APJ minutes, April 4, 2006

Ralph, Terri, Diana, Lu, Emma, Mike, Anwar

1. April 20, 2006. The 2006 season of The Market at Ag Heritage Park will kick off April 20 (Earth Day and during Ag Week) from 3 to 6 p.m. at Ag Heritage Park. This kick-off event will feature early-season spring produce and plants, but they are also are looking for on-campus and community clubs, academic departments, associations, programs, etc. to set up educational booths. The opportunity may be available to sell fund-raising items as well.

If we are interested in setting up a display (there is no charge for educational booths) should contact Katie Jackson at 844-5887 or smithcl@auburn.edu to reserve a space. Another early-season market day also will be held in May (probably the first or second Thursday in May) at the same time and location, and the regular weekly season will begin in mid-June. Educational displays will be welcome throughout the season!

2. Get out the vote… Voter registration forms or a voter registration drive. We may be interested in pairing up with folks such as Ethyl White or John Zellars (in C-move--- that is one of the organizations that started the annual MLK Jr service).

Ideas for the drive: Going door to door in pairs? Carrying registration forms on your person? We will have to find out how far in advance registration is needed. We may have to check with Montgomery in order to get registration forms or they may be available at the courthouse. Terri will investigate for details.

3. Recent actions. Photos from Atlanta rally will be sent to the OA News (Lu) and posted on our website (Mike). Mike will send a photo to Lu, who will send it along with a caption to the OA News. Estimates of crowd at Atlanta stand at around 3700 to 5000.

Should our local actions get more creative to include drummers or dancers in order to gain more attention? How can we draw more attention to these actions? Last vigil had more than a dozen people, mostly from the UU and Muslim community. Another idea is to pass out fliers/leaflets at local actions to drivers and passers-by.

We should invest in a professional banner that includes our web address. We should get a permanent website, too, in order to get info to interested parties and establish a permanent web presence.

4. APJ fund-raising? Ideas include selling Fair Trade coffee or chocolate available from the UU (contact Sharon Roberts) to sell at farmer’s market. Diana will check with Sharon regarding prices and details. Also discussed were donations for a raffle of quilt, pottery, sewed items or similiar. Peace movies (Soldiers Speak Out?) possibly shown at the UU, followed by a passing of the hat?

5. PO Box. Diana will check to see how much longer the rental on the PO Box is active. A proposal to close the box was met with general agreement, with new mail going to the Busch Center.

6. Volunteering as a group. Ideas include volunteering at the Community Market (Opelika Road near Mandarin House) on a Saturday. The OA News should be contacted for PR. If someone is interested in setting this up, they should send an email out on the listserve with details of a proposal.

7. Potential speakers.

a. Sis and Jerry Levin. Nikki Hicks has one professor eager to have the Levins on campus so maybe he could help procure some funds (They need a $400 honoraria plus will request individual donations to help fund their work in the Middle East).

b. Bruce Gagnon, a friend from days of yore, who directs the Global Network against Nuclear Weapons and Power in Space is a veteran and a most powerful activist for peace and justice. They live in ME.

c. Roy Bourgeois. Possibly arrange to have him speak in some classes as well as at a public presentation in the evening, following an optional potluck (which could happen also when the Levins come).

d. Margaret Wright, et al. Would be interesting to have them speak about the war after 3 years. She spoke here just before the war. Possibly have someone who supports or supported the war to speak at the event as well.

8. Peace Eagle bumper stickers. Jim Gravois is interested in helping procure Peace Eagle bumper stickers. Jim Allen will continue to work on this. These may be sold at the farmer’s market as a fund-raising item.

10. Will send an invitation to Ralph. rwb_bayb@bellsouth.net

11. Announcements:

a. Apr. 6 presentation at Hotel and Dixon Conference Center with following panel discussion sounds very interesting.

4:00 PM -- Dr. Orville Schell: "Is The Media Censored? Politics, Profits and Propaganda"

5:00 PM -- Faculty Panel Discussion: "Self-Censorship: When Is It Necessary? What Are Its Dangers?"

It should be not only a good time to receive and consider information but also to interact with others in our community.

b. There is the possibility of a large Living the Dream march occurring, from Mtgy to Columbus next Nov. Judy should know by the May meeting whether this is definite

12. Next meeting: May 2.