Amnesty International USA Group 4 of Seattle

Join us for our monthly meeting on Tuesday, May 7, 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.

Actions and upcoming events in May include closing Guantanamo, drones and conscientious objectors.

There may be a tipping point on Guantanamo, so the first two links are urgent!

http://blog.amnestyusa.org/middle-east/the-courage-of-youth-israeli-conscientious-objectors/

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

Join us for our monthly meeting on Tuesday, April 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.

AGENDA:

LETTERS ON BEHALF OF INDIVIDUALS/COMMUNITIES AT RISK, AND LEGISLATIVE LOBBY LETTERS
-Includes two letters for conscientious objectors (Kimberly Rivera- USA; Nathan Blanc- Israel)
– Includes latest petition from Women’s Program to Secretary State Kerry, regarding advancing reproductive human rights (at the U.N. Conference on Population and Development);

INTRODUCE YOURSELF: You could do so by responding to the Question “What human rights topic/situation is of most concern to you now” or “What events are REALLY getting your attention, that seem hopeful about worthy changes?;”

REVIEW OF MOST RECENT MONTH’S ADVOCACY, EDUCATIONAL EVENTS:
-March 8: International Women’s Day – “Women of Sand” (See, E-Action version of petition:
http://takeaction.amnestyusa.org/siteapps/advocacy/ActionItem.aspx?c=6oJCLQPAJiJUG&b=6645049&aid=519439 >;
-WA Legislature: “Dreamer” Legislation is moving ahead. The Dream Act related Bill[s], WA Legislature, passed in the House, but are now in the Senate (see, Saturday’s, 3/30/2013 “Seattle Times” for a blurb about it);there are obstacles in the Senate;
“DP repeal legislation has gone educational not legislative, for this year/try again next year/as always”;
-U.N. Arms Trade Treaty Conference: (see, proposed Treaty in Resources Below), which so far will not include military drones, or grenades;
-AIUSA Working Group Updates IOPTPA[Israel/Occupied Palestinian Territories/Palestine Authority]: Gaza – Education as Human Right;
-AIUSA Annual General Meeting in DC: Anyone here attend? Please do share ideas and impressions gleaned from the Conference;

APRIL: April 14th: AIPS Executive Board Elections – Please participate – can phone participate, too;
IDEAS OR PLANS FOR EDUCATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS EVENTS? Larry suggests working with Philippine Solidarity Group of Seattle – he will invite a spokesperson to present their work to us soon; Larry suggests, possibly doing!!, an educational event on behalf of IOPTPA ,TBA;

April 26Th: Northwest Immigrant Rights Project hosts THE ANNUAL fancy get-together/The cluster (AIPS) has six tickets in order to attend – [Contact, LauraN;]

Lobby Delegation will visit Local Staff/Congress and U.S. Senate, later in April/early May; TBA.

MAY: *Military Drone Event, TBA*; *May 15* is International Conscientious Objectors’ Day (see Letters, for two who can use appeal letters now/no need to wait);

OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS: Please Do!
Resources:
http://www.un.org/disarmament/ATT/docs/Draft_ATT_text_27_Mar_2013-E.pdf

http://us2.campaign-archive1.com/?u=dc0e5c54b3684d2b83785f42a&id=9e974391ff&e=1d510f9a70

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

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

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

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/

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

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.