Amnesty International, Eastern PA

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

The Chester County Amnesty International group continues its search for a summertime meeting place, during our sabbatical from Saxby’s. The July meeting will be held at the Magnolia Grill at the Chester County Books and Music Co., Route 202 and Paoli Pike, West Chester.

Also, the July meeting will feature a guest speaker. From coordinator Jeff Singleton:

“Continuing our summer emphasis on human rights and China/Olympics, we welcome special guest Cindy Wang to our July meeting. Cindy will speak to us about human rights issues in China, and particularly about the persecution of practitioners of Falun Gong. According to a US Department of State report, Falun Gong comprise 66% of all reported torture cases in China, and at least half of the labor camp population.

Cindy Wang is a member of Amnesty Group 112 in Philadelphia and a 10-year Falun Gong practitioner. Since the persecution of Falun Gong started in China in 1999, Cindy has worked to raise awareness of the persecution by organizing events, visiting congressional offices, and serving as media spokesperson in Philadelphia. Cindy is also the Pennsylvania & Delaware Coordinator for Human Rights Torch Relay, the global grassroots campaign to draw attention to human rights issues in China before the Olympics.”

Come join us for Amnesty International Chester County’s next meeting!

Amnesty International New Member Night & Darfur Information Session
Wednesday, April 16 at 7:30pm
NEW LOCATION!
Saxby’s Coffee
60 Lancaster Ave., Malvern PA
610-812-6640

Our April meeting will be dedicated to welcoming new members and honoring our returning veteran members, and will also focus on the human rights crisis in Darfur.

In our next meeting we’ll…

• welcome new members and present them with their fabulous “welcome premiums”
• enjoy an Amnesty International fashion show by America’s Next Flop Model Jeff Singleton
• taste complimentary Saxby’s coffee and desserts
• begin planning for spring and summer tabling events
• discuss recruiting strategies
• see brief video presentation of Darfur atrocities and testimonies from Darfur survivors produced by SaveDarfur.org
• hear a brief summary of Amnesty International’s new report on the displaced people of Darfur
• sign a petition to Secretary of State Rice concerning delays in deployment of peacekeeping forces in Darfur
• send letters that press some of the most powerful companies in the world, 10 of the top investors in Sudan’s oil industry, to use their influence to help end the human rights catastrophe in Darfur
• send letters to our Senators and Congressmen urging them to co-sponsor important resolutions to protect civilians in Chad and the Central African Republic

Hope to see you there!

I would like to belatedly draw attention to the good work of Fiona Allison, a member of Amnesty International Group 342 (West Chester/Chester County). Her opinion letter regarding the President’s veto of the Intelligence Authorization Bill appeared in The Kennett Paper on March 12. The letter is reproduced below. Thank you, Fiona, for spotlighting this decision.

Bush should not have vetoed ban on waterboarding
The Kennett Paper
Wednesday, March 12, 2008

Recently, the U.S. House and Senate rejected the use of torture – a tactic rubber-stamped by high-ranking Bush administration officials - by passing the Intelligence Authorization Bill. The bill includes an important stipulation in the conference report that limits interrogators to the techniques permitted by the U.S. Army Field Manual. This would prevent the CIA and other U.S. agents from using waterboarding, sexual humiliation, dogs and other techniques that amount to torture and ill treatment. But President Bush vetoed the Intelligence Authorization Bill. Here’s one more mark on his administration’s shameful human rights record in the war on terror. Is the president confused? To affirm the ban on torture and prosecute U.S. agents responsible for its use is not surrendering to terrorists. But we can be certain that anything less than denouncing torture and cruel treatment is surrendering American values. The world needs to know that his veto does not represent my views on torture. Americans must send a clear, resounding message to this president and the next - do not torture in our name.

Fiona M. Allison
Pennsbury Township

Posted on The Kennett Paper website

Wednesday, October 24, 2007
7:30 pm

First Presbyterian Church
Miner and Darlington Streets, West Chester

This is not an Amnesty International event, but may be of interest to AI members.

West Chester group member Marlou encourages everyone to go see the film, “Ghosts of Abu Ghraib.” For more information about the film, please see the HBO Documentary website.

Acclaimed filmmaker Rory Kennedy investigates the psychological and political context surrounding the torture that occurred at Abu Ghraib through interviews with both Iraqi victims and the guards directly involved in the torture at the prison. Through these interviews, the film traces the events and the political and legal precedents that led to the scandal, beginning with the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon on Sep. 11, 2001. “How could ordinary American soldiers come to engage in such monstrous acts?” Kennedy asks. “What policies were put into place that allowed this behavior to flourish while protections granted to prisoners under the Geneva Conventions were ignored?”

Presented by the Chester County Religious Campaign Against Torture.

1. Review of minutes form last meeting:
• These have been approved.
2. Good News
• Governor Perry of Texas has granted a commuted sentence to Kenneth Foster. He no longer is on death row.
3. Actions
• To His Excellency Abdeloziz Bouteflika of Algeria in support of Salah Saker. He was part of an Islamic front and was arrested without a warrant and knowledge of his whereabouts has been kept from his family since that time.
• To President Susilo Bambang Yudhyono of Indonesia in support of Filep Karma and Yusack Pakage. They were arrested for raising the flag of Papaun independence during a rally and have been detained since that time.
• To Ayatollah Mahomoud Hasemi Sharoudi the minister of Justice of Iran in support of Kain Tajbakhsh and Ali Shakeri who were two peace activists arrested for “spying” in May of 2007. They have been held since that time.
• To Governor Bob Riley of Alabama in support of Tommy Arthur who is on death row. Alabama is the only State that does not provide an attorney for Death Row inmates.
4. Old Business
• Group 342 Regime Change - Jeff Singleton will take over as coordinator for group #342. April Zappaterrini will move on to become the Area Coordinator. She will still try to be involved on a lesser level with our local chapter. We wish her luck in her new role.
• Tabling - We tabled at the following events:
  • Swingin’ Summer Thursday in West Chester 9/6
  • Tredyffrin Community Day 9/15

  These went well, although we have had more success at events where people are predisposed to have views that fit AI’s mission (gay pride event, Peace Event)

• Discussed maybe having something at Downingtown Friends Meeting Fall Festival
5. New Business
• Magdalena Garcia Duran case file – Barbara Quintiliano has agreed to follow this for our chapter.
• Treasurer Duties - It was agreed that Tilo Stahl would take over these duties. Jeff Singleton will be a secondary signatory agent on the account.
• “Action Committee” Stationery - Everyone liked the stationery with the AI logo that Jeff Singleton had drawn up.
• Suggestions for Upcoming Meetings - Discussed the potential of changing venues for our meeting. Jeff Singlton agreed to contact Danielle at Sprazzo’s in West Chester about possibly using their second floor room on a regular basis.
6. Events
• Mid Atlantic Regional Conference Nov 16-18 in Baltimore
• “Ghosts of Abu Ghraib”- film Wednesday October 24, 2007, 7:30 PM, First Presbyterian Church, Minor and Darlington Streets in West Chester.

Our next meeting will be Wednesday October 17, 2007 at 7:30 PM at West Chester Friends Meeting.