Minutes for June 2021 Meeting

 Wednesday, 16 June 2021 (via Zoom)

In attendance: Jeff, Barbara, Bob, Frank, Heather, Tilo, April, Marsha

Welcome and Introductions

Updates

• Marsha sent an e-mail to our list earlier today about an AmnestyLA event this weekend
• virtual film screening and discussion panel of The Last Passenger
• Sunday, June 20, noon PDT
• more details and registration at this link 
• Discussion about when/how to start meeting in person again
• Jeff: possibility of meeting at MessiahLutheran in Downingtown (he had talked to them about this before the COVID shutdown)
• Discussion of tech logistics of running a "hybrid" meeting (some people in person, others joining by Zoom).
• Possibility of reaching out to local churches to see if we can "take over" their services one week (with Jeff's musical friends helping out).
• Maybe do monthly meetings online, with quarterly in-person meetings? (like for Write for Rights, Nowruz, film viewings, etc.)
• Barbara will be attending a rally in Pottsdown this weekend about fair funding for schools in PA (details here)
• PA is 2nd or 3rd from the bottom in equality of public school funding
• There's a formula that's supposed to give equal money to all schools in the state, but that doesn't happen. Schools that are primarily African American get less money.
• In September, a lawsuit about this is going to the PA Commonwealth Court (details here)
• Algeria update (from Jeff): Marksen has had great success connecting with Amnesty-related people who have some knowledge of N.Africa / Algeria. Amnesty can't get anyone into Algeria, so Marksen and his colleagues are working to gather information (with encouragement from the U.S. Department of State). 
• Juneteeth celebration at the Melton Center this weekend (from Barbara): Saturday, June 19, 9 a.m. (details here)

Actions

• "Sahrawi Activist at Risk of Further Assault" (Morocco: UA 33.21)
• "Journalist Facing Torture After Abduction" (Belarus: UA 57.21)
• "Artist Named Prisoner of Conscience" (Cuba: UA 55.21)
• "Activist and Lawyer Held in Cruel Conditions" (Egypt: UA 132.19)
• "Activists May Face 100+ Years in Prison" (Thailand: UA 134.20)
• "Protestors Tortured and Unjustly Detained" (Iran: UA 66.21)

Next meeting (online): Wednesday, 21 July 2021, 7:30 p.m.