SNOW  - Sound Nonviolent Opponents of War

General Meeting 10/8/02 MINUTES

NEXT MEETING:  Mon Oct 14, 7 p.m., at University Friends 
Meeting, 4001 9th NE, just north and west of University 
Bridge in Seattle;  planning meeting for SNOW, Sound 
Nonviolent Opponents of War, a new explicitly Nonviolent 
Coalition to Prevent a U.S. War on Iraq;  organizations and 
individuals interested in working with others who commit to 
nonviolence in our actions, including respectful language 
to all, invited to work together; with 18 member 
organizations and growing;  request Points of Agreement 
from Jean bb369@scn.org or 206-860-9649, info F.O.R. 206-
789-5565 (thanks to Ruth Yarrow for arranging the next 
meeting, Howard Gale for this meeting)

Ruth Yarrow, facilitating, Jean Buskin & Shannon Turner-
Covell notetakers

WELCOME - we warmed up with a chant "beat back the Bush 
attack" and a song;  thanks, Mike Yarrow

INTRODUCTIONS We introduced ourselves in pairs with someone 
we don't know well, and then a quick name, where from in 
big group

LIST SERV - some people think all the discussion and lack 
of any kind of censorship are great, others overwhelmed.  
Suggestion was made to have 2 lists, one for event 
announcements only.  We will ask Tom Shea how easy this 
would be.  [note from Jean:  our hardworking list serv 
manager, Tom, said this would be a lot of work.  Meanwhile 
there has been list serv discussion of putting list posts 
on a web site, also of one person maintaining a list to 
email announcements.  To be continued ...].  Subscribe) or 
unsubscribe at http://lists.riseup.net/www/info/snow, send 
messages for the whole list to snow@lists.riseup.net

BRIEF reports - lots of activities, reports short to devote 
more time to planning more!

Federal Building, outside and in.  Presence all day Monday.  
People visiting the Senators' offices note phones ringing 
off the hook.

SNOW giraffes awarded.  Scott Ritter event, giraffe given 
at reception.  Event overflowing and hundreds turned away.  
Carl Meyer and Karisa Louwen to Jim McDermott at town 
meeting.  Lots of support for Jim McD!

Oct 6 rallies and march.  A nice SNOW contingent, John 
Chisholm spoke, nice atmosphere, maybe 8000 people.

Banners and sign held Monday morning, Oct 7.  Susan Gordon 
reported about 8 banner drops and about 8 other locations 
with signs.

Cantwell press conference Monday morning, Oct 7 (on 
extending unemployment benefits), about a dozen people 
stood respectfully with antiwar signs.  Sen. Cantwell spoke 
to group afterwards about 20 minutes.  She said she was 
willing to speak to Scott Ritter, also she was willing to 
have a meeting.  [note from Jean - several of us, Gerri 
Haynes, Jeff Gustafson, and I tried to get Cantwell and 
Ritter connected, but I don't know if it ever happened.]

Yard signs - Marilyn & Morgan Griffin printed 2000 already 
and planning more.  People want them!  Donations encouraged 
for printing more.

Car caravan - thanks to Mike Caldwell & Emmia Caldwell (?) 
& Fred Miller and the other participants, first caravan was 
Monday Oct 7, more planned, improvements have been made for 
durability.

Going to Washington DC this weekend - Alice Woldt and Rich 
Fisher spoke about their plans to travel to DC.  It's not 
clear what will happen there!  Rich offered his hotel room 
as a communication center.

SOME SPECIAL THANKS:  lots more people deserve thanks, this 
is a partial list of people mentioned.  Ruth Yarrow for 
SNOW giraffes and banner!  Mike Yarrow for songs, being 
info contact, and bringing supplies to meetings!  Mike Y 
and Brenda Collier and others for leaflets used at Ritter 
event and Oct 6 rallies!  Shannon Turner-Covell for 
notetaking!  Ellsworth for SNOW armbands!  Mike Caldwell & 
Emmia Caldwell & Fred Miller for car top sign project!  
Everyone who got up early Monday to banner drop and stand 
with signs!  List serv manager Tom Shea!  Phone tree 
manager Nan McMurry!  Banner drop coordinator Susan Gordon!  
Marilyn and Morgan Griffin for yard sign project!  Matt 
Holdreith for Green Lake vigil!  No War in Iraq and NION 
for great event Oct 6!  Susan Sheary for great buttons!  
apologies for incompleteness!

HELP FOR INTERFAITH SERVICE / VIGIL / PROCESSION Oct 9.  
Alice Woldt described needs including peacekeepers, ushers, 
people signed up.  Brenda Collier will revise a SNOW flyer 
and bring.

SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION:  WHAT NEXT?  REPORT BACK to large 
group.  Some were combined, and then we took a tally who 
would work on what.

a. Focus on IMMEDIATE ACTION - before Congressional votes 
on war authorization

POPPIES FOR PEACE - project launched, people bringing 
poppies to Senate offices to represent those to be killed 
in a war [note added later - thanks to Siobhan Ring, Jeff 
Gustafson, Howard Gale, and others who implemented this 
great project which occurred before and after the vote], 
this is combined with FEDERAL BUILDING VIGILS, suggested 
presence in Senators' offices;  vigil during a (hoped for) 
filibuster

THANKS YOUS to Reps. McDermott, Larson, Inslee, Senators 
Kennedy, Byrd, etc. [and now Patty Murray!]

More CAR TOP SIGN Caravans - planned for Thurs and Saturday

PROMOTE WEDS PROCESSION - leaflet, phone, email, etc.;  
post bus information

INVISIBLE THEATRE - carry on conversations about war in 
public places

Distribute YARD SIGNS, including on the East Side

COUNTERACT A CLIMATE OF FEAR with visible continuing 
opposition to war

LETTERS TO EDITORS - Ruth asked who had done this in the 
past week, and about half of us had.  [several have been 
published including Janie Comito and Gerry Condon]  Push 
POLL DATA to the media.  Call Reps. and Senators for TALLY 
OF PHONE CALLS, publicize to media

MEMBER ORGANIZATIONS - mobilize members!

YOUNG PEOPLE'S ARTWORK against war

Make MCDERMOTT FOR SENATE BUTTONS, bring to Senators' 
offices 

TABLING with petitions, "LUCY" from Peanuts cartoon 5 cents 
listening booth

DEMONSTRATIONS every weekend, rotate planning with other 
coalitions

Support people going to DC Oct 12.

b. AFTER THE VOTE - what to do then? (we didn't spend much 
time on this due to concentration on pre-vote activities)
TAKE CARE OF OURSELVES and continue our work!
PRAYER, and prayerful actions with solemnity
CEREMONY OF COMMITMENT to do CD if war
CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE, work with Natl lawyers Guild
SELL A SNOW POSTER - raise awareness, raise money
Appeal to INTERNATIONAL PARTNERS
Caravan to DC or LA with car top signs
CARAVAN TO SF Oct 26
OCT 26 DEMO in Seattle
Work on MEDIA, get peace activism covered
Get on TALK SHOWS
TABLING, DOOR-BELLING
Focus on the COUP
ELECTION ISSUE!  beyond local
FAST FOR PEACE, involve famous people
Create space for real DISCUSSION

CLOSING and continued project planning

ANNOUNCEMENTS (details were emailed to SNOW list later that 
evening)
Weds Oct 9 - Candlelight Procession 1st United Methodist to 
St. Mark's
Thurs Oct 10, 5 p.m. regular Women in Black Peace Vigil at 
Westlake Park
Thurs Oct 10, 4:30 p.m. Car Top Sign Caravan from Northlake 
Transit center
Sat 4 - 5 p.m. regular 911 Peace Coalition at Westlake Park
Sun 2 - 3 p.m. regular Green Lake Peace Vigil, East 
Greenlake Way N & N 63rd

THANKS TO EVERYONE FOR ALL OUR HARD AND CREATIVE WORK

Member organizations as of 10/8/02 (**=new)
American Friends Service Committee, Pacific Northwest
**Buddhist Peace Fellowship Seattle Chapter
Church Council of Greater Seattle
Fellowship of Reconciliation, Seattle Chapter)
Interfaith Network of Concern for the People of Iraq 
(INOC)
**Lutheran Peace Fellowship
No Name Affinity Group (Seattle)
**Nonviolent Peaceforce Seattle Affinity Group
Pax Christi Pacific Northwest
Peace and Justice Resource Center (Seattle)
Peace Studies Working Group at Pacific Lutheran 
University (Tacoma)
People for Peace, Justice, and Healing (Tacoma)
Plymouth Congregational Church - Peace Action Group 
(Seattle)
**Seattle Mennonite Church
**Seattle International Human Rights Coalition
**Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace Leadership Team
University Unitarian Church Peace and Justice 
Committee (Seattle)
Washington Physicians for Social Responsibility
Wizards and Clowns for Peace