Notes March 2010
Congo Action Now
Democratic Republic of Congo Committee
March 28, 2010
Present: Coleen Houlihan, Kelley Ready, Samba Halkose, Jean Miller, Suzanne Bas Davis, Erin McCabe , Pat Aron
Congo Action Now met on March 28, 2010. We welcomed Suzanne and Erin to our group. The meeting began with check-ins. We then discussed ideas for an open house a friend of Coleen’s has offered to sponsor at his barbershop in Brookline. The event will be held at Manuel’s Barber Shop near Coolidge Corner from 4:00 to 6:00 on a weekend in June. Coleen will discuss dates with Manuel. We’ll need to do outreach - Coleen will prepare flyers and get them to Manuel before the event. We discussed a program for the event and decided to have a schedule of activities. The program will include an overview of the situation in the eastern DRC (Pat will prepare), poetry (Coleen will read from her work), a reading from Ruined, and music. Kelley will organize materials to have available at the event. We’ll want people to take action, so Pat will prepare letters in support of the International Violence Against Women Act. We’ll have CD’s of Congolese music and would like to have live music (perhaps Raging Grannies?). Coleen knows musicians who may want to perform. We’d like to have Congolese food (appetizers). Samba said that she will prepare Congolese food. Kelley will also ask Maman Jeanne if she knows of a Congolese caterer.
We decided that we will schedule our next house party for after the barbershop event (possibly in August). Pat will contact Peg Nylen to ask when she can host a party at her house.
Pat reviewed the status of the International Violence Against Women Act. The act has been reintroduced. Massachusetts legislators have taken a lead with this bill. Sponsors in the House include William Delahunt, and Senate sponsors include John Kerry. Pat has drafted letters of support for the I-VAWA – we will send them to our legislators. Pat will send the letters to Coleen for our website. CAN will continue to support Congo conflict minerals legislation – we will continue distributing letters for people to send to their legislators. Kelley sent a copy of a Boston Globe article listing sponsors of the conflict minerals legislation to Sen. Kerry and Rep. Lynch. She will schedule a meeting with Sen. Brown’s staff, and she suggested that a constituent of Rep. Capuano contact his staff to arrange a meeting.
We continued our discussion of getting CAN tee shirts to be used for visibility and fundraising. We discussed possible design ideas and wording. We’ll include the WILPF logo and we’ll all look for additional designs. Pat had contacted PromoManagers as suggested by Peggy. They will print as few as 24 shirts. We will need to send them the design to get a quote. Erin said American Apparel is a fair trade company. Kelley will research No Sweat in Waltham. Pat will ask Linde Rachel the cost of design by the woman who designed the Ensemble pour les femmes shirts.
The group discussed our decision to ask the Boston City Council to pass a DRC resolution similar to the one passed by the Cambridge City Council in October 2009. Pat was unable to find past resolutions on-line. She has emailed Councilor Ayanna Presley to ask if the Boston City Council might adopt a resolution about an international issue.
Kelley reported on the March 7 International Women’s Day march organized by Code Pink. Kelley, Jean and Pat participated (Samba’s car broke down). It was a small but spirited event with rousing performances by the Raging Grannies.
Linde Rachel had contacted Pat to ask if CAN would like to provide financial support for Ensemble’s partner in Kasongo – the group needs office and communications equipment. CAN, as a WILPF committee, cannot provide funds to other organizations. We will continue to provide venues (such as house parties) where Samba may get support for VICO.
There was a brief discussion of the play Ruined – we have considered trying to bring the play to Boston. While in New York, Kelley had seen a reading by the author that was very powerful. She thought we might want to do a reading instead of bringing the production here. Erin has had some production experience which would be very helpful. Coleen had purchased a copy - she read some sections of the play that we may read at our upcoming pot luck.
We made plans for the WILPF pot luck with Congo Action Now that will be at Pat’s house at 5:00 on April 25. CAN will present a 25-minute program. Pat will begin with a brief overview about the war and sexual violence. Coleen will read from her work (she read three of her poems for us – they were very powerful). We’ll do a brief reading from Ruined, followed by some statements from our “facts book”. We’ll end the program by reading the resolution passed by the Cambridge City Council. Pat will prepare a list of things CAN has accomplished in its first year – we’ll project it on a wall. She’ll send a draft around so people can add to the list. We had a short discussion of food. Pat will make soup. Suzanne will make crepes. People will look on-line for Congolese recipes to try – we’ll send them around. Samba brought several CD’s of Congolese music (we’ll all miss her presence at the pot luck).
The next meeting of Congo Action Now will be on Sunday, April 25, 2010, at 4:00 at Pat’s house in Jamaica Plain. We will have an abbreviated meeting before the pot luck.
Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom
Democratic Republic of Congo Committee
March 28, 2010
Present: Coleen Houlihan, Kelley Ready, Samba Halkose, Jean Miller, Suzanne Bas Davis, Erin McCabe , Pat Aron
Congo Action Now met on March 28, 2010. We welcomed Suzanne and Erin to our group. The meeting began with check-ins. We then discussed ideas for an open house a friend of Coleen’s has offered to sponsor at his barbershop in Brookline. The event will be held at Manuel’s Barber Shop near Coolidge Corner from 4:00 to 6:00 on a weekend in June. Coleen will discuss dates with Manuel. We’ll need to do outreach - Coleen will prepare flyers and get them to Manuel before the event. We discussed a program for the event and decided to have a schedule of activities. The program will include an overview of the situation in the eastern DRC (Pat will prepare), poetry (Coleen will read from her work), a reading from Ruined, and music. Kelley will organize materials to have available at the event. We’ll want people to take action, so Pat will prepare letters in support of the International Violence Against Women Act. We’ll have CD’s of Congolese music and would like to have live music (perhaps Raging Grannies?). Coleen knows musicians who may want to perform. We’d like to have Congolese food (appetizers). Samba said that she will prepare Congolese food. Kelley will also ask Maman Jeanne if she knows of a Congolese caterer.
We decided that we will schedule our next house party for after the barbershop event (possibly in August). Pat will contact Peg Nylen to ask when she can host a party at her house.
Pat reviewed the status of the International Violence Against Women Act. The act has been reintroduced. Massachusetts legislators have taken a lead with this bill. Sponsors in the House include William Delahunt, and Senate sponsors include John Kerry. Pat has drafted letters of support for the I-VAWA – we will send them to our legislators. Pat will send the letters to Coleen for our website. CAN will continue to support Congo conflict minerals legislation – we will continue distributing letters for people to send to their legislators. Kelley sent a copy of a Boston Globe article listing sponsors of the conflict minerals legislation to Sen. Kerry and Rep. Lynch. She will schedule a meeting with Sen. Brown’s staff, and she suggested that a constituent of Rep. Capuano contact his staff to arrange a meeting.
We continued our discussion of getting CAN tee shirts to be used for visibility and fundraising. We discussed possible design ideas and wording. We’ll include the WILPF logo and we’ll all look for additional designs. Pat had contacted PromoManagers as suggested by Peggy. They will print as few as 24 shirts. We will need to send them the design to get a quote. Erin said American Apparel is a fair trade company. Kelley will research No Sweat in Waltham. Pat will ask Linde Rachel the cost of design by the woman who designed the Ensemble pour les femmes shirts.
The group discussed our decision to ask the Boston City Council to pass a DRC resolution similar to the one passed by the Cambridge City Council in October 2009. Pat was unable to find past resolutions on-line. She has emailed Councilor Ayanna Presley to ask if the Boston City Council might adopt a resolution about an international issue.
Kelley reported on the March 7 International Women’s Day march organized by Code Pink. Kelley, Jean and Pat participated (Samba’s car broke down). It was a small but spirited event with rousing performances by the Raging Grannies.
Linde Rachel had contacted Pat to ask if CAN would like to provide financial support for Ensemble’s partner in Kasongo – the group needs office and communications equipment. CAN, as a WILPF committee, cannot provide funds to other organizations. We will continue to provide venues (such as house parties) where Samba may get support for VICO.
There was a brief discussion of the play Ruined – we have considered trying to bring the play to Boston. While in New York, Kelley had seen a reading by the author that was very powerful. She thought we might want to do a reading instead of bringing the production here. Erin has had some production experience which would be very helpful. Coleen had purchased a copy - she read some sections of the play that we may read at our upcoming pot luck.
We made plans for the WILPF pot luck with Congo Action Now that will be at Pat’s house at 5:00 on April 25. CAN will present a 25-minute program. Pat will begin with a brief overview about the war and sexual violence. Coleen will read from her work (she read three of her poems for us – they were very powerful). We’ll do a brief reading from Ruined, followed by some statements from our “facts book”. We’ll end the program by reading the resolution passed by the Cambridge City Council. Pat will prepare a list of things CAN has accomplished in its first year – we’ll project it on a wall. She’ll send a draft around so people can add to the list. We had a short discussion of food. Pat will make soup. Suzanne will make crepes. People will look on-line for Congolese recipes to try – we’ll send them around. Samba brought several CD’s of Congolese music (we’ll all miss her presence at the pot luck).
The next meeting of Congo Action Now will be on Sunday, April 25, 2010, at 4:00 at Pat’s house in Jamaica Plain. We will have an abbreviated meeting before the pot luck.
Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom