Amnesty International, Eastern PA

Agenda - Thursday November 19th
Amnesty International Philadelphia Chapter Meeting
7:00 pm at the Ethical Society, 1906 S. Rittenhouse Square

• A speaker from the ACLU – detention of illegal immigrants
• Reports about last month’s events:
• The Friday noon Human Rights Luncheon on October 23rd featuring Gladys Monterroso from Guatemala
• Lobbying Senator Casey on November 19 on closing the Guantánamo Bay detention center; ratifying the international women’s human rights treaty; and human rights of immigrant detainees
• Report on the Mid-Atlantic Regional Conference
• Planning for the Global Write-a-thon:
• We will participate during our December 17th meeting
• Ellal Aklilu will attend to talk on an Ethiopian prisoner of conscience, Birtukan Mideksa
• Write letters regarding human rights violations in Mexico; also some Amnesty International Urgent Action letters

Email Philadelphia Group 112: rfcoburn [at] mail.med.upenn.edu

Group #531(Allentown, PA) met on Oct. 27 with five people in attendance, including one new member. The group reported sending 14 letters in the last two months, not including those of our two, most prolific, letter writers who were unable to attend.

After sharing some of the successes of AIUSA in the last two months, we discussed our upcoming fund-raiser wrapping gifts at Barnes and Noble with Group #347. We also discussed the Global Write-a-thon; it is our understanding that the new Muhlenberg College AI group will be hosting an event for the area.

We each sent letters to the President and our members of Congress reiterating the country’s need for an independant, impartial investigation into the abuses committed by the past administration in its “war on terror.” Finally, we went over the priority campaigns suggested by AIUSA for the coming year.

Email Allentown Group 531: djlaxar [at] gmail.com

Minutes from Amnesty International Group 112 Meeting, October 22 at Philadelphia Ethical Society

Report on last month’s events

The event “Dancing To the Edge of Darfur: Expression, Awareness Impact” at the Prince Theater last Saturday evening was discussed. This event which was well attended highlighted the work of Global Grassroots in Sudan and Rwanda. This was organized by the Rebecca Davis Dance Company. Bob Page and Ron Coburn showed an exhibit that highlights our activities.

Report on planned events

1. The Friday Noon Human Rights Luncheon, sponsored by our group was discussed. This event will take place at the Ethical Society 12 to 2PM. We are bringing Gladys Monterroso here to speak on violence, impunity and immigration reform. Ms Monterroso a Guatemalan human rights activist and torture survivor is on a US tour sponsored by the Guatemalan Human Rights Commission. This invite only luncheon is oversubscribed.

2 . Lobbying with other Amnesty International people. This will occur on November 11, 12 or 13 and we wlll lobby our senators on death penalty and immigration detention. This is an opportunity to learn how to effectively lobby. I am planning on leading a lobbying group and will distribute information. We need volunteers to participate.

3. Tabling at the Clark Parks market, perhaps late in November or early December. We have obtained permission to do this from the Farmers Coop. I need one volunteer to help with this.

Report: Key findings of Amnesty International’s report on immigration detention were summarized by David Loeb.

Treasury Report (not given at the meeting). $38 was deposited into the account giving a balance of $524.68.

18 letters were written and sent regarding human rights violations in the Dominican Republic and in Darfur.

Contributions totally $18 are noted.

NOTE: OUR NOVEMBER MEETING IS SCHEDULED FOR THE THIRD THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 19TH AT 7PM AT THE ETHICAL SOCIETY, RATHER THAN THE FOURTH THURSDAY (WHICH IS THANKSGIVING).

Submitted by Ronald Coburn, Coordinator

Email Philadelphia Group 112: rfcoburn [at] mail.med.upenn.edu

“Torturing Democracy”, a documentary on U.S. interrogations in the war on terror, will be shown at 7 p.m., September 30 at Central Moravian Church’s Christian Education Building in downtown Bethlehem. This evening of film and discussion is sponsored by Amnesty International Group 347 of Bethlehem.

Dr. Christian Rice, visiting assistant professor of Philosophy and Religion at Ursinus College, will moderate the discussion following the showing.

The 90-minute documentary examines how coercive interrogation methods were used by the CIA and then adopted for military interrogations at Guantanamo Bay and in Iraq. Amnesty International USA is sponsoring showings of the film across the country as part of its “Counter Terror with Justice Campaign”, to help stop the use of torture in American’s fight against terrorism. Amnesty International is calling for an independent commission of inquiry to investigate the use of torture in America’s “war on terror” and for those responsible to be held accountable.

This documentary is particularly relevant since in late August US Attorney General Eric Holder opened a “preliminary review” of whether CIA operatives broke the law in their use of coercion when interrogating suspected terrorists after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks. Bill Moyers of the Bill Moyers Journal says, “You’ll see and hear some things hard to bear but you’ll also meet some government insiders who refused to go along, who stood up and said, ‘This is wrong.’”

A discussion of the pros and cons of calling for an investigative commission will follow the film. “We are very pleased to share this film with the Moravian community and to have Dr. Rice guide the follow-up discussion,” says Karen Berry of the Amnesty group which has been meeting at Central Moravian since 1998.

Refreshments will be served. The Christian Education Building is on the Church campus between Church, Market and New streets. Access to the building is from New Street, a half block north of the Bethlehem Library, on the left. Call 610-866-2655 for more information. All are welcome.

Email Bethlehem Group 347: norberry [at] fast.net

MINUTES GROUP 112 MEETING AUGUST 27, 2009

Nine people attended this meeting. One person was a first time attender who requested being put on the ListServe.

Tina Jia and Jason Wang talked on religious persecution of members of Falun Gong in China. Jason told of being imprisoned and tortured after he refused to give up Falun Gong. Tina movingly talked about her mother who was sent to a labor camp for an eighteen month term because of her belief in Falun Gong. In addition, her aunt, cousin and brother-in-law are also in custody. Tina’s talk related to the organ harvesting issue in that she described how inmates had blood drawn and how some inmates just disappeared. Many thanks to Cindy Wang who served as moderator and translator.

Letters were sent: protesting detention of immigrants in the US; an Amnesty International URGENT ACTION letter protesting an arrest of a human rights worker in China; letters protesting religious persecution of Falun Gong practitioners in China; letters protesting abuse of human rights in Mexico.

Because of lack of time the Coordinators report was not given. So I will outline the contents of this report.

1. At our retreat honoring Mark last summer, many suggestions were made about programs of Group 112. One was that we should present instruction on letter writing. I xeroxed such a document and will distribute it at the next meeting. It’s content will be discussed at that time.

2. The first Friday Noon Human Rights Discussion is organized for October 23 at the Ethical Society 12:00 noon to 2PM. The speaker is Gladys Monterroso from Guatemala. She is on a speaker tour organized by the Guatemala Human Rights Commission/USA. You can learn all about her at www.latinamericahaiti.com. This will be a light lunch (provided by us, but we will ask for donations) attended by about 15 invited people. Since this talk will stress human rights, Latin America and immigration we need a list of people to invite interested in these areas. So, I am requesting help in developing this list. E-mail me your suggestions, please. Or course all of our members will be invited. We write letters but rarely can see that there are real people out there suffering violations of their human rights. We hope that this event will be as good as our discussion with Tina and Jason where we could sense their desperation and how important our letter writing can be for individual people.

3. Construction of our web site is on hold.

4. Tabling? At our retreat it was emphasized that we must continue Tabling, as an educational and fund raising event. I am working on obtaining permission for us to have an AI table at some of the
Rittenhouse Square events, such as their market, art fair. Other suggestions for Tabling?

5. Our bank account. I suggest that we should require two signatures for each check. Is it OK to ask Dorothee and myself to be signees?

Next meeting: September 24.

Submitted by Ron Coburn

Email Philadelphia Group 112: rfcoburn [at] mail.med.upenn.edu

Group #531 (Allentown) met on Tuesday, Aug. 25, with five members attending. Those present reported sending more than 60 letters in the past two months, on behalf of human rights victims and in support of advancing AI’s human rights goals.

Group Coordinator Dan Laxar reported that the treasury is healthy, but we need to plan for funding for future expenses and to support AIUSA, particularly since our most lucrative fundraiser, the annual Dorney Park “Trick-or-Treat Trial” will not take place this year. In the near term, we agreed to make a big push, with Group #347 (Bethlehem, PA), on our annual holiday gift-wrapping at Barnes and Noble in December.

Dan shared AI successes since our June meeting. We agreed to send individual letters to the DRC and Colombia in support of human rights defenders who are endangered in those two countries. We will also be sending individual letters to Sri Lanka on behalf of five medical doctors who were detained as they left the “no fire zone” at the end of the hostilities there. The doctors had been providing the only medical care available there, and in view of their protracted detention, so far without charge, we will convey AI’s concern for their well-being.

Karen reminded the group of the upcoming screening of “Torturing Democracy,” to be followed by a discussion of the film and the pros and cons of an independant investigation of torture under the last U.S. administration. The discussion will be moderated by a Dr. Christian Rice, professor of Philosophy and Religion at Ursinus College. The event will take place on Sept. 30, at 7 PM, in the Christian Education Bldg. of Central Moravian Church, Bethlehem, PA.

Email Allentown Group 531: djlaxar [at] gmail.com

Join us at NoChe, 1901 Chestnut Street in Philadelphia for human rights happy hour! Friday July 31 7:30-9:30 pm.

Wristbands will be available for a donation of $3 or more, and may be used for these specials: $5 Bud Light Pitchers, $2 Bud Light Drafts, $4 Well Drinks, $4 Finlandia Drinks, $5 House Wines, $4 Nachos and 1/2 Price Pizzas.

100% of wristband proceeds will go to Amnesty International USA. Become a member of AIUSA and receive a wristband free.

Information about Amnesty International will be available, as well as petitions for current human rights cases.

Group #531 (Allentown) met on June 23, with five members in attendance. Those present reported sending 34 letters in support of human rights during the last two months.

Dan gave the treasurer’s report and noted that the Friendly’s Family Fun Night fundraiser netted more than $55 for the group’s treasury.

Dan had received a copy of the 2009 AI Annual Report from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Office, and Florence Applebaum volunteered to present it to the Allentown Public Library for their reference section.

Tony Marino had letters addressed to the government of Iran expressing concern for human rights violations following the recent elections there, and letters to Sec. Clinton concerning the our government’s delivery of weapons to the U.S. stockpile in Israel, weapons which, in the past, have been released to the Israeli government. The letter noted that, there having been some evidence of human rights violations committed during the hostilities in Gaza, the release of these weapons to Israel would violate the Leahy law. The members present at the meeting will send these individually.

Dan had letters for the group to the government of China in regard to a married couple who have been detained there, apparently for being Falon Gong practitioners. He also had letters to the government of Vietnam which has arrested a lawyer who had questioned the constitutionality of Vietnam’s “state subversion” law. The lawyer had also apparently been targeted for his defense, in the course of his legal profession, of other lawyers who had been arrested under the same law. The group members will also send these letters individually.

Our next meeting will be on August 25. Please join us if you can. Dan Laxar, Coordinator, Group #531

Email Allentown Group 531: djlaxar [at] gmail.com

Amnesty International supporters in Bethlehem held a vigil on May 15 in support of Troy Davis. Thanks to Dan Laxar, Allentown group coordinator and PA legislative coordinator, for sending these pictures.

Email Allentown Group 531: djlaxar [at] gmail.com
Email Bethlehem Group 347: norberry [at] fast.net

May Meeting Special Event: Case File Manager introduces/reviews Jessica Garcia dossier

Monthly Meeting Activities Include:

Updates/Reports by…
Human-Rights-in-the-News Archivist
Death Penalty Specialist
Liaison to National Religious Campaign Against Torture
High School & University AI Groups
Amnesty Area Coordinator

Monthly “Actions”
Letters and petitions on behalf of prisoners of conscience

Other Activities Include:

Quarterly Film Night Events
Tabling/Public Speaking Opportunities

DIRECTIONS:
Magnolia Grill
[in the Chester County Book and Music Company]
The Chester County Book & Music Company is located at the intersection of Route 202 and Paoli Pike in the West Goshen Center, West Chester PA. Exit at the Paoli Pike ramp from Route 202, and you will find the West Goshen Center directly to the right of the exit ramp. For point-to-point directions, refer to that specific feature at Mapquest.com.

DATE & TIME
Third Wednesday each month
7:30 - 8:45 PM

Email Chester County Group 342: jeffrey.singleton [at] comcast.net