March 5 – Amnesty International Monthly Meeting

Join us for our monthly meeting on Tuesday, March 5, from 6:30 – 8:30 pm in the den at the Mosaic Coffee House, 4401 2nd Ave NE. First half hour is letter writing and socializing. Meeting starts at 7 pm.

Agenda:

On behalf of International Womens’ Day 2013:

AIUSA – including UW Amnesty, and Group 4 Seattle cosponsor with City of Seattle Human Rights Commission, L.E.L.O, others; six performances of the play, “Women of Sand” responding to the plight of the women of Juarez, Mexico; for details see Latino Theater Seattle [http://www.latinotheatreprojects.org/];  spokespersons from the Amnesty Puget Sound cluster (including, Larry Ebersole), along with the Artistic Director, and Executive Director of Latino Theatre Projects Seattle will facilitate a lively discussion, following each performance of the play.  Donations [no one turned away] ; 8pm-10pm, Thursday, March 7th to Saturday, March 9th; Thursday, March 14th to Saturday, March 16th.

Annual General Meeting: If there are resolutions we will read them and vote.

Update by Eugene Martin, and Monica Mendoza (U.N. Association Greater Seattle): -Eugene and Monica will elaborate on the topics discussed last meeting, and suggest additional advocacy for the near future.

Repeal the death penalty in WA State: update about the public hearing focused on educating the legislature.

Snacks available at the meeting; beverages available at Mosaic Cafe.

The Mosaic Coffee House is a nonprofit coffee house located in Seattle First Church (behind the Dick’s Drive In on 45th Street in the Wallingford Neighborhood). Check for directions, free parking and bus line information at:http://www.mosaiccoffeehouse.org/directions.htm

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Feb. 5 – February Monthly Meeting – Eugene Martin from UN Association & More

Join us for our monthly meeting on Tuesday, February 5, from 6:30 – 8:30 pm in the den at the Mosaic Coffee House, 4401 2nd Ave NE. First half hour is letter writing and socializing. Meeting starts at 7 pm.

This month’s featured speaker, Eugene Martin, Board member of the UN Association, Seattle Chapter, and local AI activist and Group 4 member, will talk about Human Rights and the United Nations.

Eugne Martin

Upcoming events we’ll be planning for include:

Participating in a lobby day against the death penalty in Olympia with our allies as part of Safe & Just Alternatives on February 12. Free transportation available from downtown Seattle (and downtown Tacoma, should you live nearer to there). Details and register at: http://www.sjawa.org/

Seattle participation for  AIUSA  and allies in dance action of One Billion Rising to end violence against women on Valentines Day, February 14 (details still to be determined).

Event design for Women’s Day, March 8.

Local subsidies to attend the AIUSA Annual General Meeting taking place from March 22 – 24 in Washington, D.C.

The Mosaic Coffee House is a nonprofit coffee house located in Seattle First Church (behind the Dick’s Drive In on 45th Street in the Wallingford Neighborhood). Check for directions, free parking and bus line information at:http://www.mosaiccoffeehouse.org/directions.htm

Facebook event at: https://www.facebook.com/events/365907536849554/

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Jan. 25 – Amnesty International Open House at Espresso Vivace Alley 24

AIUSA Candle Banner

What’s going on with human rights in Seattle? Join us for an informal open house to learn more about our 2013 campaigns, plans for building our activist base, and how to contribute locally. Samantha Rodgers, Chief Membership Mobilization Officer for Amnesty International USA, will be joining us to learn about our AI membership in Seattle and share upcoming plans for the organization. We’ll also hear from activist leaders about their current initiatives and actions, and want to hear your ideas for our work as well!

About Samantha:
Samantha comes to Amnesty from Greenpeace USA where she was a member of the senior leadership team as Grassroots Director, overseeing Greenpeace’s volunteer and mobilization strategies to solve global warming, protect ancient forests, save oceans and reduce environmental toxins. In 2006 she started Greenpeace’s field organizing team and launched Project Hot Seat, a campaign to implement legislative solutions to global warming in the U.S. that moved over 70 members and candidates for Congress to improve their positions on the issue. Prior to Greenpeace, she worked with MoveOn.org Political Action, where she was part of MoveOn’s first full-scale field organizing campaign and directed operations in Albuquerque, NM during the 2004 election season.

WHAT
Open house for all Amnesty International members and supporters, featuring AIUSA’s Chief Membership Mobilization Officer Samantha Rodgers

WHEN
Friday, January 25 2013
6:30 – 8:00 pm

WHERE
Espresso Vivace Alley 24
227 Yale Avenue N (map)
*We will be in the back room

Espresso Vivace Alley 24

Espresso Vivace Alley 24

CONTACT
Sara Schmidt
sschmidt@aiusa.org / (415)288-1865

I look forward to seeing you there!

In Solidarity,

Sara Schmidt
Regional Field Organizer
Amnesty International USA

Facebook event: https://www.facebook.com/events/482549158457875/

 

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January – No Meeting, Join Us & Allies for Events!

We will not have our monthly meeting in January, due to our regular first Tuesday meeting day being New Years Day (and the Mosaic Coffee House being, not surprisingly, closed).

Upcoming January events include:

January 11 – Stand In Orange to close Guantanamo: Local event still in planning stages. Check back for details! To help plan the Seattle event contact AmnestyWa.justice@gmail.com or wordheath@gmail.com

More information: http://www.amnestyusa.org/our-work/issues/security-and-human-rights/guantanamo/january-11-stand-in-orange

Take Action: http://takeaction.amnestyusa.org/siteapps/advocacy/ActionItem.aspx?c=6oJCLQPAJiJUG&b=6645049&aid=516553

January 26: Student training in Seattle: Contact Sara Schmidt at sschmidt@aiusa.org to register.

January 28:  Safe and Just Alternatives Lobby (& mobilization) to Olympia (WA) to support legislation that will end executions in Washington State: Contact the Washington Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty (WCADP) http://salsa3.salsalabs.com/o/50572/p/salsa/event/common/public/?event_KEY=69415 

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Dec. 13 – Seattle Human Rights Day – 2012

Please come join us at the City of Seattle’s Human Rights Day Celebration on Thursday, December 13, from 6pm-8pm at City Hall! See flyer image below. This will be a fantastic and free event! The keynote speaker is Van Jones (http://vanjones.net/about-van/), and the emcee is Magdaleno Rose-Avila. The theme of this year’s celebration is “Know Your Rights, Raise Your Voice”. Space is limited, RSVP to Felicia at felicia.yearwood@seattle.govSpread the news and invite your friends!

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Dec. 4 – Amnesty International Monthly Meeting – Regional Report Back, Dec. Events!

Join us for our monthly meeting on Tuesday, December 4, from 6:30 – 8:30 pm in the den at the Mosaic Coffee House, 4401 2nd Ave NE. First half hour is letter writing and socializing. Meeting starts at 7 pm.

We’ll have report backs from members who attended AIUSA’s Western Regional Conference in San Francisco in November and updates on December events including:

Sun. Dec. 9, 2-4 pm at the  Chaco Canyon Cafe in the U District – our annual write-a-thon. Join us  to Write #4Rights around the world. See previous post for event details: https://amnestyseattle.org/?p=646 and http://www.amnestyusa.org/writeathon for specifics on cases.

Thurs. Dec. 16, 6:30 – 8 pm – We are co-sponsoring Seattle Human Rights Day at the Seattle City Hall. Keynote speaker – Van Jones, New York Times best selling author, Green Jobs adviser to President Obama, founder of Color of Change. Emcee – Magdeleno Rose-Avila, Director Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs. RSVP:  Felicia.Yearwood@seattle.gov Flyer at: http://www.seattle.gov/humanrights/documents/SeattleHumanRightsDay121312.pdf

Sun. Dec. 16, 10 am – 1 pm, Theatrical Protest for Pussy Riot at the Lenin Statue in Fremont, 600 N 36th St., Seattle. Post coming soon here, for details see Facebook event: http://www.facebook.com/events/262881753837663/

The Mosaic Coffee House is a nonprofit coffee house located in Seattle First Church (behind the Dick’s Drive In on 45th Street in the Wallingford Neighborhood). Check for directions, free parking and bus line information at:http://www.mosaiccoffeehouse.org/directions.htm

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Dec. 9 – Amnesty International Write for Rights at Chaco Canyon Cafe

Join our annual write-a-thon on Sunday, December 9, 2012 from 2 – 4 pm at the Chaco Canyon Cafe in the University District  (4757 12th Ave NE – corner of 5oth & 12th) as part of Amnesty International’s global Write #4 Rights campaign!

2011 Amnesty International Write-a-thon at Chaco Canyon Cafe

2011 Amnesty International Write-a-thon at Chaco Canyon Cafe

Write for freedom and justice of individuals around the world. This year’s cases include Nabeel Rajab imprisoned for organizing protests in Bahrain; 3 members of the Russian punk collective Pussy Riot convicted of hooliganism for a protest song; justice for Noxolo Nogwaza, who was raped and killed probably for being a lesbian in South Africa; Monica Roa, threatened for advocating for South African women’s access to safe and legal abortion; Reggie Clemons on death row in Missouri; The Committee of Relatives of the Detained and Disappeared in Honduras threatened for their work in Honduras;  human rights lawyer Gao Zhisheng, “disappeared” in China; Girifna, a Sudanese youth group calling for non-violent resistance to the government; Hussain Salem Mohammed Almerfedi detained at Guantanamo without charge since 2003; and the people of Bodo in the Nigerian Delta, devastated when a Shell Oil pipeline spilled thousands of barrels into their local creek.

For more information on the write-a-thon including current cases and past successes see:

http://www.amnestyusa.org/writeathon

Facebook event page: http://www.facebook.com/events/141140866035029/

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No November Amnesty International Meeting – Vote & See Us in December!

Due to our regular meeting night, Tuesday, November 6, being on election day, we will have no Amnesty International Group 4 meeting this month. No known AI events in November yet (other than the Western Regional Conference on Sat. Nov. 10 in San Francisco).

So join us for our next meeting on Tuesday, December 4, 6:30 pm at the Mosaic Coffee House.

*UPDATE:   Other events in December will include Human Rights Day events, including our annual Write for Rights Global Write-a-thon event that we are in the process of planning, and also poetry reading with Poets West on behalf of freeing members of the Russian punk group Pussy Riot.

Also, Eugene Martin of the United Nations Association, Seattle Chapter, will be our guest speaker at our January, not December meeting.

More details on all events as we get closer.

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Oct. 13 – Washington Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty Annual Summit

Join Amnesty International and our other allies this Saturday, October 13, 1 – 4 pm for the Washington Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty’s Annual Summit at St. Margaret’s Episcopal Church, 4228 Factoria Blvd SE, Bellevue, WA.

Come for updates on WCADP’s participation in the Safe & Just Alternatives Campaign, the WCADP Annual Meeting with Board elections, and a keynote address from Frank Thompson, former Superintendent of Oregon State Penitentiary, and Ron Steiner, Chair of Oregonians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty.

Facebook event at: https://www.facebook.com/events/205772346221020/

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Oct. 2 – Amnesty International Monthly Meeting

Join us for our monthly meeting on Tuesday, October 2, from 6:30 – 8:30 pm in the den at the Mosaic Coffee House, 4401 2nd Ave NE. First half hour is letter writing and socializing. Meeting starts at 7 pm.

Topics & updates likely to included: working to free members of the Russian band Pussy Riot; work to abolish the death penalty including the 1 year anniversary of Troy Davis’ death, Reggie Clemons’ hearing and other cases, and the upcoming Washington Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty meeting on October 13; and women’s human rights including work to pass the Senate version of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) including protections for Native American & Alaska Native women, immigrant women and LGBT survivors; and Guantanamo updates including the death of  Adnan Farhan Abdul Latif and transfer of  Omar Khadr to Canada.

See Fall Core Action Guide for further ideas:

https://amnestyseattle.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/AmnestyCoreAction_Fall2012_FINAL.pdf

See also still to relevant op-ed on torture by AI Washington State Area Coordinator Larry Ebersole from the June 20 edition of Real Change:

http://realchangenews.org/index.php/site/printer-friendly/6669

The Mosaic Coffee House is a nonprofit coffee house located in Seattle First Church (behind the Dick’s Drive In on 45th Street in the Wallingford Neighborhood). Check for directions, free parking and bus line information at:http://www.mosaiccoffeehouse.org/directions.htm

 

Facebook event: https://www.facebook.com/events/403939749672128/

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