[pjw] PJW UPDATE: Summer Quarterly Meeting/Viet Nam Event, Iraq 8/8 event, Hiroshima Day and more

[Peace and Justice Works]

Hi
Many of you will have received the hard copy version of our semi-annual 
newsletter, the PJW UPDATE, in the mail recently. Below is an email 
version for those who prefer having information this way or who are not on 
the snail mail list.
--dan h
peace and justice works

PEACE AND JUSTICE WORKS UPDATE  July 2, 2015


Dear Peace and Justice Works supporters:

PJW SUMMER QUARTERLY MEETING & POTLUCK + PRESENTATION ON VIET NAM
Saturday, July 18, 2015
12:00 noon (potluck);
12:30 PM (meeting); 2:30 Presentation
St. Francis Dining Hall, SE 11th & Pine

Please come to PJW's 23rd summer quarterly meeting on Saturday, July 18 at 
12:00 noon at St. Francis Dining Hall, SE 11th and Pine. We begin with a 
vegetarian potluck (bring vegetarian food and non-alcoholic drink to 
share). The meeting goes from 12:30 to 2:00 PM; it will be followed by the 
presentation "Report from Viet Nam" with PJW Board member Desiree 
Hellegers, at 2:30 PM at the same location. You don't have to attend the 
meeting to hear the report!

Proposed agenda:
--updates on Affinity Group work;
--Afghanistan 14 years later event in October;
--financial update, fund-raising, volunteer outreach;
--vote on policy proposal: Currently PJW needs two check signers in 
general, and three for amounts over $100. Proposal is to raise the 
three-signature amount to $250.
--set fall quarterly meeting.

The 2:30 PM presentation, "Report from Viet Nam," focuses on Desiree's 
journey with Veterans for Peace in April 2015, where she saw the ongoing 
effects of chemical and conventional weapons even 40 years after the "war" 
ostensibly ended.

Hiroshima Day-- 70th Anniversary Memorial Event and "Zones Project"

PJW is co-sponsoring the annual Hiroshima day memorial event on Thursday, 
August 6 at 6 PM at the Japanese-American Historical Plaza, NW Naito 
Parkway/Davis. As usual, the event is coordinated by Oregon Physicians for 
Social Responsibility. This year's theme is "70 Years After 
Hiroshima/Nagasaki: The Ever-Present Nuclear Threat." As on the 50th and 
60th anniversaries, PJW will be incorporating the "Zones Project" into 
this year's memorial, educating the public about the effects of a megaton 
nuclear blast if it were to hit downtown Portland. For more information go 
to our site, www.pjw.info or oregonpsr.org.

"Gulf War III" Rages In Iraq, Syria-- With No Congressional Approval

The PJW Iraq Affinity Group organized multiple demonstrations last year 
leading up to and following the US' third assault on Iraq since 1991. On 
August 7, we will mark the one year anniversary of the latest round of 
bombs by co-sponsoring the Portland Peaceful Response Friday Rally at 5 PM 
in Pioneer Courthouse Square, SW Yamhill and Broadway. Titled "Iraq War 
III One Year Later," the event aims not only to talk about the ongoing war 
and the lack of an Authorization for Use of Military Force, but to connect 
the war to police brutality and racism in the US. As Rodney King was 
beaten brutally by LA Police a few days after the end of "Gulf War Part 1" 
in March 1991, young Michael Brown was killed in Ferguson, MO the day 
after the US re-launched its war in Iraq. The war comes home, again.

At the IAG's "video teleconference" on May 18, analyst Phyllis Bennis gave 
an excellent talk about non-military solutions to the war against ISIS. 
Links to the streaming video can be found at 
<http://www.pjw.info/bennis2015.html>.

We're also making plans to mark one year since the US attacked Syria on 
September 23, and 14 years since the invasion of Afghanistan on October 7, 
2001. Check our website for info as the dates approach-- or come to an IAG 
meeting and help plan!

Portland Copwatch Continues Drilling Down for Justice

Our project group Portland Copwatch (PCW), focusing on police 
accountability, examines City policies which govern the Portland Police 
Bureau (PPB). Innumerable PPB "Directives" have been up for review, 
covering everything from racial profiling to the use of deadly force. 
Meanwhile, the Community Oversight Advisory Board started meeting in 
February to assess  implementation of the Department of Justice Settlement 
Agreement, which directs the Bureau to use less force. PCW reviewed the 
first "Compliance Officer/Community Liaison" report and urged more focus 
on reducing force and less on demeaning community members. The PPB was 
involved in four shootings in the first half  of 2015 (the same total as 
all of 2014); May's shooting left another person in mental health crisis 
in critical condition.  PCW continues to work with the Albina Ministerial 
Alliance Coalition for Justice and Police Reform.

PCW also continues to advocate for a more integrated oversight system. The 
Citizen Review Committee holds public hearings on misconduct cases, while 
the internal Police Review Board is closed to the public. This summer the 
"Independent" Police Review Division is seeking input on what kind of 
review board you want -- so let them know! Report contacts with Portland 
Police or Multnomah deputies to PCW's  incident report line 
(503-321-5120).

PCW held Your Rights and the Police seminars for new members in June and 
for middle schoolers in May. PCW copwatched on May Day, documenting cops' 
use of pepper-spray and "flash-bang" explosives. Other copwatching and 
advocacy continues on ending harassment of homeless people. We organized 
again around the Joint Terrorism Task Force, but Council voted 3-2 to 
rejoin the secretive FBI group. PCW published People's Police Report (PPR) 
#65 in May, and have posted several back issues on line. Watch for PPR #66 
this September-- subscribe for $15 a year!

Help Make the World a Better Place: Support Peace and Justice Works

Since 1992, Peace and Justice Works has been working to expose US military 
interventions, police violence, the death penalty, and other regressive 
policies. Because we are all volunteers and our budget is a modest 
$11-12,000 a year, your support is key to our ability to continue making a 
safer and less violent planet. We put on educational forums, 
demonstrations, fact sheets, and media appearances, including programs 
featuring PJW events created by our friends at Flying Focus Video. Not one 
cent of your donation goes to pay staff, while 100% goes to keeping the 
lights on and generating our program work. This includes recently 
transitioning to a new Internet Service Provider, offering five times the 
storage space on line as our old host.

Your gift of volunteer time to work in the office, distribute flyers, set 
up events and help with mailings is just as valuable. Become a voting 
member by volunteering four (4) hours or sending a sliding scale of 
$15-$40. Call 503-236-3065 or mail us at PO Box 42456, Portland OR 97242. 
Those who do online donations may use Network for Good 
(<http://pjw.info/donate.html>).

We thank you as always for being part of our efforts to create a more 
peaceful and just society!