Minutes for June 2020

Meeting minutes for Wednesday, 17 June 2020
In attendance: Jeff, Barbara, Bob, Tilo, Bill, Laura Galeano (AIUSA program associate with individuals at risk program), Brian (new), Frank (new), Struan, April, Brendan, Marsha

NOTE: June meeting conducted online via Zoom 

Welcome and Introductions

Discussion of AIUSA's use of Zoom

"Zoom censors video talks on Hong Kong and Tiananmen, drawing criticism," Washington Post, 11 June 2020

Laura says there is some discussion at AIUSA  about this

The AIUSA person to contact with your questions/thoughts on this topic is Thomas Bozzell (AIUSA natiional director of information technology) at tbozzell@aiusa.com

Victories

• Asylum Seekers Allowed to Disembark (Malta): UA 87.20
• Defender Receives Additional Protection (Mexico): UA 58.20
• Attacks Against Indigenous Communities Investigated (Colombia): UA 70.20

Reports

• Minutes (Marsha): all minutes are up to date
• Treasurer (Tilo): No change in our funds
• Social Media Director (Barb): FB, Twitter, Tumblr announcements this month
• Coordinator (Jeff): Jeff and Barbara attended Zoom meeting of about 50 area coordinators all over the country
• Group in Bellingham, WA, very involved in Cameroon; interested in collaborating with us, will attend one of our future meetings

New Business

• Problems with Zoom: company actions contradict Amnesty policies/goals (see Washington Post article linked above)
• Barb did research on two alternatives: Jitsi and Blue Jeans
• Jeff inclined to get one-year subscription to Blue Jeans
• Death penalty update (Brendan): Last night Supreme Court stayed execution of man in Texas

Actions

• Protect Transgender and Intersex People’s Rights (Hungary): UA 92.20
• Evictions of Vulnerable People (Peru): UA 90.20
• Blogger Prosecuted for Humorous Post (Tunisia): UA 91.20

More New Business: Discussion of BLM events during the last month

• Local protests (Malvern, West Chester, Media, Warrington); scene in TN (Bill) and FL (April)
• Just Mercy
• free to watch (on multiple platforms) until the end of June
• we will start the July meeting a half-hour earlier for anyone who wants to discuss this movie
• April: let's share suggestions for books, films, etc.
• Some books/documents mentioned:
• Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You (A Remix of the National Book Award–winning Stamped from the Beginning), by Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi
• Note that is book is a YA (age 12+) "remix" of Kendi's 2016 book
• Information (and educator's discussion/study guide) here
• How to Be an Antiracist, by Ibram X. Kendi (information and book club discussion guide available here)
• Stamped from the Beginning, by Ibram X. Kendi (information here) [This won the 2016 National Book Award for nonfiction]
• White Fragility, by Robin DiAngelo (information, reading guide, discussion guide for educators, and discussion guide for UU communities here)
• Long Way Down, by Jason Reynolds (information and reading group guide here)
• "Scaffolded Anti-Racism Resources" working document

Upcoming Events

• Next group meeting: Wednesday, 15 July 2020, 7:30 p.m.
• PRE-MEETING discussion of Just Mercy starts at 7 p.m.