[pjw] PJW UPDATE: Our Dec/Jan. newsletter & Feb. 24 annual meeting!

[Peace and Justice Works]

PJW supporters

Below is the text of the December 26 PJW UPDATE, our twice yearly newsletter
that you may have received via snail mail last week.
The text has been modified slightly for email purposes.

One highlight is our February 24 annual meeting, where we will review the past
year, look to the coming year, and elect our Board.

The newsletter also includes information about today's (HINT HINT, FINAL
REMINDER!) demonstration about Guantanamo, from 4:30-6 at Pioneer Square.

Here's a link to the fact sheet for today's event; I will send the text 
out tomorrow.

http://www.pjw.info/Guantanamo17ylfacts.pdf

dan handelman
secretary
peace and justice works


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PJW UPDATE
December 26, 2018
Reach PJW by phone/text: 503-236-3065; by e-mail: pjw at pjw.info; our website is
http://www.pjw.info

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Dear Peace and Justice Works members, volunteers, and supporters:

PEACE AND JUSTICE WORKS' 27th ANNUAL MEETING

Sunday, February 24, 2019
12 noon (potluck); 12:30 PM (meeting)
Social Justice Action Center
  400 SE 12th, Portland

Join Peace and Justice Works for the 27th annual meeting at the Social Justice
Action Center, 400 SE 12th on Sunday, Feb. 24. Our meeting begins with a 12 noon
vegetarian potluck (bring vegetarian food and non-alcoholic drink to share),
followed by the business meeting from 12:30-2:15 PM.

The proposed agenda includes:

--updates on 2018/2019 activities from Affinity Groups (Iraq, Copwatch, other)
including the 25th anniversary of the Copwatch newsletter;

--election of board of directors and officers*(Nominees: Jeff Clenaghan,
President/Authorized Check Signer [ACS]; Dan Handelman, Secretary/ACS; Desiree
Hellegers, ACS; Linda Tomassi, ACS; and Shelley Bedell, ACS);

--financial report, office updates, volunteer outreach.

General quarterly meetings like this are good places to get information and find
a way to plug in if you haven't participated in PJW in the past.

* Voting members: if your last donation was before January 2018, you need to
renew.


Iraq Affinity Group Marking 17 Years of Guantanamo

PJW's Iraq Affinity Group (IAG) continues to educate the public on the effects
of US policy in the "Middle East" and elsewhere. In September, we co-sponsored a
Portland Peaceful Response Coalition (PPRC) Friday Rally to mark four years
since the US began bombing in Syria. A few days later, with funds from the Ruth
Holt Memorial Peace Journey Fund, we helped host Nobel Peace Prize Nominee Kathy
Kelly of Voices for Creative Nonviolence, who spoke about Afghanistan, Yemen,
Iraq, and Gaza. In August, we co-sponsored the annual Hiroshima and Nagasaki
memorial event.

Coming up on January 11, we are co-sponsoring the PPRC Friday rally again to
mark 17 years since the opening of the prison camp in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The
event "Close Guantanamo: Still America's Shame" is also co-sponsored by Amnesty
International's local chapter. On January 13 we're supporting Jewish Voice for
Peace's event about Gaza, details at http://www.pjw.info .

We're starting to make plans for Tuesday March 19, which will mark 16 years
since the invasion of Iraq.

We encourage you to join us at our monthly IAG meetings-- usually held the 2nd
Monday each month!

Portland Copwatch Opposes Protest Law, Publishes 25th Anniversary Newsletter

Portland Copwatch (PCW), our police accountability affinity group, continued its
push for justice. In November, PCW (and PJW) mobilized people to oppose an
onerous law that would have given the Mayor the power to decide who can protest,
when, where, and how many people. It was defeated 2-3 by City Council. In
October, PCW was able to speak before federal judge Michael Simon, successfully
urging him not to approve the new oversight body for the City's agreement with
the US Department of Justice until they had a chance to meet. PCW members have
attended the first two meetings of the new group, the Portland Committee for
Community Engaged Policing. PCW also continues to engage in discussions about
the DOJ Agreement through its position on the steering committee of the Albina
Ministerial Alliance Coalition for Justice and Police Reform.

In early November, one year after it was first published, PCW reposted a letter
to City Council demanding they remove two officers from the Joint Terrorism Task
Force. With the recent City Council election, it is likely this issue will be up
for a vote in early 2019.

Groups of copwatchers walked a "beat" on the west side of the Willamette in
September. PCW's incident report line (503-321-5120) is still receiving calls
from people who encounter Portland Police or Multnomah County Sheriff's
deputies.

In September, PCW met a third time with Chief Outlaw, raising deep concerns
about the Portland Police Bureau's use of force at protests where anti-fascists
confronted neo-fascists, then were met with extreme police violence.

Copwatch also attends Citizen Review Committee (CRC) appeals on misconduct
complaints, and monitors the work of CRC's umbrella agency-- the "Independent"
Police Review. In late August, PCW published the 25th anniversary issue of its
newsletter, the People's Police Report, and posted online the front covers of
every issue since 1993. Subscriptions are $20/year for three issues.

PCW also continues to put out analyses of semi-annual reports from the Police
Review Board, which meets behind closed doors and discusses misconduct,
discipline and officer involved shootings. On that note, the PPB shot four
people and contributed to a death in custody between September and December, and
PCW has tracked over 30 officer involved shootings in Oregon this year-- a
record. More info is at http://www.portlandcopwatch.org .

Keep Peace and Justice Works Active in Local, National and International Peace

In addition to the above-listed actions, PJW is working to stop the war in
Yemen, keep Oregon's national guard from deployment abroad, and promote an end
to the death penalty.

Our all-volunteer organization is able to do all of this work on a budget of
roughly $12,000 a year with support from you. Please consider making a donation
and/or paying for an annual membership fee-- $20-45 sliding scale, which can
also be obtained with four hours of volunteer time. Send checks/ money orders
and/or items from our wish list (see http:www.portlandcopwatch.org/wishlist.html
) to PO Box 42456, Portland, OR 97242. If your wish list item is too large for
the mail, make arrangements to come to the office. The date of your last
donation should be on your mailing label as "LD." Thanks to the recurring donor
who is helping our office number (503-236-3065) to be able to send and receive
texts. Try it out!

We also always need volunteer help including folding mailings, putting up
flyers, setting up and cleaning up at events, tabling and more. We constantly
strive to connect the issues of war and peace issues, climate change, immigrant
rights, fair trade and others which are constantly under attack in the current
political climate. We appreciate your ongoing support as we strive to make the
world a better and more peaceful place!