is petitioning the United Nations to work to the practice of forced organ harvesting.
• Amnesty International is running a campaign called "The America I Believe In" and encouraging people to tell the world that the America they believe in supports human rights.
• Photos were taken of group members holding poster expressing their ideas on this subject and will be posted to our group's Twitter account. 
• Barbara will bring blank posters to the October meeting in case others would like to have their photo taken. 
• Members can also take photos themselves and send them via e-mail to Barbara.
• One goal for the new year is to have a movie night. Barbara will start exploring possible dates with Tilo, and then the group will choose a film. 

Actions

• Letter on behalf of Homa Hoodfar, Canadian-Irish-Iranian Professor in Solitary Confinement in Iran (UA 137/16)
• Jeff and Bob will bring actions to the October meeting

Upcoming Events

• Next meeting: Wednesday, 19 October, 7:30 p..m, Wegmans in Malvern, PA
• Write for Rights event: Saturday, 17 December, 2 p.m. to 6 p.m., Ten Thousand Villages in Exton