Meeting minutes for February 2018

Meeting minutes for Wednesday, 21 February 2018
In attendance: Jeff, Barbara, Bob, Kara (in person!), Brendan, Tatiana, Marsha

Welcome and Introductions


Reports

Minutes (Marsha): All past minutes are up to date and posted on our blog

Social Media Director's Report (Barbara)
Spent $20 for two-day post boost on Facebook
Reached 387 people, 38 engagements ("likes")


Announcements 

The AIUSA Annual General Meeting will be held 23–25 February 2018 in Bethesda, MD. 

• Information is at https://www.amnestyusa.org/take-action/events/amnesty-internationals-2018-annual-general-meeting.
• Bob and Barbara will attend and take notes to share with us.
• Bill Schomp plans to attend too.

Updates and Actions

• Jeff presented several happy updates to Urgent Action cases!
• Former POC [Prisoner of Conscience] Feared to be in Detention Again (China): UA 212/17
• New Threats against Indigenous Community (Kenya): UA 6/18
• Hundreds Arrested, Whereabouts Unknown (Sudan): UA 35.18

Presentations 

• 5-minute university: "Defending the Human Rights of Groups" (Barbara)
• Next month: the death penalty (Brendan)

New Business

• Prachi and the t-shirts (Marsha): 
• We've long been interested in getting some official Amnesty International attire to wear at our meetings and other events but have been unable to source any ready-made items and hope to print our own designs.
• In a recent e-mail to our group Prachi Rao (our new regional field organizer) mentioned t-shirts. Does she have some or know where we can get some?
• Barbara has been communicating directly with Prachi for some time and will ask her about t-shirts. If Prachi says she can help us with this, we will need a volunteer from our group to take on the task of working out the details with her to order/print them.

Next meeting: Wednesday, 21 March 2018, 7:30 p.m., Wegmans cafe in Malvern