Notes for October 2011 Meeting
Congo Action Now
October 23, 2011
Present:
Suzanne Bas Davis, Kelley Ready, Casey Gallagher, Laurie Taymor-Berry, Jackie Fletcher, Pat Aron
Congo Action Now met on October 23, 2011. The meeting began with check-ins. We then
discussed the status of the Massachusetts Congo Conflict Minerals bill. The bill
was filed by Rep. Marty Walsh on September 30. We had only one week to line up
legislative co-sponsors. Laurie, Pat, Suzanne, and David met with many aides and
legislators during this period. Pat reviewed how all of our activities – sending
emails, collecting letters, visiting legislators, and making phone calls –
resulted in our successfully lining up 23 co-sponsors.
During the visits, several questions were raised by legislators and aides that we were
unable to answer concerning the potential disruptiveness of the certification
requirement on procurement and the use of the minerals in computers Pat is
researching these topics and will respond to the concerns.
At this point, twenty-six confirmed organizations have signed on as organizational
supporters of the bill. We will each follow up with phone calls to some of the
organizations we have contacted that have not responded. We may also ask groups
to sign letters of support. Pat has requested copies of letters, talking points,
and other materials from Jewish World Watch. We discussed additional groups to
contact. Pat has identified more industry groups - she will talk with ICAR about
how to approach these groups.
The bill must now be considered by both House and Senate Rules before being assigned
to a committee and getting a bill number. Once the committee is identified, we
will need to contact its members. The committee will hold a hearing that will
probably take place after the first of the year. Pat will revise our letter to
legislators to ask for support for the bill (since we are no longer looking for
co-sponsors). We will need to again organize meetings with legislators to ask
for their support. It will be important to recruit a large number of individuals
and groups to meet with legislators and aids.
The group thanked Laurie for her invaluable help in strategizing and training and
organizing us to lobby for the bill. Our successes up to this point are due to
her guidance and hard work.
David from Boston College for Congo has informed us of the Concert for Congo that the
group has organized. It will occur at the college on December 2. Rep. Walsh has
been invited to speak. CAN will offer to provide speakers or any other support
that is helpful.
Casey distributed postcards that she had obtained from the Dear Hillary Campaign for
the Congo. This year’s campaign is urging Secretary Clinton to take the lead in convening a certification process for
conflict minerals coming from the DRC. The campaign is directly in line with the
work we are doing on the Massachusetts bill. We will try to mail
postcards as close to October 26 (Sec. Clinton’s birthday) as possible.
We are collecting signatures on an on-line petition that Anna has set up for people
to sign in support of the MA Congo Conflict Minerals bill. We will send around
the link to all our contacts.
Casey is interested in doing a screening of The Greatest Silence: Rape in the
Congo at the Leominsterlibrary to raise
awareness in her community of the war and sexual violence in the eastern
Congo. Kelley offered to help with
discussion following the film. Casey has been in touch with library staff and
will follow up with them.
Pat informed the group of an upcoming event. What BETTER Looks Like has invited us
to participate in 100,000 Voices, a gathering in Goma, N. Kivu on International Women’s Day in 2012. Pat will send
materials around to the CAN email list.
The Shalupe Foundation has invited CAN to its November 2 event“CONGO: The World
Capital of Rape”. The event looks great and will include the Friends of the
Congo film and a panel of experts. Pat will find out the cost of a booth
(website was incorrect) and we’ll decide if we can rent one. Kelley, Casey,
Pat, and possibly Suzanne will attend.
It will be great to participate in this event and support Shalupe. Pat
will bring copies of letters to legislators for people to sign. Pat will send
the invitation to everyone on the CAN list and urge people to
attend.
Five members of CAN participated in the September 24 – 25 Clark Universityconference “Informed Activism: Armed
Conflict, Scarce Resources, and Congo”. The conference was dynamic and very well attended. The MA Congo Conflict Minerals bill was highlighted in the Sunday morning workshop and we collected
approximately 60 letters to legislators at the NGO fair.
The group decided to present CAN’s International Violence Against Women Act petition
to Sen. Brown in the near future. Kelley will research the act’s status and will
advise us on how to proceed.
The next meeting of Congo Action Now will be held on Sunday, November 20, 2011 at
3:00 at Pat’s house in Jamaica Plain.
Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom
October 23, 2011
Present:
Suzanne Bas Davis, Kelley Ready, Casey Gallagher, Laurie Taymor-Berry, Jackie Fletcher, Pat Aron
Congo Action Now met on October 23, 2011. The meeting began with check-ins. We then
discussed the status of the Massachusetts Congo Conflict Minerals bill. The bill
was filed by Rep. Marty Walsh on September 30. We had only one week to line up
legislative co-sponsors. Laurie, Pat, Suzanne, and David met with many aides and
legislators during this period. Pat reviewed how all of our activities – sending
emails, collecting letters, visiting legislators, and making phone calls –
resulted in our successfully lining up 23 co-sponsors.
During the visits, several questions were raised by legislators and aides that we were
unable to answer concerning the potential disruptiveness of the certification
requirement on procurement and the use of the minerals in computers Pat is
researching these topics and will respond to the concerns.
At this point, twenty-six confirmed organizations have signed on as organizational
supporters of the bill. We will each follow up with phone calls to some of the
organizations we have contacted that have not responded. We may also ask groups
to sign letters of support. Pat has requested copies of letters, talking points,
and other materials from Jewish World Watch. We discussed additional groups to
contact. Pat has identified more industry groups - she will talk with ICAR about
how to approach these groups.
The bill must now be considered by both House and Senate Rules before being assigned
to a committee and getting a bill number. Once the committee is identified, we
will need to contact its members. The committee will hold a hearing that will
probably take place after the first of the year. Pat will revise our letter to
legislators to ask for support for the bill (since we are no longer looking for
co-sponsors). We will need to again organize meetings with legislators to ask
for their support. It will be important to recruit a large number of individuals
and groups to meet with legislators and aids.
The group thanked Laurie for her invaluable help in strategizing and training and
organizing us to lobby for the bill. Our successes up to this point are due to
her guidance and hard work.
David from Boston College for Congo has informed us of the Concert for Congo that the
group has organized. It will occur at the college on December 2. Rep. Walsh has
been invited to speak. CAN will offer to provide speakers or any other support
that is helpful.
Casey distributed postcards that she had obtained from the Dear Hillary Campaign for
the Congo. This year’s campaign is urging Secretary Clinton to take the lead in convening a certification process for
conflict minerals coming from the DRC. The campaign is directly in line with the
work we are doing on the Massachusetts bill. We will try to mail
postcards as close to October 26 (Sec. Clinton’s birthday) as possible.
We are collecting signatures on an on-line petition that Anna has set up for people
to sign in support of the MA Congo Conflict Minerals bill. We will send around
the link to all our contacts.
Casey is interested in doing a screening of The Greatest Silence: Rape in the
Congo at the Leominsterlibrary to raise
awareness in her community of the war and sexual violence in the eastern
Congo. Kelley offered to help with
discussion following the film. Casey has been in touch with library staff and
will follow up with them.
Pat informed the group of an upcoming event. What BETTER Looks Like has invited us
to participate in 100,000 Voices, a gathering in Goma, N. Kivu on International Women’s Day in 2012. Pat will send
materials around to the CAN email list.
The Shalupe Foundation has invited CAN to its November 2 event“CONGO: The World
Capital of Rape”. The event looks great and will include the Friends of the
Congo film and a panel of experts. Pat will find out the cost of a booth
(website was incorrect) and we’ll decide if we can rent one. Kelley, Casey,
Pat, and possibly Suzanne will attend.
It will be great to participate in this event and support Shalupe. Pat
will bring copies of letters to legislators for people to sign. Pat will send
the invitation to everyone on the CAN list and urge people to
attend.
Five members of CAN participated in the September 24 – 25 Clark Universityconference “Informed Activism: Armed
Conflict, Scarce Resources, and Congo”. The conference was dynamic and very well attended. The MA Congo Conflict Minerals bill was highlighted in the Sunday morning workshop and we collected
approximately 60 letters to legislators at the NGO fair.
The group decided to present CAN’s International Violence Against Women Act petition
to Sen. Brown in the near future. Kelley will research the act’s status and will
advise us on how to proceed.
The next meeting of Congo Action Now will be held on Sunday, November 20, 2011 at
3:00 at Pat’s house in Jamaica Plain.
Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom