Meeting notes 090315

UNITED FOR PEACE AND JUSTICE

DELAWARE VALLEY NETWORK

FACE-TO-FACE MEETING

Bob Moore (Coalition for Peace Action, Princeton) facilitator

Nina Huizinga (Granny Peace Brigade) notes

David Long (Chester County Peace Movement)

Circe Urbanski (CFPA)

Kathleen Hollins (CFPA)

Elisabeth Leonard (Granny Peace Brigade and WILPF)

Bob Smith (Brandywine Peace Community)

Carol Seeley (Delaware WILPF)

Ken Heard (Black Radical Congress, Philadelphia Area)

Dan Zaleski (Philly Against War)

John Kirkland (Philly Against War)

Sam Mastvano (Philly Against War)

Warren Davis (Solidarity)

Valilent Try: Bernadette Soltis came to 4609 Spruce Street, where meeting was originally to be located.

ANNOUNCEMENTS: Please see the attachments for details. If you cannot open the attachments, please reply to this email and you will receive the information inside an email in return.

EVENTS HAPPENING TO MARK 6TH YEAR OF THE IRAQ WAR

There are 15 items on the list; last year there were 40 items. NW Greens had something planned for today.

Leaviing 50,000 troops behind and just renaming them as "non-combat" troops is not OK. We can't let any person in power off the hook. Despite the fact that many of us worked to get Obama elected, we still need to hold him accountable. That is our role.

Press Release: Coalition for Peace Action is starting a countdown to withdrawal, starting January 20th until May 20th, 2010, when every U.S.. Soldier should be out.

Note the use of the word "intend." Note that their numbers do not include the contractor troops in Iraq. Note that nothing has been said about dismantling the U.S. permanent bases in Iraq.

We need to initiate the press contacts about marking the 6th year of the War and expect them to be receptive. Do not expect the press to take the initiative.

For those interested in purchasing $25 Round Trip bus ticket to Washington DC for the Saturday, March 21st demo, contact Bob Moore at cfpa@peacecoalition.org.

There will be a forum in Princeton, March 29th about Afghanistan.

APRIL 3RD in Philadelphia AND APRIL 4TH in NYC

Friday, April 3, 2009: Brandywine Peace Community is coordinating a peace vigil, Memorial to Justice, to commemorate the anniversary of the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. It will be from Noon to 1:00 p.m. on the West Side of City Hall. We encourage Delaware Valley Network groups to participate.

Saturday, April 4, 2009: United for Peace and Justice, at the National Level, will be coordinating a march going from Canal Street to the Stock Exchange on Wall Street. The United for Peace and Justice, Delaware Valley Network, will be participating in this march.

In traveling to NYC, we will be coordinating Just Peace Trains and Pre-Boarding Rallies. Groups can board the Trains at their most convenient station. Already, there arel pre-boarding rallies schelduled for 30th and Market St., Philadelphia and Trenton at the Train Plaza. We encourage local groups to plan similar pre-boarding rallies at their train station and invite the press to cover it. The Black Radical Congress is planning to take a riverboat from Camden to Trenton.

Details about times and cost are attached to this email. Details will also be posted onto the UFPJ-DVN web site. We plan to sit together in the first car of the train.

Note: Signs with sticks will NOT be allowed onto the trains. But we think posters made of card stock will be OK for the windows. And banners can easily travel, too. We will contact the Railroad Workers Union about our plans so they can enjoy it all and give us useful input.

Please publicize widely and please enlist your group members.

SATURDAY, MAY 9TH EVENT AT ARCH STREET UMC (The Day Before Mother's Day)

We have a Committee to plan for this event. So far, Carol Seeley, Elisabeth Leonard, Nina Huizinga, and Sue Edwards are on the Committee. Invites are going to Kathy Black, Irene Goldman and Carole Stiller. We are using the words of Julia Ward Howe, who used Mother's Day to focus attention on Peace.

We decided NOT to do an event at Love Park, but to focus on Arch Street UMC at Broad and Arch Streets. We reserved space from Noon to 4 p.m. We decided NOT to try for Holly Near (too expensive and too much like a concert). We will be having other groups perform, will make lunch available, and will have workshops. Stay tuned.

The next face-to-face meeting of United for Peace and Justice, Delaware Valley Network will be Sunday, June 7, 2009 from 3 to 5 p.m. Bob Smith will check with Tabernacle Church at 37th and Chestnut to see whether we can meet there again.

Additional notes:

CORRECTIONS AND ADDITIONS TO

UFPJ-DELAWARE VALLEY NETWORK MEETING

MARCH 15, 2009

1. Bob Moore wrote:

Nina,

A few very minor corrections, in case more significant ones come up and you revise these.
David Gibson planned to come, was on the way, but had car problems.
Kathy Hollings has a g at the end of her name.

The Countdown to Withdrawal campaign is initiated by AFSC, we are only plagiarizing the title.

Peace, Bob

2. John Leslie wrote

From John Leslie: Bus information for march on March 21 in DC should be directed to phillyagainstwar@gmail.com

3. Warren Davis wrote:

> Here is the UFPJ web site for the April 4 action including plans and links for a flier.
> http://www.unitedforpeace.org/article.php?id=4027

I spotted an error in the notes re the March 21 demonstration in Washington, DC. The Philly Against War coalition is locally organizing buses to DC, and the contact listed should not be Rev. Moore, but instead Philly Against War at 609 558-1869 or www.phillyagainstwar.org. The first bus is now full, and I understand a second is being secured as of tomorrow, and is already filling up. There is a Paypal link at the web site for those wanting to buy their bus tickets on-line. A correction is appreciated. Thanks

This flyer will be distributed in Washington, DC at the March 21 anti-war demonstration. It promotes the April 4 UFPJ action in NYC as a continuation on building/sustaining the anti-war movement after March 21. It is also now at the home page of the organization's web site at: http://www.solidarity-us.org/antiwarmovement

I thought you and others might like to see what Solidarity is doing. We can expect a sizable contingent of New York Solidarity at the April 4 action..

The correct spelling is Sam Mastriano.

4. Elisabeth Leonard wrote:

Sue Edwards and her co-chair were not listed as in attendance. I guess they did not sign the Attendance Sheet. [Nina adds, I think Sue's co-chair is Sue Gorden.]