October 15th, 2023 Steering Committee Emergency Meeting Minutes

octubre 15, 2023

Palestine Solidarity

  • Chapter Messaging 
    • Kara: LVDSA press contact: Shaun N. All other → referred to Michael Arage 
  • Non-Palestine Chapter Events/Meetings
    • Kara: Are there things we should cancel/postpone as we focus on Palestinian Solidarity work?
    • Tiffany: Not promote internal things. Focusing more on serious work. 
    • Shaun: Be flexible. Keep schedule a bit more open. Defer to Sarah. Directly communicating with NPL & Fifth Sun. Make sure there are no conflicting events going on.
    • Roy: Might put us into a position to have to cancel things last minute if we have too much scheduled. Maybe don’t cancel Member Social, but keep promotions at a minimum.
    • Anthony: Maybe change the social to something other than a game night.
    • Shannon: We should still have it. Socials are still an important part of our growth. Less stressful environment for people to take part in can be a good way to get people involved. Maybe change events. 
    • Kara: “If you’re stressed about current events, come to our social and learn more about our upcoming actions re: supporting Palestine.”
    • Sarah: Keep social as-is. Use that space however they need to. 
    • Brian: Want people to go to pro-Palestine events, but social events help build community and make sure members are on the right page.
  • Palestine Solidarity Chapter Work
    • Kara: Socialist Night School – tomorrow, Mon, 10/16 at 7pm. Tiffany made Action Network petition for Congresspeople. Help us find people who are pro-Palestine. Can be circulated and promoted during SNS.
    • Tiffany: Try to turn out as many people to protest as possible, but also acknowledge that some people will not attend a protest. Other events to build people’s confidence. BDS Working Group has a list of a dozen movies with discussion questions already written up. Can request to have a phonebank of our members to request them to call their representatives and tell them about upcoming events.
    • Kara: Give people the language to talk about what is going on with people they know. Education events can help with this.
    • Kara: BDS Working Group has movie nights they’ve done for a while. Could do a movie night. Ask Michael and Fifth Sun if they want to co-sponsor. 
    • Roy: Would be nice to invite leaders to our events.
    • Shaun: Healing circle or community event. Park, maybe outdoors. People are upset and emotional. Need a place to decompress. Keep location secret to avoid counter-protest. 
    • Shaun: Start a working group. Approach Jesser.
    • Kara: Would you be willing to help run it if you had help, Jesser?
    • Jesser: Yes.
    • Kara: Anyone opposed to making a working group and having Jesser in charge?
      • None opposed.
    • Kara: Set a Palestine Solidarity WG working meeting?
    • Tiffany: Can plan a bit now. Assign some tasks.
  • Palestine Solidarity WG 
    • Kara: Movie nights every 2 weeks. Community event. Phone banks. Letter writing / petition campaigns. 
    • Tiffany: List of movies we could screen. 
    • Anthony: Targeting Dem funding of genocide. Phone banks, letter writing is the thing LVDSA should lean into. Continue to support NPL. 
    • Shaun: Working with Muslim WG on a statement. No one is challenging it now. Want to do community event of some kind with other groups.
    • Tiffany: Seconded community event. Combine with Shannon’s idea of a cultural event. Palestinian restaurant cater. 
    • Austin: Movie night with fundraiser attached. Invite groups to come speak. 
    • Kara: Medical aid. Direct aid to Palestine. Come up with a date, movie (or a list of movies for them to help us pick from), go to coalition partners and make an ask. 
    • Tiffany: List of fundraisers in toolkit. 
    • Shaun: Call a meeting with everyone. See what we want to do. 
    • Kara: Should we meet first or plan first? Put up to an informal vote. 
    • Tiffany: Respectful to come to them with ideas. 
  • Protest: All Out For Gaza, Tuesday, 10/17 6-8pm @ Courthouse
    • Austin: Closer coordination with RDC & Fifth Sun. Large police presence, we need marshals. Especially if there are marches. Less people might show up to Tuesday’s protest. 
    • Tiffany: Suggest asking NLG observers.
    • Kara: Don’t want to offer things that we can’t necessarily provide as a group.