Proposed Agenda for 5/13/08 WNCPSR Meeting

Proposed Agenda for 5/13/08 Meeting (Classroom 4, Unit. Univ. Church of Asheville, corner Charlotte St & Edwin Place, enter lower level, northwest corner door and follow signs. Introductory remarks; Recruit secretary , Lew away 5/14 to 5/27; Note illnesses among our friends 1. Program: “No More Victims” to start at 12:30 followed by discussion. Ymani Simmons of NMV - Asheville agreed to attend. 2. BUSINESS: • Action re the $800 Grace Lee Peace fund as a matching grant for Rusul via No More Victims: Notice is on our website & has been sent out via e-mail to WNCPSR mailing list. NMV is e-mailing their list about this matching fund and may send letters to potential donors. Susan O. proposed a notice for our approval. ** Don Richardson has offered to contribute his van as an auction item for a future event if enough people were interested (this would require a minimum bid). • Any thoughts re planning events re 63rd anniversary of Hiroshima/Nagasaki bombings. Other groups are doing so. Shall we offer to merge? *** 3. 4/15/08 WNCPSR Meeting Minutes Review 4. Treasurers Report 5. Recent events: • We (8 from WNC) appeared at 5/1 NRC mtg in Gaffney, SC, vs. 2 proposed Duke’s nukes 6. Announcements: • 5/30-6/1 - Nat’l Activist Summit on Radioactive Waste, Columbia, SC. **** • Arjun Makhajani on June 1 in Asheville ***** • Request for action from NPSR ****** 7. Other Items: Leah: Dot says Mary is also planning a fund raiser for NIRS but no details yet. 8. Next Meeting: Noon, Tue., 6/17, Classroom 4, UUCA * * * ** Recently, WNC Physicians for Social Responsibility received an $800 donation from the Grace E. Lee Peace Award, which we have decided to offer as a "matching grant" for No More Victims – Asheville.  No More Victims – Asheville is raising funds to help an Iraqi girl named Rusul.  She was injured in a US missile strike in Fallujah in November 2006.  Rusul was playing with her brother, her sister, and another neighborhood child when the missile hit them.  It killed her brother and the neighborhood child, took both legs off her sister Salee, and badly injured Rusul's right leg.  Salee came to the US in 2007 for surgery and prosthetics, and she is a much happier child.  This intervention has a significant impact on her father, and had an impact on citizens in Asheville when Salee visited us.  No More Victims seeks to provide surgery and prosthetics for Rusul too, to help her heal and provide her with a fuller life. WNC Physicians for Social Responsibility’s matching grant will help raising needed funds. We hope that those in our community who want to help mitigate the effects of war will donate.  Also, we anticipate that by helping Rusul we will further increase awareness in our community of the true costs of war.  No More Victims – Asheville believe having an Iraqi child in our community will increase awareness and further healing of Iraqi – American wounds of war. If you or your organization would like to make a donation to take advantage of the matching funds, then donations can be made to the website www.nomorevictims.org, or checks and money orders can be sent to: The International Humanities Center, P.O. Box 923,  Malibu, CA 90265.  Please make checks payable to: "IHCenter / No More Victims - Asheville" so  funds will be allocated correctly.  Put "Asheville" in the memo line also so that your donation will be sure to help Rusul. * * * *** Hiroshima Exhibit meeting – 5/9 - Present: Deborah Miles www.diversityed.org - 232-5024, Ray Hearne, Sue Oehler, Dot Sulock, Elizabeth Snyder, Harriette Grissom. Exhibit opens – July 9 – Laurel Forum, UNCA, with delegation from Hiroshima: Chikage Sakamoto in Hiroshima & Steve Leeper, US rep. - Karpen lobby reserved for 7/8 to 8/8 & 10/1 to 10/31 - so both summer and fall students have an opportunity to view it.  Sakamoto will only be here in July.  Dot Sulock volunteered to: Work to get “White Light/Black Rain” shown @ Laurel Forum on 8/6 at 7 PM; explore refreshments for 7/9 – volunteer her home for a dinner with the delegation if possible; speak on nuclear non-proliferation at noon program in October; explore with student groups AI, WAC and SDS if their cosponsoring a panel in October   Elizabeth Snyder volunteered to: See if Humanities money for refreshments & student availability in summer. Harriette Grissom volunteered to: check for speaker in Oct.; explore candle light vigil for August 6 Ray Hearne volunteered to: check with Ralph Hutchinson (OREPA) re coming to speak Susan Oehler volunteered to: Help however she can – be a community liaison with peace groups.  Deborah Miles volunteered to: Reserve Karpen Lobby & Laurel Forum for all dates; deal with exhibit details etc. The next meeting is set for Monday June 2 at 4:00 in 104A Carmichael * * * **** May 30 - Fri. Eve. thru Sun., June 1 - Nat’l Activist Summit on Radioactive Waste, Columbia, SC. *We as a community say "stop making more" radioactive waste since we know the failure to find a real solution to this problem is the failure of the technologies that produce it. We demand responsible management of radioactive waste & are responding to the nuclear industry’s attempt to revive both nuclear generating infrastructure and the move to expand the Bombplex. The military/civilian distinction is diminishing. Tis time for us to reaffirm the "We", in the sense of The People, in the sense of impacted communities--and essentially as activists. Event is moving forward by planning group including: David Kraft, Nuclear Energy Info. Service, Debbie Grinnell - C-10, Diane D'Arrigo & Mary Olson; NIRS, Glenn Carroll, Nuclear Watch South; Janet Marsh, BREDL; Judy Treichel, Nev. Nuclear Waste Task Force; Kevin Kamps,Beyond Nuclear, Leslie Minerd , Rochelle Becker, Alliance for Nuclear Responsibility; Sara Barczak -- Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, Susan Corbett -- Sierra Club, SC Chapter, Tom Clements -- Friends of the Earth. Contact Mary O. to be part or learn more * * * *****Leah reported: Dot Sulock called me to say that Mary Olson has arranged for a talk by Dr. Arjun Makhajani on June 1 in Asheville; it will be at Owen Center UNCA at 7:00 p.m. He may possibly be staying at my place. * * * ****** May 15 - PSR Chapter and Board Contacts, President Bush's warning to Iran today sounded disturbingly similar to warnings given to Iraq leading up to the US attack.  While it is impossible to know if the current drumbeat means an attack on Iran is any more likely, it does affirm the need for us to continue to get our message out. In that light--please mark Thursday, May 15th to call Senator and House offices as part of a National Call-in Day on Iran organized by the Campaign for New American Policy on Iran --the coalition PSR is working with to promote real diplomacy with Iran: http://www.newiranpolicy.org/452/473.html 1. Just Say No to Bush's request for $102 billion more for Iraq 2. Cosponsor Lynn Woolsey's HR 5507 and safely bring all the troops home. Rep. Shuler at 252-1651, Senator Dole at 202-224-6342 and Senator Burr at 202-224-3154. Lew Patrie - (828) 299-1242