URGI Minutes 1/19/10

HIGHLIGHTS

-NEXT MEETING/Weekly meetings for the semester: Mondays at 9pm in Wilson Commons 122
- Mini-elections will be held at next week’s meeting: bring a prepared speech if you are interested! (Awareness, Social & Fundraising and Banaa positions available)
- General Interest Meeting was held 01/22 in Ruth Merrill- covered topics of goals of group (awareness, advocacy, service), past events, future goals/events.

Goals for the Semester

-More awareness on campus
-Presentations to other groups and have presentations from other groups
-More speakers (discussions afterwards)
-Recruit more members
-Put up fact fliers throughout the semester
-Less tabling (not Douglass)
-More fundraising (paired with more awareness)
-More frequent newsletters
-Money for the club

Recommendations

-Monthly Themes
-Themes can include countries, regions, time periods, events
-Discussion Presentations
-Monthly newsletters – summarize the month
-Try for the 1st of the month
-“Crafty” Advocacy/ Volunteering
-Amnesty craft night
-Arts and crafts with refugees
-Documentaries in Gleason
-Mixers/ Museum of Play
-Mixers with emergency/ amnesty
-Museum of Play
-Mardi Gras Party

Comedian
-Cassie and Sunny!
-Thinking about next spring
-Talk to CAB – maybe co-sponsor?
-Fall is a good idea – start planning it this semester
-In between the lines show instead?

URGI Minutes 11/17/09

Upcoming Events:

-UR Hip Hop’s screening of BLING: a planet of Rock 5pm Gowen Room
-Douglass Advocacy Event- Thursday Nov. 19th 12-2pm in Douglass
-Address Unknown TOOP: Nov. 20th at 8pm in the Drama House
-Talk-back session post show
-RSA General Interest Meeting Thursday Nov. 19th Gowen Room 6pm
-pizza, short video clip and 2 refugee student speakers- talk about tutoring/family pairing volunteering

Meeting:
* Museum of Play-move to next semester January or February?

* Volunteering Update – Luke, Cassie, Adrienne, Elena
-RSA looking at Jefferson and Edison for tutoring (school 15)
- Emergency is going this Saturday to tutor at school 12pm

* Douglass Advocacy Event – Thursday Nov. 19th from 12-2pm
12-12:20pm: Luke
12:30-1pm Adrienne and Suresh
1-1:30pm: Adrienn! e and Kelli
1:30-2pm: Sunny and Luke

* Be the Change workshop December 3rd 7:30pm at 108 Goergen Hall

*Thursday 11:45am Refugee Symposium at Lake Ave Baptist Church- updates on refugees in community

* interested in cleaning up river? Saturday 11am at Interfaith Chapel

* Awareness Discussion
- the context of giving aid- richer areas helping poorer areas and what’s an effective means? The outlook on Western world, feel obligated to help? Or personal desire?
- censored material from the government or just access to information is difficult

SOMALIA- without govt. for 15 years, pseudo elections over past 3 years because of rival clans/soldier factions, larger militia joining together that’s gaining power but they use aggressive tactics, a lot of money comes from remittance companies- one in particular was a trade company, goods would be underpassed by govt and sent to repressed clans. Now, because o! f UN they can actually take donations and distribute it but take a certain percentage otherwise they wouldn’t be able to cover expenses.

Ongoing Projects/ Reminders:

Kenya school building – Suresh (suresh@math.rochester.edu)

Family Refugee Pairing – Adrienne Hloderwski

URGI Minutes 11/3/09

HIGHLIGHTS:

Advocacy: 11/12/09, 12-2pm Douglass, sign banner/petition

Yearbook Pictures: 11/10 after meeting

Museum of Play: Nov. 14th 4pm ITS

Address Unknown Toop: Nov. 21st in the Drama House

Awareness Update
→ National peace council in Sri Lanka, LTTE rebel group defeated, recently government has tried to weed out more LTTE by putting Tamil people in concentration camps. The government hasn’t been letting in any UN officials which raises suspicion, they continue to keep people in camps, most tamils happy war is over but problems tamils face aren’t over! There has been no support/funding for resettling.

Halloween Party Review
- 95 people attended, 18 volunteers!

Go Hungry for Hunger
- 30 hour fast, to raise awareness about hunger, money goes to Rochester Roots charity(work on integrating agriculture, sustainability and education! into one)General interest meeting in Interfaith Chapel Friday Nov 13th at 5pm,
-fast 11/20-11/21
- interested in participating? Email Joe!

Newsletter
can anyone help? Write a 1 paragraph article on an event you attended or current issue you want to address
Email CASSIE! (cgorman3@u.rochester.edu)

Volunteering
-Sig Nu interested
-Emergency still working on shuttle to bring kids to UR, RSA working on stuff too.

Douglass Advocacy Event
-next Thursday 11/12
* Banner hand tracing. “we support giving a hand to victims in sudan”
* http://action.savedarfur.org/campaign/obamachina ?
- facebook crusade! Everyone put this link on their status/share


Museum of Play
- bus that leaves at 4pm(?), $7.50 per person, 11/14. Meet at ITS!

Dodgeball tournament
-Saturday December 5th 4-7pm.

The Refugee Experience Vid! eo
- met with Sandra at Lake Ave Baptist, contact info with Burmese, Somalian refugees who can speak English.

Next Stand Fast meeting: Tuesday, November 10th 10 pm WC 121, post meeting is pictureee!

Sudanese Sunrise Discussion
- Kelli gave a great speech! Thanks for coming!

Ongoing Projects / Reminders:

Kenya school building – Suresh (suresh@math.rochester.edu)

Banaa Project – Joseph Gardella

Family Refugee Pairing – Adrienne Hloderwski

Get author of Memoirs of a Child Soldier to UR - Livnat

Can Collecting – Elena

Sign up for Approaches to Conflict, CAS 230, 2 credit course – Joseph Gardella

Literary event, Movie in Gleason, coffee house event – Kelli Summers and Joseph Gardella

URGI Minutes 10/27/09

Upcoming Events:

• Refugee Halloween: Oct. 31^st (contact Brinda for a ride)
• Sudan Sunrise: Nov. 3^rd at 7pm in the Interfaith Chapel
• Yearbook Pictures: Nov. 10^th after meeting
• Museum of Play: Nov. 14^th
• Nazareth College’s Refugee Youth Event: Nov. 13^th at 8:45 am – 12pm (East Ave)
• Address Unknown Toop: Nov. 21^st in the Drama House

Meeting:

• Awareness Update
  • White house released its Sudan policy
    • Main goals:
      • End conflict
      • Get peace agreement that everyone’s happy with
      • Make sure Sudan doesn’t become a safe haven for terrorists
• Somalia
  • 50,000 people displaced
  • Nate: Vote of No Confidence
    • Yes to remove him
    • Gandhi Service Fellowship – Joe
      • Mission: Following principles of Ghandi
      • Let Joe know if you want to apply for scholarship
      • It requires an application and 60 hours of community service per year
      • Volunteering
        • Other frats? – Luke and Elena
          • Elena: haven’t heard back
          • Luke: already in contact with rotarac, but will work out details
• Merge with Emergency? – Adrienne
• Douglass Advocacy Event Evaluation
  • Evaluation:
    • Went really well
    • Elena will put pics on facebook
    • Choose rectangular tables
• Other creative thoughts?
  • Coloring?
  • Handprints?
    • Paint? Trace
    • Trace out a message and fill it with fingerprints until it’s filled
    • Red handprint for STAND Fast?
  • Advocate to our school
    • Get a long sheet that everyone signs with a message and put it up as a banner
    • “We support ____”
    • Put up right after Thanksgiving break

• Museum of Play – Julia
  • Nov. 14^th : Take Red Line
  • Dodgeball tournament – Cassie and Luke
    • Have D’Lions support
    • Jane Posse
    • Have everything pinned down by next week
    • Next Event: ideas?
      • Suresh: Nazareth Event – Sri Lankan Professor
        • She had a varied crowd: professors, students, community members
        • Spoke about government acts and history
        • Have her give a talk here
        • Suresh talk about having her come here
        • Want more interactive like the literary event
          • Have both a discussion and lecture
• Gleason theatre movie
  • Nov. 12^th (Thursday) at 8pm
• Literary event? Movie in gleason? Discussion with speaker coffee house events?
• All those who want stay after for the STAND Fast Meeting

• Joke!!

Ongoing Projects:

• Kenya school building – Suresh (suresh@math.rochester.edu)
• Banaa Project – Joseph Gardella
• Family Refugee Pairing – Adrienne Hloderwski
• Get author of Memoirs of a Child Soldier to UR

URGI Minutes 10/20/09

Awareness Update
- General Scott Gration released his policy on Darfur
- ICC will begin confirmation hearings in next week
- Uganda willing to hold peace talks between Sudanese govt. and Darfur

Volunteering
- ask any other frats if interested in doing rides? Luke! (AEPI), ELENA! (SIG NU)
- merge with Emergency for Sports nights? (Adrienne!) Early evening Friday/Saturday nights. Shuttle kids over to play in gym,

Douglass Advocacy Event 10/23 12pm-2pm
- Have people take their picture with poster asking Senators/Obama to take action in Darfur
- send picture to Senator via email/print them out or post on URGI’s facebook page
- Permission sheet for people to sign if willing to use photo on facebook/sending to senator (Cassie! Lizzy!)
- Make flyer (Lizzy!) Ask people at register/food places to put them up before event. “picture petitions” event on facebook

Banaa Project
- SUCCESS!!!!!! Sudanese student will most likely be attending U of R next fall with full tuition paid, and cost of living and stipends provided Student
- Bringing student requires school to have Banaa chapter- we provide support, friendly atmosphere and connections and answer any questions they may have.
- One idea: create one E-board position and have sub-committee working in conjunction with URGI
-
Yearbook Pictures
- NOV 10th after regular meeting

Sudanese Sunrise Event – Nov. 3rd at 7pm in Interfaith Chapel
- ex-NBA player trying to go back to Sudan and start forming schools in Southern Sudan. Coming to UR to speak about organization he is creating! , work he wants to do and life in the NBA.
- Kelli is speaking at this event! About URGI’s past and future events and the club in general.

Nazareth College’s Refugee Youth Event – Nov. 13th 8:45am-12pm
- for more infor email Joe!

Address Unknown Toop – Nov. 20th
-play about pre-holocaust. After the show we are having a talk about contemporary genocide and how it affects a community, individuals. Affects on people, etc.
- Suresh, Brinda, Joe, Cassie

Museum of Play
-red line goes there, call 2 weeks in advance (Julia!)
- November 14th

Dodgeball tournament
- Cassie and Luke
- Dodgeball Team co-sponsor? Or with D-lions? Regulation size 10 people.
- Talk to each fraternity/sorority and make a team.

STAND Fast Update !
– Beth and Morgan
- movie about interviewing refugee students in Rochester community Suresh and Adrienne!
- possible idea? Strong showcase of student talents. “UR’s got talent” Open to every student/every group. Videotape/auditions. Winners get a prize, audience votes. Thursday or Friday. Kick off with the show and after party. Judges are deans
- alternative is IBTL as hosts.
- Subcommittee? Suresh, Morgan, Lizzy, Julia
- donated t-shirts. coca-cola? Logo on front..
- bi weekly meetings for subcommittee

Ongoing Projects:

· Volunteering – Adrienne Hloderwski and Joseph Gardella

· Kenya school building – Suresh (suresh@math.rochester.edu)

· Banaa Project – Joseph Gardella

· Family Refugee Pairing – Adrienne Hloderwski

· Get author of Memoirs of a Child Soldier to UR

· Can Collecting – Elena

URGI Minutes 10/13/09

* Awareness Update
- Darfur: peace process at a crossroads that’s now ending, no credible peace proposal yet, international community needs to give support
- strategy paper available if you want to read it- email JOE!
- Darfur Civil Society involved, down up approach- grassroots support.
- presidential election in the future but most likely to be flawed.

* Douglass Tabling Oct 9th feedback
evaluation- 40 people signed petition! In the future:
- set numerical goals everytime
- Get a better understanding of what we are tabling for
- Sheet of paper at table with bulleted information

* October Big Showcase Event CANCELLED
- due to financial issues

* STAND Fast Week
-meeting 8pm on Tuesday 10/20 before weekly meeting(subject to change)
- location TBA

*Volunteering
- T&R 3-5pm – Mary’s place
→4 volunteers
- Sig Ep to provide transportation

*Pledge to protect conference.- Nov. 6th-9th in Washington D.C
-email KELLI/JOE ASAP!!
- Details- IN D.C., not fully funded but SA will pay for registration fee. You pay for hotel (discounted), transportation, few other financial stipulations Luke and Cassie.

*Future Events:
Fundraising Event:
o Tournament- Basketball, co-sponsor with D’Lions- CASSIE AND LUKE
o Sunday afternoon/evening-2pm
• Social Event:
o Museum of Play- JULIA!

Ongoing Projects:
* Volunteering – Adrienne Hloderwski and Joseph Gardella
* Kenya school building – Suresh (suresh@math.rochester.edu)
* Banaa Project – Joseph Gardella
* Family Refugee Pairing – Adrienne Hloderwski
* Get author of Memoirs of a Child Soldier to UR
* Address Unknown Toop – Nov. 20th
* Can Collecting - Elena