Minutes for March 2023 meeting

AIUSA Group 342 meeting (via Zoom)
15 March 2023 (via Zoom)
In attendance: Barbara, Bob, Frank, Marsha, Dave Rendell

GREETINGS AND MEMBER CHECK-INS

• Dave Rendell is our new AIUSA are coordinator! He talked about last week's AGM and mentioned a recommitment to individuals at risk. He's trying to think of new, creative ways to attract more people to local groups. (Maybe something with a speaker?)
• Barbara told Dave about our group's unsuccessful past efforts (spearheaded by Jeff) to get names/addresses of local AIUSA members so we could reach out to them via snail-mail about getting involved in our group. Dave said he would look into this at the head office.

UPDATES

• Get on the Bus (Dave): This year's Get On the Bus event will be on April 28. 
• It will include presentations on Leonard Peltier and Sri Lanka. 
• (Further information is available a www.gotb.org.
• Gun violence prevention (Bob): Advocacy Day at the PA capitol on March 23
• Cosponsored by Ceasefire PA and March for Our Lives. 
• Because PA Democrats control the house, there will be hearings on gun violence starting at 1:30. They will cover four main topics: universal background checks, red flag laws, legislation to report lost and stolen guns, safe gun storage laws. 
• (Further information at ceasefirepa.org.) 
• Some discussion of gun violence and general crime rates in Philadelphia. 

AIUSA NEWS

• 2023 AIUSA Annual General Meeting was held March 3–5 as a hybrid event. Barbara and Bob attended virutally. They each discussed a few highlights.
• Bob: Sessions on gun violence
• Speaker: Ryan Deitsch, cofounder of March for Our Lives
• "Iron River" of U.S. guns south to Mexico, Central America, etc. (Book recommendation: Blood Gun Money: How America Arms Gangs and Cartels, by Ioan Grillo)
• Barbara: session titled "“Risking their lives: demanding women’s rights in afghanistan and iran”
• Presenters were Hasina Jalal (from Afghanistan) and Nayerah Tohidi (from Iran)
• Nayerah mentioned the song "Baraye," composed and sung by Shervin Hajipour. The lyrics consist of tweets by Iranian women describing the reasons they continue to struggle. (Video at youtu.be/0th9_v-BbUI)

NOWRUZ ACTIONS

• 2023 list available at www.amnestyusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Nowruz-action-2023-1.pdf
• Don't use cards with images of people or animals
• Before mailing cards, take a photo of your pile and send it to AIUSA           

UPCOMING EVENT: Online presentation featuring John X. Choe, longtime activist and neighborhood organizer in Flushing, NY

• Sunday, March 26, 7 p.m.
• Cosponsored by Group 342 (us) and Group 112 (Philadelphia)
• Zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86540356248pwd=tHUPE0MEY6M8yvQcBHMUfN2jxEuEyJ.1 (Meeting ID: 865 4035 6248; passcode: 662703)

NEXT MEETING: Wednesday, April 19, 7:30 p.m (via Zoom)