17 August 2004
Amnesty International
Local Group 642  

PRESENT: Hal Bertilson, Mayra Gomez, Donny Ness, Auburn Powell, Travis Powell, Amy Schuler, Bret Thiele, and Diana Yefanova.  

EXCUSED: Warren Howe, David Stamps.  

EMAIL ADDRESSES: Correction to Rick Reckstad’s email address.  It is rreckstad@woodlandhills.org.  It doesn’t have three “r”s.   

Dan Dobson,  State Death Penalty Abolitionist Coordinator for Minnesota , asked to be included in our distribution list: dddobson@yahoo.com  

REGIONAL MEETING: The regional meeting is scheduled for October 15 – 17 in St. Louis .   

FUND RAISING: We have $ 1500 from the Special Initiative Fund (SIF) to help purchase the wine glasses.  We are selling them at $ 6 each or $ 60 for 12 .   

GARAGE SALE:  The Garage Sale is Friday and Saturday, September 3 ( 7 AM – 2 PM and 4 September 4 ( 7 AM – 12 noon ).  Travis will work the sale all day Friday and Saturday.  Amber will work part of this time.  People working the sale need to be there by 6 AM to set up.  The address is 5217 London Road .  People helping can park on Dodge Street behind the house.   

Travis and Amy will make signs at noon on August 28 ^th at the Powell’s.  An Amnesty International banner will be flown on the front porch.   

Thursday night ( 6 PM or 7 PM ) will be needed for pricing.  All are invited for pricing.   Amy, Hal, and Amber will bring card tables. 

 We should ask (pricing) what it is worth.  This is for human rights.  We should have a spot for donations.  Auburn will bring price stickers and markers.  Bret will talk to the New York office about how receipts can be created for tax credit purposes.   

AL-HUMSI:  Thanks to City Councilor Donny Ness.   Who attended this meeting.

Dave delivered the Duluth City Council resolution to the Syrian embassy; it was also sent my Bret and Mayra to the President of Syria and the Minister of Justice.  The Midwest Regional Office has been notified.  We generated some helpful local press.  Three or four letters to the editor were in support of the City Council resolution.  We are encouraged to send more letters to the Ripsaw and the Reader Weekly.  Duke Skorich gave a positive play on KUWS.

 Post cards were distributed for us to send to: 

 We could say you are in our thoughts and prayers or other supportive statements to him.  He doesn’t speak English.  He does speak French.  Subsequent to the meeting Bret sent us an email with several French phrases we can use:  

Ne sois pas découragé.
Tu n‚es pas oublié.

It translates to:
 
Do not be discouraged.  You are not forgotten. 

STOPPING VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN CAMPAIGN OCTOBER EVENTS: Frank Jewell (Men as Peacemakers) is interested was not able to attend tonight.  

We discussed the music and PowerPoint presentations.  Mayra distributed the film list:  

Senorita Extraviada, Missing Young Woman will be shown on Thursday, October 21 and will be introduced by Diego Zavala, Amesty International USA, Mexico Country Specialist.  

Sacrifice will be shown on Friday, October 22 .  It will be introduced by Cheryl Thomas, Minnesota Advocates for Human Rights, Women’s Human Rights Program.   

God Sleeps in Rwanda will be shown on Saturday, October 23 .  It will be introduced by Kimberlee Acquaro, Producer of “God Sleeps in Rwanda ” and Norah Bagarinkah, Survivor of the Rwandan Genocide.   

Breaking the Silence: Journeys of Hope will be shown on Monday, October 25 .  It will be introduced by Jenny Buckley and Rebecca St. George, Domestic Intervention Project (DAIP)  

Wrestling with Manhood will be shown on Tuesday, October 26 .  It will be introduced by Joe Kelly (Dads and Daughters)  

License to Kill will be shown on Wednesday, October 27 .  Film introduction to be announced.   

Operation Fine Girl will be shown on Thursday, October 28 .  It will be introduced by Candy Harshner, Program for Aid to Victims of Sexual Assault (PASVA).  

The Norshor has been contacted.  Films will be shown every time (October 21 – 28 ) at the Norshor.  Bill Schulz presentation will be at the Kirby Center .  Cindy Christian is donating space and perhaps some food.  All the permissions are in. 

Mayra will ask Norshor if we can have space for tabling.  Travis reinforced the importance of providing for tabling.  We can facilitate the mailing of cards.  A box can be provided for envelopes ready to be mailed.   

STOPPING VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN CAMPAIGN SPRING EVENTS:  The spring campaign is scheduled to coordinate with International Women’s Day in March and the Take Back the Night March and Rally.  There will be three public readings.  The first will be on March 8 ^th.  The last will be April 27 ^th, the night before the Take Back the Night March and Rally.  Readers for the parts have been recommended.  Practices will be scheduled for January and February.  These events will be supplemented with the clothesline project, self-defense class, and other events.   

STOPPING VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN CAMPAIGN PUBLICITY:

Bret has media contact list, others have church, synagogue, etc. contact list.   When these organizations are contacted we will give them our web site so they have more information to follow.  con, etc.  

MINNESOTA DEATH PENALTY ABOLITION COORDINATION.  Dan Dobson,  State Death Penalty Abolitionist Coordinator for Minnesota , asked to hear from us what we are doing on the Death Penalty issue.  Dan has been practicing law for 15 years.  He did correspondence with a prisoner who, after 3 years, was put to death.   He has come to a position that we as a society can not do impose the death penalty.  We put the poorest and minority to death.  His background is as an attorney and is presently working in real estate.  He is visiting all the AI groups around the state on death penalty.  He has been asked to take a lead position in this state for Amnesty International.  Dan suggested that we may want to make a trip to Grand Forks in the case of Rodriquez.   

Dan distributed brochures on the “Weekend Faith in Action.”  However, it is the same weekend as Bill Schulz is coming to Duluth .  The 2004 national weekend Faith in Action on the Death Peanlty October 22 - 24 , 2004 .  For more information contact Kristin Houle at khoule@aiusa.org.  Web www.amnstyusa.org/faithaction.   

We discussed our work on the Scott Penati case, including the petitions we sent to Texas .  We have sent petitions to Texas .  We suggested that Dan discuss this case with David.  

We also described the successful anti-death penalty event at College St. Scholastica and the interview on KUWS radio.   

It was suggested that children might learn a lot by being pen pals for condemned prisoners.  Silhouettes and pictures of condemned prisoners will be helpful, too.  

Regional would like to two events a year on death penalty.  Some films were discussed.   

HUMAN RIGHTS DAY: Human Rights Day on December 10 .  We need to plan for.

 BIRTHDAY PARTY: We need a birthday party for our 1 year anniversary of the official establishment of the group.  

ADJOURNED.  

Hal Bertilson, Coordinator, Northland Chapter # 642 of Amnesty International.