Next Meeting:
July 14, 2003 - 7PM United Church (602 Silica, at Josephine. Up the stairs at the far end of the building on Josephine. Then come up to the third floor.). Now that we are entering the summer months, we agreed to hold our meetings once a month.

Structure:

• Treasurer David is on vacation. Isaac (co-chair) has used funds from our Rice FOR Peace campaign to pay $160 for FOR long distance charges that have accumulated during the eight plus months of forming and organizing FOR. Since $80 of these funds are related to calls towards development of FOR throughout Canada, Isaac will repay this $80 figure to the Kootenay FOR account. Thanks to Isaac for all his good work forming and organizing our Kootenay chapter and his work toward a national FOR in Canada.

Announcements:

• Next Kootenay FOR meeting: July 14, 2003 - 7PM United Church (602 Silica, at Josephine. Up the stairs at the far end of the building on Josephine. Then come up to the third).
  
  
• "Stars For Peace, Not Stars for War" national campaign underway: There is a new Kootenay FOR national campaign at our website and our peace table on Saturdays at Kootenay Coop: "Stars For Peace, Not Stars for War." Send a message to Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chrètien, as we say, "'No' to Canadian participation in any future US Missile Systems." This letter can be printed off of our website, for mailing to Chrètien. Isaac will contact Kootenay FOR members to volunteer to write additional letters for this campaign as well. Information to inform the public about the dangers of the Missile Defense system will be available at our peace table at the Kootenay Coop. Volunteers are needed to help Isaac and Ernest at the peace table.
  
  
• At the meeting we, as a group wrote down what issues are important to each of us under the heading Long-term World and Local Issues, and Imminent and critical Issues. Many, many issues arose, such as AIDS in Africa, Street children in Iraq, United States and world domination, ... At this point Gord made the wonderful analogy that if the United States is figuratively represented by "The Beatles," (a seemingly powerful, unstoppable force), then we as Canadians can either be "The Dave Clarke Five" or play a vibrant and unique role, instead like Bob Marley. Thanks for your great insight Gord. Then the real brainstorming fun began as we creatively came up with all kinds of artistic, creative and fabulous ideas that we could imagine to address these current issues of concern in the world. Liz and Grant will organize our imaginative ideas so that next meeting we can discuss the possibilities of bringing some of these creative ideas to fruition.
  
  
• Kootenay FOR has received a generous donation from the whole group at Oso Negro Coffee in Nelson of $100.00. These funds have paid for our Kootenay FOR PO Box for the next year. Thank you at Oso Negro from all of us. Our new Kootenay FOR mailing address is:
  Kootenay FOR, PO Box 121, Nelson, BC, V1L 5P7
  
  
• Kootenay FOR co-chair Isaac will speak on the Middle East Road Map to Peace for the 4th Light For Peace "Peace-Time" event. This event will be held Wednesday, June 25th at 7pm at the British Columbia Government Employees Union office 521 Vernon Street, Nelson. Isaac will show an amazing full length Emmy Award winning documentary film (Two Emmy's, one for Best Documentary, and one for Best Analysis and Research, also an Academy Award Nominee) titled, "Promises." This film will set the stage for a brief presentation on the Middle East Road Map for Peace, with Isaac providing a perspective encouraged by the impressive Quakers AFSC Middle East Programs office in the US, and the progressive Jewish peace organization, Brit Tzedek V Shalom www.btvshalom.org/ [whose "Bring the Settlers Home" campaign bringthemhome.btvshalom.org/ endorsers include activists, actor Ed Asner, Gloria Steinem (co-founder of Ms. Magazine), Letty Pogrobin (co-founder of Ms. Magazine),writer Marge Piercy, and a plethora of peace organizations, progressive rabbis and Jewish leaders, many of whom were visible progressive peace activist leaders of the anti-war movement during the Vietnam War.] Isaac, whose work toward Middle East Peace dates back 25 years, has worked closely with and is close friends with and colleages of a number of national leaders in Brit Tzedek V Shalom. Discussion will follow the presentation. The is a free event and all are welcomed.



• Members and friends of Kootenay FOR will join together Sunday, August 17th at 2 pm, at Ernest's home once again for summer sharing of food, song and celebrating our continued growth and our local, national and global activism. Bring a potluck dish to share together, and a song or a story of small and large victories and/or accomplishes we have seen, heard about, ...that have been a part of this recent period of peace activism.
  
• Kootenay FOR's Canada Rice For Peace Campaign will be moved to our website's Archives page showing Kootenay FOR's past projects. The campaign has accomplished a lot for the peace movement, including generating $500.00 in donations provided to the work of "Doctors Without Borders" in Iraq. Over 900 "Rice For Peace Packages where sent to Prime Minister Chretien from our "Rice For Peace" table at Kootenay Coop. Job well done to all who worked on the project and the many community members who participated.



• Call or Fax Prime Minister Chretien and thank him for staying officially out of the war with Iraq, and call for his and Canada's non-participation in the Missile Defense System with the US:
  
  Department of Foreign Affairs
  Lester B. Pearson Building
  125 Sussex Drive
  Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0G2
  Toll-free: 1-800-267-8376

  Ask for Bill Graham's office then:

  Ask for: Michael Chesson, Advisor to Bill Graham
  Political advisor on the Middle East.

  Ask for Bill Graham's office then:

  Ask for: Aziz Mulay-Shah, Advisor to Bill Graham
  Contact about the Missile Defence System

JOIN US FOR KOOTENAY FELLOWSHIP OF RECONCILIATION'S SUMMER POTLUCK:
Members and friends of Kootenay FOR will join together at 2 pm, at Ernest's home once again for summer sharing of food, song and celebrating our continued growth and our local, national and global activism. Bring a potluck dish to share together, and a song or a story of small and large victories and/or accomplishes we have seen, heard about, ...that have been a part of this recent period of peace activism. [an error occurred while processing this directive]