[pjw] RSVP/ PJW UPDATE: Our new newsletter & Feb 21 annual meeting

[Peace and Justice Works]

PJW supporters

I'm somewhere between breathing a sigh of relief and holding my breath to 
see what happens next between now and Jan. 20 and also what might happen 
on that day. Also still struggling between "those people should not have 
been able to get into the Capitol" and "we don't condone the use of 
violence to enforce state power." I heard one congressperson say "using 
violence to resolve our differences is not what this country is about." I 
guess they need some history lessons.

Anyway, below is the text of the December 28 PJW UPDATE, our twice yearly 
newsletter that you may have received via snail mail recently. We sent the 
newsletter to a limited list of people; some folks received a much shorter 
postcard version. If you didn't get either mailing and want to receive 
stuff from us in the mail, let us know.

This is also acting as another reminder for tomorrow's Friday rally about 
Guantanamo (starting early at 4:30) and Tuesday's Sarah Mirk event (noted 
in the newsletter). The annual meeting isn't until Feb. 21 so we'll send 
out another reminder before then but if you know you're going to attend 
and want to RSVP now that will work.

It's a good time for people in our different project groups, general PJW 
members and the board to meet and keep up to date. We begin with an 
informal discussion at noon with a meeting from 12:30-2:15 PM.

If for any reason you want to see the full laid-out newsletter online 
(with graphics, italics, etc) let me know and I can send you a special 
link.

Please let us know if you have any questions.

Thanks!

dan handelman
secretary
peace and justice works

------------

PJW UPDATE  December 28, 2020

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

PEACE AND JUSTICE WORKS' 29th ANNUAL MEETING
Sunday, February 21, 2021
12 noon (conversation); 12:30 PM (meeting)
*Conference call- contact us for info*

We welcome you to join Peace and Justice Works for our 29th annual meeting 
on Sunday, February 21. Our meeting will be held by conference call-- 
contact us by phone or email to get login info. It will begin with casual 
conversation at 12 noon, followed by the business meeting from 12:30-2:15 
PM.

The proposed agenda includes:

--updates on 2020/2021 activities from Affinity Groups (Iraq, Copwatch, 
other);

--election of board of directors and officers*

(Nominees: Shelley Bedell, President/Authorized Check Signer [ACS]; Dan 
Handelman, Secretary/ACS; Linda Tomassi, ACS; Jocelyn McAuley, ACS; and 
Alice Mott nominated to replace Desiree Hellegers);

--financial report, office updates, volunteer outreach.

These general meetings are generally good places to get info about the 
group and find out how you can be part of PJW's active work.

* Voting members: if you got this in the mail and the mailing sticker says 
"PM" or "VM" (paid/volunteer member) and the date is 1/21 or earlier, you 
need to renew. If you read this newsletter electronically check your 
status with us.

Iraq Affinity Group Plans Two Events Around Guantanamo Anniversary

PJW's Iraq Affinity Group (IAG) continues to educate the public on the 
effects of US policy in the "Middle East" and elsewhere. Since late March, 
we've hosted the weekly Friday Rally for Peace and Justice, which had its 
1000th iteration on December 25. Thanks to Portland Peaceful Response 
Coalition, which hosted for the first 18.5 years! On Friday, January 8 the 
theme of the Friday rally (at Pioneer Courthouse Square/SW Yamhill & 
Broadway) will be "No More Excuses: Shut Down Guantanamo!" January marks 
19 years since the US prison opened, perhaps creating more "terrorism" 
than it prevented. We're starting that event 1/2 hour earlier than usual, 
at 4:30 PM. As with all our gatherings we ask people to wear a face 
covering and stay a safe distance apart-- and only come if you feel safe 
doing so. The Jan. 8 rally will be used to promote a live online event 
with local author Sarah Mirk, whose book features 12 diverse artists 
telling the notorious prison's story. The event, "Illustrating 
Imprisonment: Sarah Mirk Presents 'Guantanamo Voices,'" will be streamed 
on YouTube on Tuesday January 12 at 7 PM. There will be a Q&A period at 
the end.

We're also setting aside the Friday rally on January 15 to mark 30 years 
since the "Gulf War" began in 1991 (the main impetus for us to create our 
group) and on March 19 to mark 18 years since the 2003 US invasion of 
Iraq.

The IAG cosponsored the Physicians for Social Responsibility Hiroshima Day 
event in August; a link to the video can be found on our website. We also 
used the Friday rally to mark anniversaries of the wars in Syria and 
Afghanistan in September/October, and held a special visibility action at 
the end of the Burnside Bridge on the eve of the 19th anniversary of the 
Afghan war in early October.  All of the outdoor events since June have 
featured the Ann Huntwork Peace Memorial Sign, a digital readerboard 
carrying messages against US militarism/occupations and against police 
brutality.

Portland Copwatch Continues Campaigns Against Police Spying, For 
Accountability

Our police accountability affinity group Portland Copwatch (PCW) has been 
buoyed by the national interest in police issues after George Floyd's 
murder by Minneapolis police. With community partners, PCW has put new 
energy into campaigns around the Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF)* and 
the Portland Police Association (PPA) contract. While pushing to end 
cooperation between Portland Police and the JTTF, we and others are 
preparing to respond in January to the Bureau's required annual report.

A December 10 community letter to City Council signed by over 30 groups 
proposed specific changes to be made to the PPA contract, including some 
needed to institute Portland's new civilian oversight system. A November 
ballot measure adding that system to the City's Charter passed with 82% of 
the vote; designing and implementing the changes are expected to take 
until mid-2022. Meanwhile, PCW continues to monitor the "Independent" 
Police Review and its Citizen Review Committee, hoping they get supported 
up until the new system is ready to operate.

PCW also tracks the US Department of Justice Settlement Agreement designed 
to make the police use less force, especially against people in mental 
health crisis. The monitor of that agreement found PPB violated its terms 
in the crackdown on this summer's racial justice protests-- not because of 
the force, but because of lax documentation.

Copwatch will soon publish a list of 2020 Oregon deadly force incidents, 
which topped 30 this year even with the pandemic. We updated two web pages 
showing top settlements in misconduct cases and Portland officers involved 
in deadly force. We continue to run our incident report line 
(503-321-5120) to help people navigate resolving complaints, and publish 
our 3x/year newsletter, the People's Police Report-- see 
portlandcopwatch.org .

*-Peace and Justice Works is also part of the JTTF campaign.

Help Us Keep Connecting the Issues, Connecting the Dots: Support PJW!

It's increasingly clear that the racism and violence expressed by local 
police reflect how the US uses war to project its policies around the 
world. Money spent on police and the military could instead end climate 
change and ensure universal health care, housing, jobs and education. In 
October, we and other Oregon peace groups asked Governor Brown to stop 
sending the National Guard to wars overseas, noting several state 
helicopters that might have helped fight wildfires were in Afghanistan 
this summer.

We know that for some people, money is tight due to the pandemic. However, 
we hope you can donate to help our small, all-volunteer group keep doing 
this important work educating the public and elected officials. Please 
donate funds and/or pay for an annual membership ($20-45 sliding scale) if 
you are able. People can also get voting memberships by giving four hours 
of volunteer time. Send checks/ money orders and/or items from our wish 
list (portlandcopwatch.org/wishlist.html) to PO Box 42456, Portland 97242. 
If you got the physical mailing, the date of your last donation should be 
on your mailing label as "LD." Online one-time or recurring donations can 
be made through Network for Good via the Donate tab at pjw.info .

We always appreciate everyone's contributions, whether it's letter 
writing, phone calling, office help, promoting/showing up for events or 
financial support. Together we will make the world a better place!