Thursday, July 7th – Saturday, July 16th: Volunteer for the ACLU of Pennsylvania’s Immigrants’ Rights Project. The ACLU of PA is looking for volunteers to take data for a research study to be conducted outside of Hazleton, the town that attempted to pass an anti-immigrant ordinance that was struck down in the 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals. Volunteers will take data about drivers travelling on Route 93, the road that connects Hazleton to Jim Thorpe, between July 8th and July 16th. If you’d like to help please send an email with your name and phone number to Emma Cleveland at ecleveland@aclupa.org as soon as possible.

• Bleziri Camille Krouba presented a great talk on politics, civil war, and human rights violation in the Ivory Coast.
• Ron Noble talked on our lobbying-discussion with Jim Fitzpatrick from Senator Toomey’s office which occurred on June 1.
• On-going planning for lobbying staff members of Mayor Nutter on the PARS-ICE contract. Still no response from Mayor Nutter.
• International Justice Day was discussed. See below. This looks like an opportunity to meet with people working with Human Rights Watch, the National Lawyers Guild and other organizations. There will be panel discussions on various topics.
• Letters to Gambia, India, Iraq and Mexico were sent.

NOTE; THERE WILL NOT BE A JULY MEETING, DUE TO THE INTERNATIONAL JUSTICE DAY CELEBRATION on July 17. NEXT MEETING: AUGUST 25

Observing International Day in Support
Of Victims of Torture—June 26

Sign in, Introductions, Pass-the-hat for the facility
Successes! There are quite a number!
Letter to Sec. Clinton: detention of opposition figures—Bahrain
Letter on persecution of Ugandan gays
Discussion of cc’ing U.S. ambassadors to target countries
Phone call to Charlie Dent—express disappointment with vote on HR 894—maternal mortality
“Airplane petition” and online action on behalf of Meher Arar (Canadian citizen who was rendered by U.S. authorities, as he passed thru JFK airport, to Syria—to be tortured
Guantanamo letter—can someone help out? Let me know.
Discussion of potential website for both LV AI Groups

Upcoming Events

June 28-July 2—National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty Fast and Vigil. U.S. Supreme Court steps

July1—“Budrus” –Documentary film on non-violent protests by Palestinians against Israel’s Separation Wall, which was to slice through the middle of the town of Budrus. (2009) at the LEPOCO Peace Center, south Bethlehem. 7PM. Bring a snack to share.

July 25—Bimonthly meeting of AI Group 347 (Bethlehem), 7-9 PM, Central Moravian Church, Christian Education Bldg. We’ll contribute our letter writing at the meeting to the rest of Pennsylvania’s for the 1st Annual PA Write-a-thon, featuring at least two PA human rights cases, as well as more action on Siti Rupa, Indonesian national facing the death penalty in Saudi Arabia.

August 21—Lehigh Valley Pride in the Park Festival 2011, Cedar Beach Park, Allentown (can we get some folks to table for AI there?)

August 22—Bimonthly meeting of Group #531 (Allentown), 7-9 PM, Hope Church UCC.

Amnesty International Philadelphia would like to kick off the summer by hosting our first night of networking and activism with fellow AIUSA activists. The work that all of Philadelphia’s student and local groups have done on various Amnesty campaigns is amazing. Moving forward, we would like to build an activist network where not only do we connect with ourselves and other AIUSA members, but also other organizations fighting for similar causes. So come meet us for coffee on May 4th at 7pm at Good Karma Cafe, 928 Pine Street, Philadelphia. Bring your friends, family, and people you meet. We will be using this time to write letters on important cases, talk about the future of Amnesty in Philly since this is all of our network, and most importantly sign petitions for Troy Davis whose appeal was denied and execution could be very soon. We hope this meeting will be the first of many and that we can grow our activist network into something visible, helpful, and accessible to all.

As always thank you for your continued support and hard work. We hope to see you May 4th at 7pm at Good Karma Cafe.

Introduction and Changes in Agenda
5 Minutes

Report from members who attended the Annual General Meeting of Amnesty International in San Francisco last week
30-40 minutes

Report on Amnesty International’s global effort to end violence against women and girls. Sign petitions to Senator Casey and Toomey
20 minutes

Report on planned lobbying to support bills now in Senate committees (S 1550 and S 1548 “Protect Citizens and Residents From Unlawful Detention” and “Minimal Enforceable Standards for the Treatment of Immigrants in Detention” a date to meet with Senator Casey’s and Toomey’s staff will be set up for the first or second week in April. Volunteers will receive a copy of the “bills”. There will be an orientation meeting.
10 minutes

Announcement: April 8 Amnesty’s “Get On the Bus to New York City”. Join 1,000 AI activists for a day of human rights education and activism, marches and vigils. If desired, our chapter will pay the Megabus fare.
5 minutes

Letters protesting human rights violations will be signed.
30 minutes

Talk-Discussion
A United Nations – funded Study of Human Rights in the United States: – Ezgi Taboglu and some law students, from the Transnational Legal Clinic at the University of Pennsylvania Law School.<

Previous events
The “Wine and Cheese Party” held in December in conjunction with the Amnesty International Global Write-A-Thon.

On-going program
Human rights of detained immigrants. Leaflet distribution day next April. – 5 minutes

Announcements

There are travel grants available for our members to attend the National AI Meeting in San Francisco the week end of March 18.
The GO-BUS Amnesty International Rally in Washington DC, in May.

Treasurer’s Report

Letters protesting human rights violations:
Letters regarding our Prisoners of Conscience: The Women of Tenaco in Mexico, and Chekib El-Khiari from Morocco; and other letters. – 30 minutes