Minutes for February 2026 meeting

 AIUSA Group 342 meeting

18 February 2026 (hybrid)
In attendance: Barbara, Bob, Dorothee, April, Struan

GREETINGS AND CHECK-IN

GUN VIOLENCE PREVENTION (Bob)

• Tightening of gun laws in Australia following Bondi Beach shooting reviewed
• Funding for GVP research in 2026 reviewed
• Decline in gun violence in Philadelphia during 2025 reviewed
• Praise for The Trace (thetrace.org) for gun violence reporting

DISMANTLE THE MASS DEPORTATION MACHINE CAMPAIGN

• Barb urged everyone to contact their US representatives during President's Week and tell them "not one more dime for DHS"

NARGES MOHAMMADI, Iran (Barb)

• 2023 Nobel Peace Prize, activist in Iran
• no updates since she was rearrested in December 2025
• Group 342 will send her and others Nowruz cards next month

MANAHEL AL-OTAIBI, Saudi Arabia (Dorothee)

• No major updates
• Multiple Amnesty local groups are supporting her release of Manahel

LEQAA KARDIA, Palestinian activist in USA

• Participated in a campus protest in 2024, arrested by ICE in March 2025
• Palestinian woman detained by ICE for almost 1 year
• Urgent Action case since October 2025
• She now needs medical attention
• New Urgent Action in February 2026

AIUSA ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING: March 6-8, 2026, Washington DC

• Barbara and Bob will attend

Next Meeting: Wednesday, 18 March, 7:30 p.m. @ United Way in Exton (or via Zoom)

Write for Rights 2025 certificate

Thanks to all Group 342 members who participated in the 2025 Write for Rights campaign! 

 

Minutes for January 2026 meeting

AIUSA Group 342 meeting

21 January 2026 (hybrid)
In attendance: Barbara, Bob, Marsha, Dorothee,

GREETINGS AND CHECK-IN

GUN VIOLENCE PREVENTION (Bob)

• On 1 January, The Inquirer ran a front-page story about how the Department of Justice terminated funding for gun violence prevention groups (including the Cure Violence group in Kensington)
• Washington Post headline: "Justice Department Weighs Rollback of Gun Rules"--> The Trump administration is try to garner more support from the Second Amendment crowd
• Washingon Post headline: "NRA Split Evident in Suit with Nonprofits over Logo"

NARGES MOHAMMADI (Barb)

• 2023 Nobel Peace Prize, activist in Iran
• no updates since she was rearrested in December 2025

REFUGEE AND MIGRANT RIGHTS (Barb)

• There's a page on the AIUSA website on this (link)
• Is there a Group 342 member who can track new and report to the group on this topic?

WRITE FOR RIGHTS

• Unecebo Mboteni, child who died after falling into an open pit (South Africa)
• Sonia Dahmani, lawyer and media commentator (Tunisia)
• Leqaa Kardia, Palestinian activist imprisoned by ICE (USA)

AIUSA ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING: March 6-8, 2026, Washington DC

Next Meeting: Wednesday, 18 February, 7:30 p.m. @ United Way in Exton (or via Zoom)

Minutes for December 2025 meeting

AIUSA Group 342 meeting

17 December2025 (hybrid)
In attendance: Barbara, Bob, Marsha, Dorothee

GREETINGS AND CHECK-IN

GUN VIOLENCE PREVENTION (Bob)

• Australian gun laws passed after the 1996 Port Arthur massacre; after the 2025 Bondi Beach massacre they are tightening up their laws and
• PA legislative elections in 2026: 9 house seats in Chester County, 7 are currently held by Democrats 

NARGES MOHAMMADI

• Won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2023
• Iranian activist who has spent ten years of her life in prison
• Was on one-year leave from prison but was rearrested on 12 December; the arrest was "particularly brutal," and she has been hospitalized twice

CASE FILE: MANAHEL AL-OTAIBI

• Saudi Arabian female fitness instructor and women's rights activist. Forcibly disappeared in February 2025 and has been sentenced to 11 years in prison.
• Dorothee shared messages for group members to post on social media to support Manahel

WRITE FOR RIGHTS 2025

• Dannisoa, displaced person (Madagascar)
• Sai Zaw Thaike, photojournalist (Myanmar)
• Ellinor Guttorne Utsi, Sami indigenous leader (Norway)

AIUSA ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING: March 6-8, 2026

Next Meeting: Wednesday, 21 January, 7:30 p.m. @ United Way in Exton (or via Zoom)

Minutes for October 2025. meeting

AIUSA Group 342 meeting

15 October 2025 (hybrid)
In attendance: Barbara, Bob, Marsha, Dorothee, Alex, Jennifer Estrada (from AIUSA)

GREETINGS AND CHECK-IN

• Jennifer is the community program manager for AIUSA. In her role, she supports groups like ours. She's based in upstate New York and been with AIUSA for six years.
• Dorothee has been waiting (for six months) for our new prisoner of conscience case file. She would also like to do more urgent actions with our group. 
• Paul O'Brien is stepping down as executive director of AIUSA. Barb wonders what will happen next. Jennifer says Nadia Daar has been named as his replacement. (She has been AIUSA's chief strategy and impact officer for the last three years.)
• Alex came to tell us about a screening of the film State Organs at the Chester County Library in Exton on Saturday, November 1, at 1 p.m. The screening will be followed by a panel discussion.

GUN VIOLENCE PREVENTION (Bob)

• Local level
• Camden, NJ
• No homicides during summer 2025; only 8 so far this year, which is down 45% from 2024
• In 2013 the city dismantled the city police department and since then has used a regional police force (Camden County)
• Philadelphia
• By mid-October 2025, a 15% decreased in homicides over the past year
• By mid July 2025, the number of shootings was the lowest it has been since 2015
• Factors: increased funding to community groups, increased greening of vacant lots (which leaves to decreased violence)
• State level
• PA legislature is working on commonsense gun laws
• ban: ghost guns, switches that turns semiautomatic weapons into full automatic, extreme risk protection orders, universal background checks
• Democrats have introduced these bills; only universal background checks has passed the house but it likely to fail in the Republican-controlled senate
• Illinois: RIFL Act requires gun manufacturers to pay into a victim compensation fund
• National level
• Trump's executive orders are pro-gun and protect suppliers of crime guns
• See the Everytown website for a timeline of Trump's actions

URGENT ACTIONS

• Timofei Kocheshkov, Russian asylum seeker in the USA (UA 84/25)
• Yuval Peleg, conscientious objector in Israel (UA: 91/25)
• Ahmadreza Djalali, Swedish-Iranian academic at risk of execution in Iran (UA: 38/17)
• Leqaa Kordia, Palestinian protested detained by ICE in the USA (UA: 96/25)

PENNSYLVANIANS AGAINST THE DEATH PENALTY

• "New Survey Shows Pennsylvanians Prefer Preservation of Life Over the Death Penalty" (link)
• PA residents overwhelmingly prefer life sentences over the death penalty for people convicted of murder
• The last execution in PA was in 1999. Since then all governors (Democrats and Republicans) have refused to sign off on executions.

CASE FILE

• Dorothee has done work on prisoners of conscience for 54 years. She has been waiting for six months to get a new case file from Ken Myer.
• Jennifer says there seems to be some miscommunication. Ken is a country specialist (focused on North Africa) and is not the person who handles case files. She suggests that Dorothee go back to Cynthia Gabriel-Walsh, who is the person who assigns those files. 

INCREASING OUR GROUP MEMBERSHIP

• Jennifer
• What's the goal of having more people involved in our chapter? To get more people who turn out and do things?
• Maybe 5-10 people at a meeting is enough to plan events—then try to get more people to those. (For example, the Philly group has only 4-5 people at planning meetings.)
• The best way to get more people at meetings is to be visible in the community.
• People are often less inclined to come to meeting but more inclined to come to an event/action
• Possibilities for tabling: farmers' markets, local concerts, community fairs
• Will send us information on recruitment strategies; maybe we can have a follow-up conversation about this later.

Next Meeting: Wednesday, 17 December, 7:30 p.m. @ United Way in Exton (or via Zoom)

Minutes for the May 2025 Meeting

AIUSA Group 342 meeting

21 May 2025 (hybrid)
In attendance: Barbara, Bob, Dorothee, Struan, Marsha

GREETINGS AND CHECK-IN

MEETING SCHEDULE MOVING FORWARD

• Barbara had a recent conversation with Frank about the frequency of our group meetings. They discussed the possibility of moving to monthly meetings (except for July and August), keeping them at 7:30 p.m. on the third Wednesday of each month.

LOBBYING DAY 

• Barbara contacted the two PA senators (Fetterman and McCormick) as well as Representative Chrissie Houlahan 

GUN VIOLENCE PREVENTION (Bob)

• Local level: The Trace is the only news organization that covers gun issues in detail. 
• It has local reports on Philly; one of their staff writers, Mensah Dean, was formerly with The Inquirer. 
• They maintain the Gun Violence Data Hub as a repository for data that researchers and analysts use.
• State level: CeasefirePA has its annual advocacy day in Harrisburg on April 18. (Bob has been participating in this for over fifteen years.)
• Participants asked lawmakers to sign a "Dear Colleague" e-mail in support of $100m in the budget for gun violence prevention. 
• CeasefirePA is working on proposed laws (reintroduced from the last legislative session): ERPO (Extreme Risk Protection Orders), universal background checks, and a ban on ghost guns.
• Participants visited various state representatives/senators. The only one they meet with was Chris Piell. They tried to see Craig Williams and John Lawrence but were only able to speak with their administrative assistants.
• National level
• The U.S. Supreme Court ruled 7-2 to uphold the Biden regulation requiring ghost guns to have serial numbers. (There is concern that in response to this the Trump administration will tell the AFT to get rid of this law. Therefore we need state laws on these issues!)
• U.S. Supreme Court will hear challenge to Minnesota law that prohibits concealed carry permits for people under age 18.
• Local police departments sell their old guns when they get new sones
• At least 52,500 former police guns have turned up at crime scenes since 2006
• Agencies that destroy guns lose the trade-in value for the guns and have to pay to have them destroyed
• Bob will team up with Tom Buglio to ask local police departments what they do with their old guns

IMMIGRANTS' STATUS AND RIGHTS

• Barb would like a Group 342 member to report on this issue for each meeting. (This is especially important now with changes in ICE politics and actions, and more arrests and deportations in the news.)
• Struan says he will start this in September.

CASE FILE: DO WE WANT A NEW ONE?

• Itai Dzamara, Zimbabwean journalist and human rights activist, was forcibly disappeared in March 2015, and there has been no news from him since them. The London AI office thinks he is deceased and suggests we get a new case file.
• Dorothee wants to be the point person for this effort. Barb will work with Dorothee to complete the online form to request a new case file.

STATE OF HUMAN RIGHTS IN THE WORLD

• Report issues in April 2025
• Barb reviewed highlights of human rights cases in the USA. 

URGENT ACTIONS

• Blessed Mhlanga, journalist in Zimbabwe (UA: 29/25)
• Rita Karasartova, human rights defender and civic governance expert in Kyrgyzstan (UA: 49/25): She was a 2024 Write for Rights case; she was released by has been redetained.

GOOD NEWS

• Idris Hasan, Uyghur activist, has been released from a Moroccan prison after 43 months of detention. He has resettled in the USA.

PAUL O'BRIEN, executive director of AIUSA

• Barb recommends the interview he did on the podcast More to Her Story on April 30, 2024 (link

Next Meeting: Wednesday, 18 June, 7:30 p.m. @ United Way in Exton (or via Zoom)

(Several members will be traveling than and unable to attend, so this meeting might be canceled.)

Minutes for the March 2025 meeting

 AIUSA Group 342 meeting

15 January 2025 (online only)
In attendance (via Zoom): Barbara, Frank, Bob, Dave

GREETINGS AND CHECK-IN

AREA COORDINATOR REPORT (Dave): 

• Amnesty International USA is concerned that it may lose its tax-exempt status under the Trump administration.
• Dave also suggested these ideas for Group 342 that he gleaned from other local chapters:
• For Human Rights Day, invite a guest speaker to make a Zoom speech of his/her choosing.  Invite Group 342 present and past members
• When sending petitions on behalf of individuals, include an image of that person

GUN VIOLENCE PREVENTION (Bob): Everyone is invited to lobby at GVP Advocacy Day in Harrisburg on April 8.

NORWUZ 2025: Barbara presented this year's cases. The remained of the meeting was spent writing Nowruz cards to those individuals.

Next Meeting: Wednesday, 21 May, 7:30 p.m. @ United Way in Exton (or via Zoom)

Certificate for participation in 2024 Write for Rights

Thanks to everyone who wrote letters for this year's Write for Rights. Barbara reported Group 342's participation to AIUSA, and they have sent us a certification recognizing our efforts.

 

Minutes for the January 2025 meeting

 AIUSA Group 342 meeting

15 January 2025 (online only)
In attendance (via Zoom): Barbara, Frank, Marsha

GREETINGS AND CHECK-IN

GUN VIOLENCE PREVENTION (Bob's report, delivered by Barbara)

• The PA Supreme Court has blocked Philadelphia's efforts to have stronger gun laws (because a city isn't legally allowed to have stricter laws than what a state has)
• Gun Violence by the Numbers (2024 report)
• significant declines in gun violence and gun sales (sign that pandemic surge has abated)
• US Supreme Court upheld the federal law preventing domestic abusers from owning guns
• Federal funding for gun violence research has increased since 2020 ($137 million)
• In 2024 there was an 18% average decrease in homicides across 277 US cities (43% in Philly, 31% in DC)
• Ghost guns: The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) says that in 2022 it could trace only 1% of ghost guns back to individual purchasers

WRITE FOR RIGHTS

• Great news! Neth Nahara of Angola (on whose behalf we send cards at our November 2024 meeting) has received a presidential pardon after spending 16 months in jail.
• Barbara presented the case of Joel Paredes (Argentina), who was blinded when police fired rubber bullets at a peaceful protest he attended.
• In the e-mail announcing this month's meeting, Barbara included sample W4R letters to send to governement officials
• Background information and action items for year's W4R cases can be found at write.amnestyusa.org 

AIUSA ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING (AGM)

• February 21–23 in Detroit
• This will be a HYBRID event with a virtual option
• Information available at https://www.amnestyusa.org/agm2025

DISCUSSION OF GROUP GOALS FOR 2025

• Are there ways we can increase local outreach?
• AIUSA is actively working on protections for immigrants, who will be at increased risk under the new administration
• Take on a new case file? (Barbara will inquire about this)
• Barbara would like other group members to help with putting together actions, letters, petitions, etc.

Next Meeting: Wednesday, 19 March, 7:30 pm (hybrid)

Minutes for the September 2024 meeting

 AIUSA Group 342 meeting

18 September 2024 (hybrid)
In attendance (in person): Barbara, Bob, Marsha, Alex

In attendance (via Zoom): Frank, Struan, Shreya

GREETINGS AND CHECK-IN

GUN VIOLENCE PREVENTION (Bob)

• July 2: The U.S. Supreme Court declined to review a challenge to Illinois ban on assault weapons
• Assault weapons were used in both assassination attempts on Trump. Democrats have called for a ban on them; Republicans are silent. 
• A few months ago, two ghost gun makers sad they would stop selling in Philly. One has closed up shop completely.
• September 4 shooting in Georgia
• The shooter is 14 years old and will be tried as an adult.
• The father is also being charged. (This is a new tactic by prosecutors.)
• Kentucky highway shooting: assault weapon used
• The Trace website: investigates gun violence in the USA
• Recent report: through 8/11/24, 400 fewer people were shot in Philly over the same period in 2023 (a 39.2% decrease)

AIUSA REGIONAL CONFERENCES

• NYC—October 26
• Phoenix—October 19
• Georgia—September 28

AIUSA PRESS RELEASES

• Apache High School shooting
• AI reaction to US release of $320 million in conditioned military aid to Egypt
• Egypt is supposed to meet certain human rights standards but hasn't.
• The State Department overrode Congress to give the full amount to Egypt anyway, in spite of human rights abuses.

BANNED BOOKS WEEK 

• Barbara met with Shreya last week, will visit her high school group soon
• Presentations:
• Kamile Wayite (Marsha)
• Nidal al-Waheidi and Haithem Abdelwahed (Barbara)
• Alberto Amaro Jordan (Bob)
• Unite Against Book Bans (Barbara)
• The BK-16 (Barbara, briefly; Shreya, more fully later)
• mnesty International calls for a ceasefire and suspicion of weapons shipments [petition to Biden]
• Salman Rushdie's new book, Knife (about the August 2022 attack on him at Chatauqua)

ACTIONS

• Petition to US senators to support S. 761: Stop Forced Organ Harvesting Act of 2023

Next Meeting: Wednesday, 20 November, 7:30 pm (hybrid)

Minutes for the July 2024 meeting

AIUSA Group 342 meeting

17 July 2024 (hybrid)
In attendance (in person): Barbara, Bob, Marsha

In attendance (via Zoom): Kara, Dorothee

GREETINGS AND CHECK-IN

2024 NORTHEAST REGIONAL CONFERENCE

• Will be held in NYC on October 25
• Will be in-person only (no remote option)

GUN VIOLENCE PREVENTION (Bob)

• 30,000 guns seized in NC—but because they weren't reported stolen, the person who had then was sentenced to only 14 months in prison (instead of 30 months)
• June 30 op-ed in The Inquirer by the founder of RAWTools Philly (an organization that turns guns into tools) about challenges to eliminating guns on the streets 
• The police department sells old weapons, thus creating a "blue market"
• GA law mandates that all seized guns must be resold
• NC law prohibits destroying seized weapons
• STATE LEVEL: CeaseFire PA protests again PA State Rep. Craig Williams
• NATIONAL LEVEL: 2 recent U.S. Supreme Court decisions
• 8-1 ruling to ban domestic abusers from owning guns
• 6-3 ruling to overturn the ban on bump stocks

DEATH PENALTY UPDATE

• Recently: 200th death row exoneration
• Questionable convictions: Melissa Lucio (TX); Robert Roberson (TX)
• Other cases:
• Toomaj Salehi (Iran): death penalty has been lifted but still in prison [petition to Iranian authorities]
• Keith Gavin (Alabama): sentenced to die 7/18/24 [petition to AL governor Kay Ivey]
• Rocky Meyers (Alabama): celebrated his 63th birthday [birthday card to sign]

WAR ON GAZA

• Amnesty International calls for a ceasefire and suspicion of weapons shipments [petition to Biden]

SUMMER SOLIDARITY POSTCARD ACTION

• On behalf of Floriane Irangabiye (Burundi), Ilham Tohti (China), and Vahid Afkari (Iran)
• Send postcards c/o AIUSA office in Boston

Next Meeting: Wednesday, 18 September, 7:30 pm (hybrid)

Minutes for the May 2024 meeting

AIUSA Group 342 meeting

15 May 2024 (hybrid)
In attendance (in person): Barbara, Bob, Marsha

In attendance (via Zoom): Kara, Struan, Frank

GREETINGS AND CHECK-IN

GUN VIOLENCE PREVENTION (Bob)

• LOCAL LEVEL: The city of Philadelphia reached a settlement with two ghost gun manufacturers
• They agree to stop selling ghost guns in Philly permanently
• They agree to stop selling ghost guns in the collar countries for four years
• They will pay the city $1m for gun violence prevention measures
• Shootings at SEPTA facilities in Philly
• STATE LEVEL: Gun Violence Prevention Advocacy Day held May 7, organized by CeasefirePA
• Bob and Barbara attended event in Harrisburg with group led by Tom Buglio
• drop-by visits to two GOP reps: Rep. John Lawrence (from southern Chester County); Sen.Trish Baker, who runs the Senate Judiciary Commitee and keeps blocking House-approved measures from Senate consideration
• scheduled visits with two Dem reps: Rep. Melissa Shusterman (who says the House plans to put together lots of small gun violence prevention bills in the fall; Sen. Carolyn Comita (who says that the measures Trish Baker is sitting on will probably be part of budget negotiations next month, and that maybe Shapiro will trade school vouchers for a vote on these measures)
• On May 7 the PA House voted on two GVP measures: one on banning gun stocks, one on computerization of paper records of gun sales; both failed by one vote when Dem Frank Burns voted with the GOP
• NATIONAL LEVEL
• Justice Dept has closed the gun show loophole, but legal challenges are expected
• Next year the US Supreme Court will hear challenge to ghost gun regulations

DEMISE OF GROUP 112 IN PHILADELPHIA (Barbara)

• This group did not pivot to online meetings during the pandemic and just didn't meet at all, then struggled to regain members/momentum afterward. Recent efforts to rejuvenate the group have failed. 
• Dave Rendell says the group is now dormant. 
• Susanna may try to organize speaker series.

AIUSA NEWS (Barbara)

• Thanks to pressure from Amnesty, Amazon has reimbursed $1.9m in unlawful recruitment fees to 700+ migrant workers in Saudi Arabia
• Egyptian human rights lawyer Mohamed Baker (a 2021 Write for Rights case) is free after spending almost four years in arbitrary detention
• Somali journalist Mohamed Ibrahim Osman Bulbul was released the day after an Amnesty Urgent Action on his behalf went out; a few days later all charges against him were dismissed
• AI report on the state of human rights in the USA
• increase in anti-LGBT legislation
• increase in anti-Semitic and Islamaphobic incidents since the Oct 7 attacks by Hamas
• since the US Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade in 2022, increase in states limiting/criminalizing abortion [however: in Oct 2023, the state of Ohio voted in a law to protect abortion in that state]
• Hyde Amendment still limits healthcare for the poor
• sexual/gender violence especially affects indigenous, American Indian, and Alaskan Native women
• increased restrictions on the right to protest

URGENT ACTIONS (Barbara)

• Journalist at Risk: Alberto Amaro Jordán (Mexico: UA 17.24)
• Iranian rapper Toomaj Salehi now under death sentence
• We brainstormed ideas to include in a letter on his behalf
• Barbara will send out those ideas (and links to relevant online resources) in an e-mail to everyone

Next Meeting: Wednesday, 17 July, 7:30 pm (hybrid)

Minutes for March 2024 meeting

AIUSA Group 342 meeting

20 March 2024 (hybrid)
In attendance (in person): Barbara, Bob, David, Heather, Marsha

In attendance (via Zoom): Shreya, Struan, Dorothy

GREETINGS AND CHECK-IN

AREA COORDINATOR REPORT (David)

• At AGM (March 2024) there was a presentation about AIUSA's strategy for 2024 U.S. elections
• We cannot said anything in Amnesty's name about any candidates
• Top goal is to mobilize people to vote as if human rights depend on it
• Counter harmful narratives (especially negative news about the U.S./Mexico border)
• Prepare for and try to prevent crises
• Build our movement to exert more influence on the next administration and Congress
• At AGM: no presentations by former prisoners of conscience (which was a longtime tradition at AGM)
• Regional meetings will return next fall
• "Get on the Bus" campaign scheduled for April 5 (gotb.org)
• Local groups are struggling: Group 112 in Philly is dormant, may try to form coalition with PADP and Ethical Society 

OTHER AGM REPORTS (Barbara and Bob)

• Barbara: attended session on Gaza
• Bob: attended session on local groups (we now have the ability to send e-mail to AIUSA members in our area!); attended session on top issues for young people (reproductive rights, gun violence, climate change)

CASE FILES (Barbara)

• On April 16 Barbara will attend a meeting about restarting case files
• Dorothy expressed interest in being in charge of prisoner of conscience case for our group

GUN VIOLENCE PREVENTION (Bob)

• Shootings at SEPTA facilities in Philly
• "Zero Eyes" program to use AI to detects guns in subways
• May 7: Gun Violence Prevention Advocacy Day in Harrisburg
• morning: constituents visit their representatives
• afternoon: speeches on the capitol steps
• Report on Lewiston, ME, shooting from October 2023: the shooter's guns should have been seized earlier, but police did not do so

GOOD NEWS (Barbara)

• Greece legalized same-sex marriage
• In Saudi Arabia, Amazon must pay $1.9m to workers because of a major Amnesty report about deception and treatment of migrant workers there
• France enshrined abortion rights in its constitution
• Victories on past actions
• Human rights defended Bishop Don Luis Fernando Lisboa transferred to safety in Brail (Mozambique: UA 132.20)
• Human rights defender Munther Amira released (Isreal/Occupied Palestinian Territories: UA 2.24)
• Four of five families freed from detention (USA: UA 116.20)

NOWRUZ ACTION

(Thanks to Barbara and Bob for bringing mailing supplies and printouts about this year's cases!)

Next Meeting: Wednesday, 15 May, 7:30 pm (hybrid)

Write for Rights 2023 Certificate

 

Minutes for January 2024 meeting

 AIUSA Group 342 meeting

15 November 2023 (via Zoom because of inclement weather)
In attendance: April, Barbara (facilitating and recording), Bob, David, Emily, Heather, Kathleen, Shreya, Struan, Suzanna

UPDATES

• Welcome to new member Suzanna McGee,
• Welcome to guests: 
• David Rendell, AIUSA area coordinator
• Kathleen Lucas, AIUSA death penalty abolition coordinator for PA and executive director of  Pennsylvanians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty (padp.org)

GUN VIOLENCE PREVENTION (Bob)

• Newly elected Philadelphia mayor Cherelle Parker declared state of emergency, issued executive order to combat thefts, shootings, and the proliferation of open-air drug markets in Philadelphia.
•  Global Action on Gun Violence (GAGV): U.S.-based nonprofit organization working with and for the international community to  prevent gun violence (actiononguns.org)

HIGHLIGHTS ON THE STATE OF HUMAN RIGHTS IN THE USA (Barbara)

• Amnesty International’s Annual Report 2022/23: www.amnesty.org/en/documents/pol10/5670/2023/en/

AIUSA NEWS

• (Barbara) AIUSA Annual General Meeting, March 3–5, 2024 (www.amnestyusa.org/virtual-annual-general-meeting-2023/AGM)
• Lobby Day: February 26, 2024
• (David) Get on the Bus, April 2024 (date to be announced)

WRITE FOR RIGHTS

• Thapelo Mohapi (Heather)
• Ana Maria Santos Cruz (Barbara)
• Maung Sawyeddollah (Barbara)
• Thulani Maseko (Bob)
• Uncle Pabai and Uncle Paul (Bob)

DEATH PENALTY ABOLITION IN PA (Kathleen)

• On October 31, 2023, a PA House committee voted to repeal the death penalty
• Kathleen presented a strategy for visiting and urging our PA senators and representatives to repeal the death penalty and for thanking those who are already working on abolition. 
• She will be in contact with Group 342 members in the near future.

Next Meeting: Wednesday, 20 March, 7:30 pm (hybrid)

Minutes for November 2023 meeting

AIUSA Group 342 meeting

15 November 2023 (hybrid: United Way of Chester County office and Zoom)
In attendance

—in person: Barbara, Bob, Heather, Marsha

—via Zoom: Frank, Shreya

UPDATES

Meeting location: Thank you to United Way of Chester County for allowing us to use this terrific meeting space!

Member check-in: How's everyone doing?

Coordinator's Report (Barbara)

Good news updates from Amnesty International

• Release of 5 detainees from Guantanamo Bay
• LGBTQI+ right activist Zahra Sedighi-Hamadani released (Iran), had been sentenced to death
• More rights for same-sex couples/families in Taiwan
• Anti-veilng activists Yasaman Aryani and Monireh Arabshahi released after serving 4 years of 16-year sentence (Iran)

Situation in Gaza

• Most recent AIUSA press release (10/26/23)
• AIUSA petition to Biden to demand ceasefire
• AIUSA Toolkit: Occupied Palestinian Territories and Israel

Amnesty International Global Death Penalty Report 2023

GUN VIOLENCE PREVENTION (Bob)

• PA Supreme Court expected to issue ruling soon on preemption laws: might allow Philly to have stricter gun laws than what PA allows
• In March the PA House (Dem controlled) passed 2 laws: red flag law, universal background checks. GOP-controlled Senate hasn't even moved it out of committee (175 days of inaction)
• new legislation introduced to ban assault weapons: urge legistlators to consponsor
• Good news: IL just banned all assault weapons, MI now requires background checks, Biden formed national office of gun violence prevention
• Lewiston, ME shooting: ME has yellow flag laws (have more steps than red flag laws)

WRITE FOR RIGHTS

• Rocky Myers (Heather)
• Rita Karasartova (Marsha)
• Ahmed Mansoor (Barbara)
• Chaima Issa (Bob)
• Justyna Wydrzyńska (Bob)

THE FUTURE OF GROUP 342

• Barb is asking for a cofacilitator to help plan/run meetings and help with AIUSA communications
• Marsha will prepare Urgent Actions and send to the e-mail group. 

Next Meeting: Wednesday, 17 January, 7:30 pm (hybrid)

Minutes for September 2023 meeting

AIUSA Group 342 meeting
20 September 2023 (hybrid: United Way of Chester County office and Zoom)
In attendance

—in person: Barbara, Bob

—via Zoom: Frank, Struan, Dorothee

Coordinator’s note: Thanks to Bob for taking minutes.

UPDATES

Meeting location

• Bob and Barb met for the first time at the United Way Office (see below) in Exton. UW provided
• a beautiful meeting room equipped with a huge monitor. With a laptop they conducted a
• standard Zoom meeting for the virtual attendees. In the future, Bob will learn Microsoft Teams
• so we can use the monitor’s built-in web cam effectively.
• United Way of Chester County, 150 John Robert Thomas Drive, Exton, PA 19341

Gun Violence Prevention (Bob)

• Democrats won back their one-vote majority in the PA House. Earlier in the year the House sent
• two GVP measures to the Senate for a vote. It is up to the Senate leader (Republican Lisa Butler)
• whether the Senate will vote on these.
• The PA Pre-emption Law will be ruled on by the PA Supreme Court soon. This is to resolve a suit
• brought by the City of Philadelphia challenging the pre-emption law so it can have tighter gun
• regulations within its boundaries. A ruling may be given in next few days or weeks.
• Bob attended a mandatory Active Shooter Training at his Community College. Instead of being
• teacher-oriented, this training by a veteran FBI agent was consumer-oriented. The FBI agent
• taught everyone to be aware of possible escape routes whenever we enter a supermarket,
• school, or any public space. The plan should be “Run, Hide, Fight.”

Co-Facilitator Need

• Barb made an appeal for a co-facilitator to occasionally prepare and conduct meetings and for a
• member to follow migrants’ rights news. 
• Anyone who can occasionally prepare Urgent Actions
• and post them to the Google Group would be also greatly appreciated.

Birthday Card for Leonard Peltier

• Amnesty has lobbied for the release from Federal Prison of Leonard Peltier, member of the American Indian Movement, for many years. Leonard is in poor health and has served over 40 years for the murder of an FBI agent, a conviction which remains in doubt. The Amnesty action was to send him a birthday card (his birthday is Sept. 12) but address it “care of” the White House.

Banned Books Week Action

• Barb explained how AI was celebrating Banned Books Week this year. She displayed AI’s webpage and asked everyone to take action by clicking on the button below the featured authors, singers, artists, etc.

Next Meeting: Wednesday, November 15, 7:30 pm (hybrid)

Minutes for June 2023 meeting

  

AIUSA Group 342 meeting
21 June 2023 (via Zoom)
In attendance: Barbara, Bob, Struan, Dorothee

GREETINGS AND MEMBER CHECK-INS

Welcome to our newest member, Dorothee!

UPDATES

Meeting location

• Our former venue (Wegmans in Malvern) can no longer host meetings of organizations.
• A local nonprofit organization has a building in Exton where groups can meet at no cost. Attendees expressed interest. Barbara will contact for more information.

Gun violence prevention (Bob)

• Hopeful news: Two of four gun violence protection measures recently passed in the PA House: universal background checks (closes gun show loophole), and ERPO (extreme risk protection orders, also called red flag laws). Failed to pass: requirement to report stolen guns. Not yet voted on: Safe Storage Bill. 
• A Wear Orange event took place on June 2 outside the West Chester courthouse. Bob and Barbara attended. Victims of gun violence were remembered by family members. Local representatives and clergy spoke.
• A local GOP group planned to raffle off three firearms (including an AR-15) as a fundraiser. The raffle has been postponed following publicity.
• Gun Violence Archive (https://www.gunviolencearchive.org/) reports that 2023 is already the deadliest year on record for mass shootings (incidents in which four or more persons, excluding the perpetrator, are killed or injured).

Possible in-person actions

• “Take action” advocacy suggestions by AI: https://www.amnesty.org/en/get-involved/take-action/
• In past years, our group held in-person Write for Rights events during holiday shopping season in a store in Exton. We invited shoppers to sign W4R petitions and write notes that were sent to prisoners of conscience. As the venue no longer exists, Barbara suggested holding a W4R event in a local coffee shop. Attendees expressed interest. Barbara will check into coffee shops in the next few months.
• Struan recalled that book sales held by AIUSA group in Scotland were very successful in raising money.  Dorothee suggested tabling at concerts.

ACTIONS

• URGENT ACTION: "Political Activists Unjustly Detained" (Tunisia: UA 52.23) [expires July 17,  2023]
• URGENT ACTION: "Indigenous Rights Activists Reported Missing" (Philippines: UA 50.23) [expires July 12, 2023]
• URGENT ACTION: "Arbitrary Detainee Dying from Neglect" (Venezuela: UA 55.23) 

NEXT MEETING: Wednesday, September 20, 7:30 p.m (venue to be announced!)

Minutes for April 2023 meeting

 

AIUSA Group 342 meeting
19 April 2023 (via Zoom)
In attendance: Barbara, Bob, Heather, Emily, Marsha

GREETINGS AND MEMBER CHECK-INS

UPDATES

• Emily: AI is putting together a digital activist toolkit for Sri Lanka9
• Gun violence prevention (Bob): Advocacy Day at the PA capitol on March 23
• Cosponsored by Ceasefire PA and March for Our Lives. 
• Bob's own representative and senator were unavailable, so he met with Chris Pielli of West Chester
• The rally had about 400 attendees (more people and more TV cameras than last year!)
• Signs included MOMS (Mothers of Murdered Sons) and EMIR (Every Murder Is Real) 
• House Judiciary meeting on gun violence for the first time in ten years (none while GOP controlled the house)
• More on gun violence in the USA
• Wikipedia article: "Gun laws in the United States by state"
• Washington Post interactive feature from March 2023: "THE BLAST EFFECT: This is how bullets from an AR-15 blow the body apart"
• Emily attended a protest rally in early April; will let us know the next time her organization has one

MISC TOPICS

• Future meeting format
• Discussion of possibly holding hybrid meetings at Wegmans in Malvern
• Barbara will also check on using the United Way building in Exton as a meeting space
• No meeting in May; next meeting will be in June (we can discuss via e-mail list whether to do this in person) 
• Case file discussion
• Emily asked about doing a case file or choosing an area/issue/person for our chapter to focus on
• Barbara will reach out to someone at AIUSA about this
• Emily suggests seeing if Amnesty has a toolkit available for an issue/country we're interested in covering
• Guantánamo postcard action
• Marsha has received 200 "Close Guantánamo"postcards (addressed to Secretary of State Antony Blinken)
• Group 342 members can mail them to Blinken, also leave them in random places (e.g., churches, bulletin boards, train stations) to increase public awareness

AIUSA NEWS

• Amnesty International Annual Report 2022/23 now available online

ACTIONS

• URGENT ACTION: "Tortured Son of Opposition Figured Held Incommunicado" (Egypt: UA 29.23)   
• URGENT ACTION: "Human Rights Activists Must Be Released" (Democratic Republic of Congo: UA 31.23)    

NEXT MEETING: Wednesday, June 21, 7:30 p.m (TBD whether in person or via Zoom)

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)