Human Shield General Meeting
Tuesday 25 February 2003
Announcements
Bruce clarified the mix up with meetings tonight. We will stay here for the usual general meeting.
Basara trip on Thursday meeting at 6.20am to leave at 8am fom airport.
Agenda includes visiting a children’s hospital and a general hospital
Also will visit the infamous ‘highway of death’. Where 20,000 Iraqis retreated from US massacre. Ken hopes to have exchanges with the US military across the border.
Press conference tomorrow 1pm about Ken charging the US govt with crimes against humanity.
For highway of death need to wear plastic on feet and hands and a mask.
Trip is full, but there will be another trip possibly next week.
Jake staying at food storage facility. He will leave on the weekend, so anyone can take his place. He is leaving for Amman on Sat in case anyone wants to share a taxi.
Demonstration in Tarhir Square with candles with music and dance, 8pm. All welcome to attend.
Proposal of a conference for shields to get to know each other and to have candles on the water, not a political rally.
8pm tonight, First Aid training room 306 at Andalus.
Namaa said no more information has come through to hotel
Kiza has volunteered for 3 days to make the schedule. Thank you!
Bruce said not enough shields were ready to go to Food Storage so he went out there and will stay, so this is his last meeting. Thank you Bruce!
Site Committee
Food storage plant – a mix up, but it worked out okay. All beds filled in the end.
Tomorrow the Dauda oil refinery. Hit hard in 1991. Only 9 shields on list so far. John read out the list.
Leaving 3pm tomorrow
Thursday people going out to April 7 Water Treatment Plant.
On Friday the plan is to go out to the Al Dourer power plant, no one has signed up on the list yet.
John says that half the shields have not signed up to sites yet.
On Sat John is going out to the refinery will do an environmental program and he will stay then if/when/until George Bush bombs.
Question: Can come in for the rally tomorrow night. Yes.
John did a sales pitch for the oil refinery and water site
Leo asked if the pressure was being on short-termers.
In respect to humanitarian sites, we’ve hit a wall. Can we shield in the bomb shelters, to protect the bomb shelters? John not enthusiastic.
Spanish and Turkish groups keen to go to hospital sites. Turkish group may go and pitch a tent. John says it may have to come to this.
Dave said there’s a problem with painting signs. They got black and white paint and painted Human Shields. Donation pledged for paint.
Uzma will write a shopping list for needs of the sites.
More questions about humanitarian sites. John repeated that you can become involved in local communities.
Question about bringing in money from France via Western Union. Will try and report
Welcome Committee
Rick said there are welcome packs available.
Will go to the hotel tomorrow to formally welcome newcomers.
Press Committee
Congratulations to Karl on his newsletter
The newsletter will be saved on the office computer each day so anyone can e-mail it out to friends/media.
Press conference tomorrow at 1pm
Regarding contacting govts and media about presence of human shields at sites. Donna said we must organize letters, to govts and to friends for a letter writing campaign,
Very important job. Need volunteers to help. Uzma said that draft letters have been done in London and Amman. Will try and get a hold of these.
Also Donna says if anyone wants their name suppressed they must see her. No one has come forward yet, so all names are public.
Website Committee
Edward said they are working on having a map with locations of people
Report that we can use internet at the United Nations compound for free. Not sure about web access…..webnet or hotnet???? How cute!
If you don’t want your name on the website, tell Edward now.
Emergency Planning Committee
Phil says there should be a pack for everyone with advice for when/if the sky falls in.
Encourages everyone to do the first aid courses
Bruce’s advice: Duck and cover!
Meeting closed at 7.20pm