Minutes from last meeting... See You on Sunday
maTT de vlieger
We look forward to seeing you all at the next meeting... same time, same place. details @ www.oct27.org/orlando click on events
At the meeting on Sunday, September 23, 2007 started with personal introductions and then divided into our individual committees to discuss what had been done in the past week, what still needed to be done, and strengths and weaknesses of the groups.
Report backs went as follows:
Logitics:
- This week members of the Logistics Committee will meet with the city to discuss a final yes or no on the sound and rally permits. It looks like we will definitely get a yes, but they are also looking into getting a plan together in case that we are denied.
- Our first choice route will be the same as the route taken on the May 1st rally.
- The logistics meeting is looking into getting money together to pay for the permits, which they are estimating will cost at least $1000.
- Yesenia is looking for groups and individuals to commit to looking for donations of medical supplies, apple cider vinegar, and other items for Health and First Aid.
- Health and First Aid is also looking for EMTs or Street Medics to do street medic training so that in case anything should go wrong, we can be informed and prepared.
· Logistics is also looking for lawyers to attend the rally and do legal training so that we can keep it legal and avoid any problems.
· We need:
o Port-o-Potties (may already be covered by Dick Bachelor)
o Water, both by donations of water and donations of money to buy water.
o A garbage and recycling crew.
o To figure out parking both for locals and buses coming in from out of town.
o Volunteers
- By consensus we decided to write an official endorsement letter to send to groups involved in the march in order to get a firm commitment from them. Logistics will write it, and Outreach will have the responsibility of sending it out.
Concerns were brought u about whether downtown would be a good location for a march on a Saturday because of lack of traffic. A counterpoint was brought up that downtown would be a perfect location because it can hold a huge rally like this, the police can shut down the street for us, and the news will already be in the downtown area for other events happening in downtown.
The issue of civil disobedience was also brought up. After a bit of a heated debate, it was the general consensus that if the meetings with the police and city should go wrong, we will then as a group talk about committing CD, but if any individuals should want to commit CD they should tell Jeannie or Matt Devlieger Beforehand so we can be prepared and honest with the people we are working with in the city.
It was also asked what the goal of this march should be. The response was generally that this march is meant not to just energize the communities in the usual cities, but everywhere around the US. Also, we mean to bring the normally apathetic everyday American into the fight against the war, not just peace groups and radicals.
Outreach:
Has been doing:
- Mass e-mails
- Individual phone calls
- Promotion on campus (Valencia and UCF)
- Canvassing
- Completed a phone script
Needs to:
- Have someone set up and maintain a Myspace
- Create a larger master contacts list
- It was decided that someone other than Stephanie Columbo should be given the job as it has not been done yet.
They decided their strength was how active their members are in the events and their weakness was internal communication. In addition they felt they needed to make this effort less local and reach farther out. It was also mentioned that they would be able to use the Cities for Peace Contact list.
Concerns were brought up about really pushing and making a lot of phone calls and getting groups to commit to the event and reaching out to multi-cultural communities.
Media:
- Looking for people to be video taping the event, it was mentioned that Copwatch may be interested in doing so.
- Leslie will be working on a press release to the news.
- An approximately $200 comprehensive list of local media is available for sale.
- The SRDS book (available in the library) can also be used as a resource for contacting the media.
- The website is now up.
Program:
- Has gotten in touch with: (spelling not necessarily correct)
- Dwight Lawton, who will speak
- Lucas Benitez of CIW, who will march
- Michael Albert
- Mike Gravel, who might bring Kucinich along
- The president (?) of CAIR will "support and attend" the rally
· Wants/Needs
- A speaker from the farm workers' alliance
- Translators for Spanish, American Sign Language, and Spanish Sign Language.
- To attract someone from the CIO
- More young people speaking, different ethnic groups
- A stage and sound equipment.
o Suggestions for speakers: PROBLEM WITH SPEAKERS… TOO WHITE AND TOO MALE (maTT)
· Rita Lucy of Amnesty International
· Code Pink?
· NOW?
· Marni Harmony, a Unitarian Pastor
· Harold Taylor, a Black Panther
· Bernadette Dorn, an ex-Weatherman, current law Professor at Northwestern
· Native American? Sheridan Murphy from Florida AIM
· If there are any other suggestions, send them to Jessie.
Be Well,
maTT de vlieger
actli...@gmail.com
954.536.7461
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Be Well,
maTT de vlieger
actli...@gmail.com
954.536.7461