[OPIRG-EVENTS] Minutes of Iraq Antiwar Action Committee meeting of 20 Nov.

["Jo Wood" <jwood@ccs.carleton.ca>]

Minutes from the ottawa iraq antiwar action committee meeting, 20 november
Mary Foster

Next meeting is next Wednesday, 27 November, 7:00 P.M. at Café Alternatife
in the sub-basement of Simard Hall, U. of Ottawa.

 (Committee is being renamed as the Committee for Peace in Iraq (CPI).  See
item 3. below.)

1. FEEDBACK ON RALLY. -in general, great: diverse, good spirit, good
coalition, etc -media not good -programme was too long (esp in the
blizzard), should be more engaging and participatory (inspiring rather than
informative speakers, fewer, and more music, theatre, cheers) -march should
have been on the street -end of march needed closure -need contingency plans
for how to deal with blizzards which necessitate cutting programme
short -websites should have been on banners -megaphones could be used for
the raging grannies

2. NOWAR AND IRAQ GROUP. it was proposed that the iraq group be a subgroup
of nowar; alternately, that the iraq group remain distinct but affiliated.
no conclusion yet, but the following points more or less agreed on:
obviously beneficial to have nowar infrastructural support (bank account,
website, platform); decision-making is not clear as things stand, because
there is something of a coalition nature to the iraq group - ie does every
decision have to be passed by all the groups involved, or is it just the
people who turn up for meetings and who are doing the work who do?; the Iraq
group should build up NOWAR (and all other groups it is working with).

3. EMAIL lists. A new "org" list will be established for planning
discussions; people who just want info will be asked to subscribe to the
NOWAR list. Jo will send email to that effect to all on current Iraq list.
It will be suggested that Iraq related postings to the NOWAR list have
(Iraq) in teh subject line. The trailer in the NOWAR list will mention the
org list (and vice versa).  With this in mind, we decided to change our
long, unremembered name (Ottawa Iraq Antiwar Action Committee) to something
shorter and easier to abbreviate, so we are now the Committee for Peace in
Iraq (CPI).

4. FINANCES. The Iraq group has about 1300.00 (plus another approx. $340 in
unsold CDs) and owes about 200 for postering. Also some receipts for rally
expenses yet to be covered (should be given to Stuart). The sound person is
owed about 100; we can either contribute that, or take OPIRG up on its offer
to cover up to 200 for sound.

5. BRAINSTORMING NEXT STEPS.

-Roundtable on strategy/campaign. (Len will take this on)
-Party and/or potluck.
-postering campaign picked up again.
-stickers, buttons (Jo and Angie were taking this up; Brian Edgecombe has
button-making machine)
-follow up letter to Chretien re the rally, with sign on from rally
endorsers (Bahija will draft, Angie will provide comments)
-possible cross-Canada anti-war "open letter" to chretien from all the
groups who organised the rallies (mary will ask canesi whether they'd be
interested)
- published in local media (english and french).
- -access to information to procure the media plan around the war (mary will
ask richard sanders to look into)
- -ask our endorsers to sponsor people who want to go to iraq with Iraq
Peace Team
- -follow up our endorsres to ask them to do specific task
- -continue community outreach campaign
- - video showings and possibly prepare action kits, to encourage local
community groups to form (ie new people, as yet uninvolved), to carry out
public/self-education, MP visits, etc
- -have emergeny (swat team!) ready for opportunities such as Powell's visit
- -follow up with people who signed on, asking them to do specific tasks
-  -follow up with david langille on weapons inspection action and whether
it is taking place
- -18 JANUARY - have to start moving on this right away -further develop
plan for start of invasion (see separate email for sketched plans)
- -comprehensive four page flyer (Darren will work on this; Jo and Mary will
send him what we already have)
- -rather than asking government to listen to us, ask by what authority they
are making their decisions
- -online referendum  6. OTHER.
-  -NPI is planning a social forum in may, and if war is still with us at
that point, the group could have a workshop.
- -Soha will take over checking the Iraq email account as Mary will be away.
- -Soha will also prepare and circulate a proposed agenda for next meeting.
- -Mary will get sign up sheets from rally from Nick, and prepare for Jo;
they will seek follow up help from already people on email list.


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