Board Meeting Minutes

November 20, 2007

Minutes of Board Meeting – Tuesday, November 20, 2007
Porter Hall, Pilgrim Place, Claremont

Present: Frank Amon, Mel and Beth Boynton, Ben Boynton, Charles Bayer, Harry Brunger, Jane Burtis, Bev and Richard Davis, Marilyn Hamilton, Richard Harris, Carol Billings Harris, Mary Johnson, Brianna Maury, Dean McHenry,  Jeff Masters, Bill Moreman, ,Martha Millett, Liz, Marybeth and Stan  Moore, Dennis and Tarid Ownseth, Jane Purcell, Ardi Rashidi, Gloria Reynolds, Herman Reuther,  Marilee Scaff,  Bob Smith, Audrey Sorrento,  Art Sutton, Lois  and Rhodes Thompson,  Anna Mae and Howard Towne, Doug Wallace, and Shirley Williams.

            Refreshments were provided by Gloria Reynolds.

The meeting was called to order at 5:30 pm by President Mel Boynton.
Minutes of the meeting of October 16 were approved as written.

Richard Harris reported for the Treasurer that expenses for the Newsletter approximately balanced by new income, so the total in the Treasury is still approximately $2700. Marilee Scaff reported that the collection for UNICEF taken at UN Day luncheon totaled $67.42.  Gloria Reynolds turned in three boxes she had collected. All collections will be sent to UNICEF.

CALENDAR and ANNOUNCEMENTS:

The President passed out a sheet of upcoming meetings:
Tuesday, Dec. 18, 5:30 pm – UNA Board and speaker Lako Tongun of Pitzer College on “An Update on Darfur and Sudan”

Tuesday Jan. 15, 5:30  - UNA Board and speaker Rizek Abusharr on “The Palestine and Israel Issue from inside Jerusalem.”

Sunday Dec 2, 3 to 5 pm - an Open House will be held at the home of Mel Boynton to raise funds to send Richard Harris on a peacemaking tour of Israel with Rizek Abusharr (our speaker in January). Board members are invited to stay after meeting today to address invitations.

January 27, 5 to 8 pm – Potluck supper and Annual Meeting of Pomona Valley Chapter of UNA at Decker Hall, Pilgrim Place.  H.S. Essay contest winners will be presented  awards. Program speaker will be Habitat for Humanity area Director Cyndi Torres on ”Program Highlights at Pomona Valley Habitat for Humanity. “ The public is invited and members urged to bring food and guests.

Tuesday Feb. 19, 5:30 pm - UNA Board and speaker Imam Ali Siddiqui on “What Americans Need to Know About Islam.”

Tuesday Mar. 18, 5_30 pm –UNA Board and speaker Charlene Martin on “My Years at International Place.”

How to End the War in Iraq by Professor Ed Haley

 Professor Ed Haley of Claremont McKenna College, a specialist on international policy issues was introduced by the President. A summary of his presentation follows:
            The War in IRAQ where 4000 American soldiers and some 60,000 Iraqis have died, plus probably 70,000 or 80,000 civilian casualties, at a cost of something like $400 billion to $1 trillion—is an enormous tragedy.  It will bring about  a number of changes in the Middle East. It has changed the balance of power in the Gulf—increased the prestige of Iran— diminished the credibility of the US. Formerly (after the Iran-Iraq War)  Iraq and Iran had counter-balanced each other; now Iran is the only remaining power.
            What is the real IRAQ? The Iraq of American newspaper stories? The Iraq of 1.2 million displaced persons?  Towns with glass barriers separating neighborhoods? The real Iraq? It’s hard to say. Is the strategy of the Bush administration working? Contradictory reports make it hard to judge.  Gen Petreus says the military objective has largely been met.  Security is better; fewer people are being killed. The Red Crescent Society said on Nov 6 that 200 million people have been displaced—that 2/3 of that number are younger than 12—missing years of schooling. The first time I saw  on TV an American soldier kicking down the door of an Iraqi house and taking out hooded captives, I knew we had lost the war. An American reporter embedded with the troops writes of bombs, bomblets, bomb craters in all the roads—power lines down—trash uncollected everywhere.  A few months ago there were people on the street, Now shops are closed, towns are deserted.  He reports hearing discouraged soldiers saying. ”This place is not worth another soldier’s life.” Which Iraq is the real Iraq?  All of them.

So, the Sunni leaders have decided not to support al Queda. So—they are getting guns and money every month. Our President has put off making any decisions until after elections  and his successor is in place—leaving the war to go on and on.  Four more years, at the costs as above?  What does that mean? That the War is lost.  Not that the soldiers will be forced to leave. But you cannot force Iraq to produce a government.  They have lost oil revenue. No other country will want to follow into this mess. Even the most casual student can tell us that the Iraqi’s three ethnic-religious groups hate each other and they all hate the US.  Shiite militias, ostensibly our friends, have increasingly been attacking us. They will not be governed by outsiders; they will not be dictated to.  They will fight until they have settled grudges.  (Ardi argues for a Kurdish state.. Haley says that’s impossible—the neighbors would never permit that.) We have destroyed the Iraq-Iran balance.  Hussein held Iran in position. Shiites in Syria, Hezbollah in Lebanon are too weak.  Iran will be the regional power in the Gulf.  What can be done about that?

It is time for a cease fire—time for two Conferences—one for Iraqis to settle their problems. The other for regional countries to try to settle the balance of power. Oil issues will be part of that. The US and the rest of the world want access to Iraqi oil supplies; that could be addressed in an International conference of external powers.  Such conferences are the only way to end the war.

Q: what about the nuclear bomb issue?
Haley: This is very dangerous, because a number of these countries have at least a few nuclear bombs—Pakistan, India, Saudi Arabia, Israel, Syria, China? With no “mutually assured destruction” the time between getting a bomb and being able to deploy it is very dangerous. Essentially we have the conditions for WW III—bigger and more powerful arms.  But powerful arms serve no good without the right strategy. We lack information and understanding. The psychology of terrorism eludes us. Before 9/11 terrorism was being crushed—efforts  failed in country after country. The last great attempt to make terrorism work was by attacking the US. And we reacted in the exact way to increase it—by attacking an Arab country.

How can the world go about reestablishing a balance of power in the Middle East?  Conferences will be difficult, but they are the only hope.

Respectfully submitted,

Marilee Scaff, Secretary

October 16, 2007

Present: Harry Brunger, Jane Burtis, Jerry Burtis, Richard Harris, Mary Johnson, Malika Kachani, Brianna Maurey, Dean McHenry, Linda Moran, George Pixley, Jane Purcell, Ardi Rashidi, Gloria Reynolds, Herman Ruether, Marilee Scaff, Bob Smith, Art Sutton,Rhodes Thompson, Lako Tongun, Shirley Williams, Tinker Williams. Guests Present were Betsey Coffman, Bob Gerecke, Katie Gerecke, and Sally Seven, speaker. Delicious refreshments were provided by Jane and Jerry Burtis.

The meeting was called to order at 5:45 pm by Chairman Richard Harris, in the absence of Mel Boynton.
Minutes of the meeting of September 20 were presented by the Secretary, and approved.

Richard Harris reported for the Treasurer a current balance of $2276.53 in the Treasury, including $1000 from a new lifetime member.

CALENDAR and ANNOUNCEMENTS:
UN Day celebration Oct 25 at 11:45 am: we join International Place students and Community Friends of International Students for luncheon at Claremont McKenna College, McKenna Auditorium. Lunch $7 at the door. Speaker will be Dean McHenry.

Southern California Division of UNA will meet Nov 10 in San Diego. Attendees are welcome; at least one car will go from Claremont.

Thanks to Jane Purcell, Claremont High School students will have essays for the annual UNA national contest. Mel Boynton will arrange for readers.

Sycamore School in Claremont continues to make coin collections for “Trick or Treat for UNICEF.” We accept the money, count and transmit it to UNICEF.

Gloria Reynolds reported on an interfaith meeting sponsored by Soka University on “Creating a Culture of Peace” focused primarily on the rights of children.

PRESIDENT'S REPORT: No report with President absent.

PROGRAM:
Dr. Sally Seven -"World Population Issues."
Dr. Seven pointed out that all social issues are worsened because of population growth throughout the world. She passed out charts which showed the world's population was flat to about 1550; it reached its first billion in 1825, its second billion in 1930, third in 1960, fourth in 1975, fifth in 1987, and sixth in 1998; world population is now 6 and ½ billion. This “J” curve of population increase in approximately matched by an equally rapid J curve of consumption increase, especially in the developed countries.

Birth control efforts do make an enormous difference in population increase. For example, Iran under the Shah had an active family planning program and the birth rate dropped. Under the first Ayatola, that program was discontinued and the birth rate went back up to 4+ children per mother. Recognizing the economic pressure of this rapid increase, the government reinstituted their family planning program and passed a law requiring every couple to take family planning training before getting a marriage license—and the rate dropped again to just over 2 children per mother.

Davis Pimentel of Cornell University says the earth could support an American or European style of life for about 2 billion people. But we have 6+ billion now. So we have already overshot the earth's carrying capacity for the quality of life we cherish. There are now on earth 2 billion people who live on less than $2 per day. We are great consumers, and enormous numbers of others the world want to live as we do and become the happy consumers that we are.

The impact of each person on the world environment is calculated by a formula:
Impact = population size x affluence x technology: or I=pat. Social policy makers calculate Footprint analysis to show how each person, each city, each area of the world impacts the total world resources. In 2003, the global resource demand was calculated as 14.2 billion or 2.2 acres per person. The average person's footprint is 1.8 acres. We are already 25% in overshoot in our demands on world resources. Ecological footprints calculated by the Global Footprint Network show that North America is richest in its biocapacity, yet also the most overdrawn. Latin America is next richest, but it is using less—yet still overusing its resources. Europe is the second heaviest user, but still uses less than we. If you look at national consumption our total overdraw is almost equal to that of Asia despite the high population density of China and India.

What could be done about this.? Family planning does reduce the increase of populations. North Korea had 6 children per family and realized their country could never support this population increase. They instituted a national program of making family planning available and the average per mother is now 2 children and their economy is stabilizing. Two factors seem to be important in reducing run-away population size: 1) more education for women, as education delays child bearing and women have fewer children. 2) easy access to family planning at affordable costs. The fact is that women want to have fewer children; if they have the power to reduce family size, they will do that.

The U.S. is not only not living up to our promises to other nations on the Millennium Development Goals; we are discouraging those very programs which empower women to choose smaller families and dooming them to poverty and unmanageable population growth.

Next meeting, November 20, 2007 5:30 in Porter Hall. Speaker will be Dr. Ed Haley on “How to Get Out of Iraq.”
Refreshments – Gloria Reynolds.

Respectfully submitted,

Marilee Scaff, Secretary

September 18, 2007

Minutes of Board Meeting – Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Porter Hall, Pilgrim Place, Claremont

Present: Dyari Ahmed, Mel Boynton, Harry Brunger, Jane Burtis, Mr. Burtis, Richard Harris, Mary Johnson, Malika Kachani, Peg Linnehan, Dean McHenry, George Pixley, Ardi Rashidi, Gloria Reynolds, Herman Ruether, Marilee Scaff, Bob Smith, Art Sutton, Lako Tongun, Shirley Williams, Teresa Wilson. Delicious refreshments were provided by Bob Smith.

The meeting was called to order at 5:35 pm by Chairman Mel Boynton.
Minutes of the meeting of July 17 were presented by the Secretary, and approved.

Treasurer's Report, given by Emily Burch showed just over $700 in the Treasury, including $1000 from a new lifetime member which was received after some confusion about which S. Cal. Chapter should receive her generous gift.

CALENDAR: At our next meeting - Oct 16, 5:30 pm, Dr. Sally Seven of the League of Women Voters will speak on World Population Issues.

Oct 25 at 11:45 am we join International Place students and Community Friends of International Students for luncheon in celebration of UN DAY at Claremont McKenna College, McKenna Auditorium. Lunch $7 at the door.

Nov. 13, 5:30 Board meeting. Gloria Reynolds will bring snacks.

Today's Africa – a 9 weeks course meeting Friday 9:30 to 11:30 am is being offered by Claremont Adult School. Bob Smith, our speaker last month, is the teacher. Registration is still open, Fee $15.

Be sure to keep in touch through our website

PRESIDENT'S REPORT:
Membership is strong, with increases this year.
Education: our promotion of the UN Essay contest at Claremont High School will be arranged by Jane Purcell; though she is no longer teaching her replacement will sponsor the contest.

PROGRAM:

DR. MALIKA KACHANI, Professor of Veterinary Medicine at Western University of Health Sciences, Pomona, and a member of our Chapter, reported on her summer in Morocco to which she regularly takes students for field work. This past summer she took both MD an DVM students, and focused especially on diseases which affect both humans and animals and how to control them. The group spent time in Fez and then out in villages, where they visited local homes (including Malika's own family) and participated in many ways in the local culture. Malika herself sponsors 5 children in Morocco, seeing that they have food and clothing and get an education; all these children speak Arabic, but they also learn French. Pictures from all these visits enlivened the audience's understanding of life in Moroccan villages.

Malika pointed out the challenge of preparing American students for the exceedingly simple life of rural villages. Social and cultural differences which students must learn to handle include: religious constraints on women and girls in the Moslem world, courtesy, food habits. Some current students are vegans, and it is extremely impolite to refuse food in Mrroccan families. One girl in the visiting team was Jewish, though no one refused her courteous treatment. Care of animals is so different—poor people do not spend money on animals; pets do not receive special food or medical treatment. Rural people live closely with their animals so between animals and people there is transmission of diseases such as TB, polio, brucelosis. This is predominantly a problem among the poor. Veterinarians are very busy, often seeing 150 cases a day. Heffer Project has helped with supplying sheep; some foundations offer funds to provide services.

The World Health Organization complains that MD's and Vets do not study and talk enough together, and there is great need to address this deficiency. Malika is helping organize a Workshop which will bring together international experts and local people to think about the transfer of diseases between animals and people. This international effort is gaining cooperation from a number of countries: Germany, Italy, Bolivia and China have expressed willingness to spend money on the project. There is need to broaden the horizons of all medical workers with informal contacts as well as formal instruction and expanded research.

Malika reported that despite the challenges, the students had a wonderful summer, loved the country and the people. For some it was a life-changing experience. Though Malika was not complaining, in answer to questions, she admitted that the only difficulty was with the American immigration service!

Next meeting, October 16, 2007 5:30 in Porter Hall. Program: Dr. Sally Seven: “World Population Issues” - Refreshments – Jane Burtis

June 19, 2007

Pomona Valley Chapter UNA-USA Membership Meeting, Tuesday, June 19, 2007 at Pilgrim Place
PVUNA-USA Chapter Board members attending: Mel Boynton, Emily Burch, Mary Johnson, Richard Harris, Dean McHenry, Dan O'Hearn, Jane Purcell, Ardi Rashidi, Gloria Reynolds, Marilee Scaff, Bob Smith, and Shirley Williams. Some 25 guests attended.
5:30 Business Meeting. Those in attendance introduced themselves.

May minutes from Marilee Scaff were approved as submitted.

Treasurer update: President Mel Boynton reported $1800 in our checking account. He reported that Treasurer Jaideep Sahai has moved to Berkeley and therefore resigned. Emily Burch was nominated and elected unanimously to serve as Treasurer.

President's report: Mel Boynton thanked Board member Lois Thompson for the refreshments. He passed out membership forms to the 25 or so guests in attendance. He reported on the UNA-USA Global Classroom Convention in Los Angeles and recent Division Executive Board Meeting. He will speak at Claremont 4th of July Speaker's Corner on the subject of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) at 11:30 AM and Vice President Richard Harris will speak of his reaction to WW II war experiences at 1 PM. The Pasadena UNA-USA chapter is offering $35 tickets to “Can-Can” for June 28th – see the www.pv.una-socal.org website. Mel offered free copies of Anthology of Peace Poems (with a inside label saying “Gift of Pomona Valley UNA-USA) for members and visitors to give to friends, schools, doctors, dentists, etc (for use in waiting rooms and libraries). Former President Ardi Rashidi reported that his July 17th program presentation will be on sustainable environment.

Committee reports were given as follows:

Education committee – MDG presentations made (April), and forthcoming (July 4th and August 30)

Membership is up to 69 members – steady growth over the last two years

Advocacy events are posted to our website www.pv.una-socal.org

Africa committee – no report.

New business. UN Charter Day is next week. Fifty countries signed the UN Charter on June 26, 1946. Poland signed it later and became one of the original 51 member states. UN Charter Day is not to be confused with United Nations Day, which is in October. The United Nations officially came into existence on October 24, 1946, when the Charter was ratified. The chapter is planning several events for next October, including UN Day dinner at International Place and a month-long display in the Claremont library.

The next PVUNA membership meeting is July 17th, 2007 at 5:30 PM at Porter Hall in Pilgrim Place. There will NOT be an August membership meeting.

5:50 PM - Gloria Reynolds, UNA Board Member and SGI District leader for Claremont facilitated a program on the Soka Gakkai International (SGI) Buddhist Movement.
The guest speakers introduced themselves and Ms. Reynolds showed a 20-minute video "Our Shared Humanity.” Each guest then spoke briefly about his or her involvement in SGI.

Bettina Torres, YWD, Rancho Cucamonga. (This is how Bettina identified herself, but I don't know what it means, maybe Young Women and Democracy). She spoke about the founding of SGI in 1975 and talked about the current president, Daisaku Ikeda. The SGI aims to realize the absolute happiness (enlightenment) of individuals and the prosperity of each country by spreading understanding of the Buddhism of Nichiren Daishonin (1222-1282). Toward that end, the SGI engages in various activities to promote peace, culture and education based on Buddhism, and the understanding that lasting peace can only be realized by challenging and overcoming the inner impulse toward hatred and violence that exists within all people.

Conydon Smith is the Associate Director, Community Relations, SGI-USA, with an office in Santa Monica. He spoke about the connections between SGI and he United Nations, specifically in terms of helping refugees, and in promoting peace: “SGI are based, places special emphasis on the sanctity of human life and, as a natural outgrowth of this, on peace.

Charmaine M. Fujioka is chairperson for the San Gabriel Valley Earth Charter Community Summit. She presented “Seeds of Change,” a proposal on education for a sustainable future. She invited attendees to attend a planning meeting on Wednesday, July 18 at 7:00 p.m. at the SGI-USA Community Center, 747 Del Valle Avenue, La Puente, CA 91744, (626) 968-1788.

Another SGI member spoke at this point, but he didn't sign-in. Adam Boren Bennett presented an overview of “Victory Over Violence,” created by the youth of the Soka Gakkai, to support the United Nation's: Culture of Peace” initiative.

The meeting ended at 6:55 PM.
Respectfully submitted,
Jane Purcell, Board Member

May 15, 2007

Pomona Valley UNA
Minutes of Board Meeting,Tuesday, May 15, 2007 5:30 pm
Porter Hall Conference Room, Pilgrim Place

Present: Board members: Harry Brunger, Mel Boynton, Emily Burch, Richard Harris, Rachel Kitch, Dean McHenry, Ardi Rashidi, Gloria Reynolds, Marilee Scaff, Bob Smith, Art Sutton, Lois and Rhodes Thompson, Shirley Williams.
Snacks were provided by Rachel Kitch.

Guests present: Martha Millett, Jean Underwood, Ifeanyi Ojukwu, Tom Brigante, Carter Buris, Mary Johnson, Rosemary Reuther, H..J. Reuther, Toris Page, Almas Mayden, Duanne Welsh, Doris Rhoades, David Reuther, Melanie Smith, Ilana Madorsky, Linnet Davis-Stermitz, Rose Corcoran, Sarah Chern, Katrina Shore

The meeting was called to order by Mel Boynton, President, at 5:35 pm.
Minutes were circulated by email, and were not read; there was no Treasurer's Report.

Program: UN and the rights of the Girl child. Lois Thompson introduced Theresa Wilson, and official delegate from the Grail to the 4th International Women's Conference in Beijing in 1995, who has continued every year to attend a follow-up Women's Conference at the UN, keeping abreast on women's issues at the UN.

Theresa pointed out first that at the organization meeting of the UN in 1947 there were 160 signatories, and only 4 were women. However, the UN from 1947 to 62 paid increasing attention to women's legal rights and then declared the 1970's a “Decade for Women”. She then outlined a history of UN Women's conferences—in 1975 the 1st UN Conference on Women in Mexico City; in 1985, in Nairobi, in 1990 a series of 5 regional conferences leading up to the International Conference in Beijing in 1995.

For the 1995 Conference Theresa joined a group of women delegates, 15 from the Grail, and others from various countries from Europe and Asia, who took a 30 day train trip from Helsinki across Russia and China to Bejing. The weeks together gave them an unprecedented opportunity to hear each others stories and to delineate women's issues to be discussed at the conference.

In Beijing, at the rural town of Huirau 30,000 women gathered to work on those many issues. It was hard to get into Beijing to the governmental Conference, but at the end all 1899 countries signed on to a document to protect women's rights, to advance the education of the girls child, and in many ways try to deal with violence against women, equal rights, equal work opportunities. In 2006 the UN General Assembly focused on women bringing change to the UN structures. The Security Council agree that women deserved special consideration for violence, both domestic but especially in time of war. In 2005 the Millennium Development Goals were based on the Plan of Action Goals from the women's conferences. Secy General Kofi Anan said the “gender architecture needs to change, to seek to provide power structure which includes women “ and it must be properly funded. Theresa described in riveting detail her recent women's meeting at the UN with 800 NGO people meeting in tiny women's crowded rooms across the street at 8 am, dashing across to the UN meeting at 10 am where they worked and lobbied all day, then returning to caucus at 5 pm, planning for the next day. It was not easy to catch the government reps and speak to them; in many cases the UGO women knew more about the issues than governmental representatives. The American desk was peculiarly uninterested in NGO input.

There was much debate about the bracketed (not yet agreed upon words). The word “Peace” was excluded by the US; China had put it there. “Girl child” received much attention: issues of forced marriages, sex slavery, violence against women, lack of educational equality, health care for women, family planning, evaluation of progress in gender equality. At the end the young women reported on what they had learned. High on the list was the capacity of the UN to work on larger issues, to work for change.

Women want a 5th International Conference on Women, but the UN is not doing world conferences now, not formalizing government agreements on issues now. This is a problem we should address.

Respectfully submitted,

Marilee Scaff, Secretary

April 17, 2007

Pomona Valley UNA Minutes of Board Meeting,
Tuesday, April 17, 2007, Porter Hall Conference Room, Pilgrim Place

Present: Harry Brunger, Richard Harris, Rachel Kitch, Mano Lalehzarian, Dean McHenry Ardi Rashidi, Gloria Reynolds, Marilee Scaff, Bob Smith, Lois Thompson, Noel Wiggins, Shirley Williams. Snacks were provided by Marilee Scaff.

The meeting was called to order by Richard Harris, Vice President, at 5:35 pm.

Treasurer's Report, read by Richard in the absence of the Treasurer, showed a total of $1,112.19 in the Treasury, including a $600 gift from the University Club which is used to fund the prizes for high shool students who are local winners of the UNA Essay Contest. Ardi was thanked for his continuing efforts in securing this contribution.

Announcements:
Next meeting – May15, Theresa Wilson of Grail and Peace Links will speak about the recent UN Conference in New York City with focus on work with women and children.

October exhibit about the UNA will be in the Claremont Library all month.

Women Standing for Peace Worldwide at 1 pm, Sunday, May 13 (Mothers' Day) Memorial Park, Claremont.

Shirley Williams announced that our UNA website can publicize any important events.
Gloria Reynolds offered to provide the program for our June 19 meeting, for which Lois Thompson will provide a snack.

Dean McHenry suggested that Sallema Shakar, former Ambassador to Canada from Eqypt is teaching here and is a possible speaker for UNA.

Ardi Rashidi announced that William Leurs, national head of the UNA of USA will be the guest of Southern Cal Division, and in Claremont, Sat, Apr 21 10-4. At 10 am he is speaking about organizational issues of the UNA, and everyone is urged to be present. The public is invited.

Ardi also reported from the recent national UNA meeting that Climate Change is a top priority of the UN this year. Second is the privatization of water where the major issue is whether water should be managed for the service of the community or for profit.

Program:
Professor John Moore brought four students who were part of California Polytechnic University's delegation to the Model United Nations meeting at the United Nations Headquarters in New York City last month. This is the 30th delegation that John has taken to the Model UN—all of them to New York City. The students study hard all year to prepare themselves to accurately represent their assigned nation. He commented on the life-changing nature of this experience to many of the students.

This year the Cal Poly delegation represented Greece, and each student spoke about the particular area they represented.

Roberta Melo (who is a native of Brazil) was on the Environmental Commission which dealt with issues of sustainability and global warming. She pointed out that 40% of the conflicts in the world are over natural resources.

Andrea Jessen was on the Health Commission where a major concern was the problem of HIV and programs to deal with the issues it poses, especially in Third World countries.
Jessica Romero was the Greek delegate to the Opec workshop. She pointed out that the global oil demand is especially hard on smaller nations,. Because ultimately climate change will have a negative impact on the economies and the enviroment of all countries, she helped set up an environmental coalition within her commision, and that way she was able to get agreement on her resolutions.

Aaron Burton was Greek delegate to the International Hydrological Commission.The UN is deeply concerned about Global Warming, and international agrements are essential. China is building one new coal plant every week, and burning soft (dirty) coal. The US and China both oppose international agreements to roll back CO2 emissions, so he was leading a coalition of smaller nations to secure some very technical agreements on limiting greenhouse gases.

Questions to the Model UN delegates and general discussion completed the meeting.

Respectfully submitted,
Marilee Scaff, Secretary

March 20, 2007

Board Meeting Minutes Tuesday, March 20, 2007, 5:30 p.m.
Porter Hall, Pilgrim Place, Claremont

Present: Mel Boynton, Richard Harris, Gar Byrum, Malika Kachani, Joyce Waters, Emily Burch, Lois Thompson, Rachel Kitch, Dean McHenry Jr, Ardi Rashidi, Shirley Williams, Gloria Reynolds, Art Sutton.

Jane Purcell provided lovely snacks.

The meeting was called to order by Mel Boynton at 5:35 pm. Minutes were approved with the following correction: Theresa Wilson will be presenting in May.

Treasurer's report: sent by Jai Sahai shows a balance of $1,112.19.

President's report:
(1) The annual report has been submitted to National UNA-USA as of March 12, 2007.
(2) Our membership is increasing.
(3) The budget will be receiving $99 from renewing committee membership and an additional $200 in special gifts.
(4) The gift from the University Club has not yet been received.
(5) Program line up runs as follows:

• April 17th at 5:30 p.m. John Moore will run a presentation by the Cal-Poly Model United Nations.
• May 15th: Teresa Wilson, who has been a representative to the Beijing Conference and World Wide Women 's Conference. She is just back from the United Nations.
• October's event will be United Nations Day.
• All other months are available for programs.
• Gloria Reynolds has suggested a presentation from Soka Gakkai International-USA when the materials are available.

(6) To meet our advocacy mission the PVUNA is:

• Posting peace vigils on website.  Email Mel Boynton with more dates if you hear of any.
• Writing letters to the editor on current issues.  Gar has offered to write the next letter.
• The Bulletin did publish a letter to the editor sent in by Dean.

UNA Webmaster:
(1)   The website is up and running.  Please specify if you would like information posted on the website.
(2)   Any information to be posted should be sent via Mel Boynton or Richard not sent to Shirley directly.
(3)   Minutes from posted between meetings will be labeled “pending approval.”
Committees:
Chairs of the various committees are as follows:

• Membership—Mel
• Africa—Noel
• Program—Open
• Advocacy—Open

New Business: Malika was asked by students from the medical school to cook for a program they are hosting.  The money made on food will be used towards buying goats for a village in Morocco with which Malika works.  Her program is very similar to Heifer International.
 
Program—“National Convention of UNA-USA” (NYC, February 28-March 4) presented by Mel Boynton, Richard Harris, and Ardi Rashidi.

Richard Harris:
 
One of the best presentations was on “Peace-Making, Peace-Keeping, Peace-Building.”
The United Nations faces the challenge of only being called upon to work in disasters.  They must face the challenge of peace-makers being pitted against peace-breakers.  Peace-keeping is an important step and places a neutral force between the opposing ones.  Peace-building consists of rebuilding the infrastructure and making every day life safe.  It is easier to make war than peace.  Reconciling waring people to normal life is very difficult.  This is especially the case with child soldiers.

Ardi Rashidi:
 
The MDGs are Kofi Annan's legacy and Ban Ki-Moon needs to address many things including the MDGs and Iraq.  It is hard to understand his position right now.
Thee was a disappointing reaction to the Iraq War.  One official claimed the resolutions on the Iraq War were exercising futility.  There are three ways to continue in Iraq:

• Finish it militarily
• Hamilton-Baker resolution: include neighboring countries in the  development of a strong centralized government.
• Biden-Gelb Proposal: use a referendum to see what Iraqis want for a  course of action.
  

• the need for specific legal rights
• the over 12 million refugees in the world today
• the lack of international concern of solving the problem
• the average tenure in a refugee camp is 17 years
• our government will accept only 7,000 Iraqis
  

• James Wang noted that 48 billion tons of CO2 in the  atmosphere each year
• We need to pass legislation to pressure negotiation
• We need to pass an economy-wide mandatory cap on CO2  emissions
• We need to provide forest-protection credits in developing  countries
• We need to provide premium budgets to companies if they curb emissions  earlier
• Curbing global warming is a matter of political will

Minutes submitted by Rachel Kitch

February 20, 2007

Board Meeting Minutes    Tuesday, February 20, 2007,  5:30 p.m.
Porter Hall, Pilgrim Place, Claremont

Present: Mel Boynton,  Richard Harris, Malika Kachani, Manou Lalehzarian,  Dean McHenry, Gloria Reynolds,  Marilee Scaff,  Bob Smith,  Lois Thompson, Lako Tongun, Shirley Williams plus 5 guests from Pilgrim Place for the program.

Malika Kachini provided delicious middle-eastern food for snacks.

The meeting was called to order by Mel Boynton at 5:35 pm. Minutes were approved as circulated.  Mel thanked Dean McHenry for his three years exemplary service as Secretary.

Treasurer's report sent by Jay Harber showed a balance in the treasury of $1,052.52.

President's report:
(1) Conference on “Finding Peace and Justice in Africa” at UCLA on Feb. 17 was attended by Richard Harris and Mel Boynton. One of our members, Lako Tongun, spoke on violence in Darfur.

(2) The President passed out a sample copy of a letter he has sent to 5 local persons inviting their support of the local UNA and asking whether they might contribute $250 for its work. He asked for other possible names to whom to send such a letter.
 
(3) He is seeking names of students and suggestions of projects that would appeal to students and get them involved in the UNA. Gloria Reynolds expressed interest in this project and will meet with Mel. To discuss it.
 
(4) National meeting of the UNA-USA will be in New York February 28 to March 4.  Our Chapter will be represented by Mel, Richard and Ardi Rashidi. Richard and Mel will each be provided $500 toward expenses by the chapter treasury.
 
(5) Lois suggested that Theresa Wilson is attending the UN Worldwide Women's conference  in Washington in March and we could ask her to speak to our May meeting.
Gloria suggested another possible speaker – [correction: Theresa Wilson will be presenting in May]

(6) Our Committee on Africa meets on the 4th Monday at 4:45 pm in Porter Hall Conference Room; next meeting Feb 26.

Other business:  

UNA Webmaster: Shirley reported that our new web site is now operating. Web will have email addresses of Board members but not phone numbers. She wants it to report what's going on in our chapter.

Program Committee would appreciate other suggestions for Program. Members suggested Lako Tongun, Dean McHenry, Mark vonWodke, environmentalist.

Program – Speaker Manou Lalehzarian  on  “What's Happening in Iran?”

Presently  a surgeon at Kaiser Permanente Hospital in Fontana, Mr. Lalehzarian disavowed being an expert, as he left Iran 27 years ago. He explained that political issues in this whole area are exceedingly complicated.

Iran has long wanted to expand, to get a port on the Persian Gulf. The Shah nationalized oil resources, and these continue to be intricately tied to political issues. Russia is near and always much involved, but the Russians have had difficulty penetrating these countries because of religious differences. However, Leftists in Iran helped Khomeini by negotiating with the Shah to go to the west for hospital care. That left an opening for more Russian influence, and a diminution of the influence of  the Americans. At the same time that the US and the USSR were trying to assert themselves, some of the Generals, others who lost government jobs, and others suspect for their political beliefs  moved west—many to Iraq—where they awaited a time when they could return and take power. People on the outside have been collecting money and arms to send to Iran, or to hold for possible other uses.

There are three major groups in Iran:  the Radicals, the Conservatives, and the Reformists. Each of these has its own point of view and following, whom they educate to their platform. The goals are varied: to spread Islam, to get an atomic bomb, to take power. Many are troubled by the increasing power of the Shias in Iraq. Sunni contributors are pumping money into Iraq and Iran. A deeper problem is the use of religion in all this political killing. There are those who would kill Muslims, kill Jews, kill Americans, kill anyone.

Some information is just now coming to light about the regimes of the Shah and Khomeini.

Next Meeting: March 20 5:30 pm  

Program: Mel, Richard and Ardi report on UNA national meeting

Respectfully submitted
Marilee Scaff, Secretary