Please come out to the meeting! So much going on………

When: Wednesday, April 21st, 7pm.

Where: AFSC, 65 9th Street, San Francisco, CA (close to Civic Center BART).  Click here for a map.

Agenda items include:

Announcements and opportunities:

Where: Niebyl-Proctor Library, 6501 Telegraph Ave., Oakland (near Alcatraz) — map

AGENDA:

Meeting notes not yet available.

Between Market and Mission near the Civic Center BART and MUNI stop. map

This meeting is a postponement from the January 5 meeting.

Meeting notes not yet available.

Between Market and Mission near the Civic Center BART and MUNI stop. map

This meeting was postponed to January 14.

Take Cost of War banners if going somewhere and want to take the banners—see Sandra.

Media week on Afganistan Planning for Oct 17 and Oct 7 Fundraising on Oct 21 and 22 National news

It’s Not Faire report back Backpacks Iran support rally.

When Ross spoke to us he talked about no war on Iran being part of agenda, [...]]]> AFSC, 65 Ninth St., San Francisco

Take Cost of War banners if going somewhere and want to take the banners—see Sandra.

Media week on Afganistan
Planning for Oct 17 and Oct 7
Fundraising on Oct 21 and 22
National news

It’s Not Faire report back
Backpacks
Iran support rally.

When Ross spoke to us he talked about no war on Iran being part of
agenda, Betty didn’t see any signs regarding war; news and signs
focused on elections.  Michael reported there speakers who did
talk about no war, but not intended theme. Sandra didn’t see anyone
except for Vets for Peace.   Sandra getting email about hands
off Iran—is this an outside or inside protest?  Michael reported
that people from the underground labor movement feel that to continue
the protest important.

Backpacks;  Grace take backpacks to event that was small, but heartfelt.

Media week this week:  Sandra pointed out that Sunday Insight had
picture and articles.  No idea of how this is going.  Protest
10.5 at Lockheed against the drones organized by Code Pink.

Oct 7 and 17th.  Oct 5th at Lockheed and action in DC organized by War Resisters League.

How do we develop a campaign that calls attention to the
drones?   People seem to be uncomfortable about robotic
warfare.   How do we take the next step?  Some people
think it’s a great idea because it keeps American troops out of harms
way.

Could not organize for the 7th.  Should we concentrate on 10.
17.  ANSWER march on 10.7 at the new federal 10.7 at 5:00.
Can we come up with an action
Suggestion table with lit from UFBJ groups.
Rally with 15 speakers;  major coalitions will have some roll moderating.
Ann Wright
Broader spokespeople for the issues

Rally and March route to be determined with police.
Next meeting 9.27 at 2:00 Unitarian Church.

9.24  March of Hotel Workers CLUE  Clergy and Laity united
for economic justice. 4:00 Union Square  Israel Alvaron contact
Person. 863 1142.

• Sandra suggested that 10.17 coalition outreach at this march.

• Can we do something that draws the parallel
  between Vietnam and Afganistan; Johnson’s domestic program and Obama’s
  domestic program.

• Set up quadmire and have things sinking in it.
  Gigantic hot air balloons with things sinking.  Support for
  Afghanistan down 37%–not energized to set up for political
  pressure—Boxer and Pelosi appear to not support escalating.
• Pipeline oil maps—another way to connect with Van Jones resignation
• Betty will take flyers to West Coast Convergence on Climate and Justice 9.18-22.

• Wear death masks
• Is there any media work going on—need letters to the editor.
• Could we meet early and go downtown on 10.7 and 10.17.
• Back on 9.17 at 2:00 to talk about the 7th.

Michael—US Law given permission to do – Rethink Afghistan
Grand Lake $1000, 100 to do DVD
4 groups sponsor. If we can fill, $630—get an audience.  Get
Norman Soloman and Afghan vets to speak after the fill.  Do after
the March.
UFPJ will sponsor. October 21 or 22.

It’s Not Faire report back
Attendance low.  Bunch of young people came and enjoyed.
Raised $800.00 dollars. Paid Judith’s salary. UFPJ still in dire
financial straits—all volunteers network. –moved office to smaller
space, one person.  Ground swell of energy to keep it going.
Need to have coalition from coast to coast.

Annual fundraising dinner October 24—First Presbyterian Church.

Next meeting October 8, 2009 – Sandra will send out meeting reminder by
October 1.  The Niebyl Proctor Library is not available on the 8th
. SO the meeting will be in SF at 7pm AFSC 65 9th Street San Francisco.

Announcement
Labor Rights in Iraq

No August meeting; September meeting TBA.

Participating: Peter Schlange and Carl Davison, IVAW; Michael Eisenscher, Michael Reagan, DASW; Grace Morizawa, Betty Brown, Jean Dritz, Marilyn Bechtel, Siri Margerin, Kathy Lipscomb, Jackie Cabasso, Carolyn Scarr, Jay Marks, Prop. One Campaign, Washington, D.C. (Notes by Marilyn)

UFPJ fund-raising event: Siri is hosting [...]]]> Niebyl Proctor Library, 6501 Telegraph Ave., Oakland

No August meeting; September meeting TBA.

Participating: Peter Schlange and Carl Davison, IVAW; Michael Eisenscher, Michael Reagan, DASW; Grace Morizawa, Betty Brown, Jean Dritz, Marilyn Bechtel, Siri Margerin, Kathy Lipscomb, Jackie Cabasso, Carolyn Scarr, Jay Marks, Prop. One Campaign, Washington, D.C. (Notes by Marilyn)

UFPJ fund-raising event: Siri is hosting a BA UFPJ fundraiser, “It’s Not Faire! Share a fair slice of a better pie with United for Peace and Justice,” July 26 from 4-7 p.m. at 766 Fell St., San Francisco. Pie eating, pie contest, entertainment, caricatures, games: serious fun! Donations of $5-25 will be requested at the door; no one will be turned away for lack of funds.

Oakland backpack project: The Lower Bottom Fatherless Children’s Foundation, headed by Ora Knowell, is conducting its annual backpack project with distribution slated for West Oakland’s DeFremery Park on Aug. 29. We agreed we would again participate. Last year we collected money and bought items to fill 50 backpacks. This year we propose that individuals commit to buy and fill one or more backpacks.

Grace will coordinate this project; people can send money donations to her at 1528 Holly St., Berkeley 94703, and people who want to prepare backpacks can either bring them to the event on Aug. 29, or bring them by Aug. 24 to the Niebyl-Proctor Library, 6501 Telegraph Ave., Oakland.

UFPJ national program: Jackie reported that UFPJ’s national program is focusing on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and the abolition of nuclear weapons ― all linked together by the military budget. UFPJ has declared August “Nuclear-free future month,” including educational material on nuclear power. A web site, nuclearfreefuture.org, is being developed. The campaign is being launched in the U.S. in the run-up to the May 2010 nuclear proliferation review conference. A conference on nuclear weapons and related issues is slated for May 1, and on May 2 a rally and march will take place past UN headquarters in New York City. Millions of petition signatures from around the world will be delivered.

UFPJ’s version of the petition quotes President Obama’s Prague speech and urges him to announce at the review conference a commitment to abolish nuclear weapons in our lifetimes.

The UN Secretary General has launched a Twitter campaign, “WMD, we must disarm,” which will culminate Sept. 21. The International Trade Union Federation (ITUF) is calling for abolition by 2020 together with major cuts in military spending and a shift of funds to human needs. The AFL-CIO is the U.S. affiliate of the ITUC. UFPJ’s web site will feature complete information on this project. Michael Eisenscher said it is planned to present the ITUC resolution and an accompanying U.S. labor resolution at the AFL-CIO convention in September.

Hiroshima/Nagasaki commemoration: Jackie said a rally and nonviolent direct action will take place at 7:30 a.m. Aug. 6 at Vasco Rd. and Paterson Pass Rd. in Livermore, near Lawrence Livermore National Lab, to mark the 64th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. She said the Right is mounting a tremendous campaign to maintain and promote nuclear weapons development and production, and the forces for abolition need to be much more active.

Prop. One Campaign: Jay Marks said the campaign’s goal is to get nuclear disarmament on the ballot in as many places as possible in 2010. Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton has introduced HR 1653 for nuclear disarmament and is seeking co-sponsors. Time may be too short for a California statewide resolution but cities could still pass them.

Iraq labor rights/anti-oil privatization: Michael Eisenscher said the struggle is intensifying against efforts to privatize Iraq’s oil. The oil workers union is objecting strenuously to privatization moves, but the Iraqi labor movement has no legal status. USLAW has launched a petition to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to speak out for labor rights in Iraq (see www.uslaboragainstwar.org). USLAW seeks to gather a large number of signatures both on-line and in hard copy, and plans to organize a labor-Congressional delegation to deliver the signatures to Secretary Clinton and to the Iraqi embassy in Washington.

Iran: San Francisco Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi and Eniyat Katouli presented plans for a rally at San Francisco’s Civic Center July 25, from noon to 4 p.m. in San Francisco in solidarity with the people of Iran. After discussion it was moved, seconded and unanimously agreed that Bay Area UFPJ will co-sponsor the rally, which is one of several around the country.

New business: Kathy reported that the Iraq Moratorium Campaign is circulating a petition in support of Rep. Jim McGovern’s bill calling on the Department of Defense to submit an end-game strategy for Afghanistan by the end of the year.

Meeting notes not available.

Meeting notes not available.