OBAMA FOR AMERICA

Foreign Policy For Change

Meeting of December 5, 2009

26128 Talamore Drive, South Riding, Va 20152

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Minutes:

We would like to set up some meetings on Afghanistan in early 2009, especially given the President's recent announcement. If you want to speak on Afghanistan in January, please let Tim and Larry Know know ASAP.

There has been a lot of interest in Somalia over the last year, and this has grown, so we propose working with USIP on another event at their Washington location, and advancing Zahra's idea of a peace event or march for the Summer of 2010 -- but to keep the event manageable. Mustafa is in charge of all things Somalia in our group. If you want to talk about Somalia at meetings, let Mustafa, Zahra and Larry know ASAP. As for the Summer event, Larry recommended that come with careful thinking, as well as some funds.

Incorporation was an agenda item. We agreed to incorporate the group in 2010 This will give us tax protection and liability protection as well, not only for the Somalia event, but also events. With this mind, nominations have been put into place for officers for 2010, to be confirmed or changed at the January 2010 meeting.

2010 Nominations:

Larry Roeder to remain Chair

Mustafa Omar to be Vice Chair, a new position. This person will manage the organization when Larry is absent.

Tim Bucholtz for Communications Chair. As we attempt to grow, we will need to hone our messages. That will be this position's primary role.

Bob Michaud for Web Meister: Larry has been managing the website and has proposed handing these responsibilities over to Bob.

No nomination yet for Treasurer. None is needed until after incorporation; but if you are interested, please contact Larry.

John P. Flannery II agreed to provide legal advice to our group in 2010 and to help with the incorporation effort, which is essential if we are to raise funds.

We also spoke about the recent election and its potential impact on the local appreciation of foreign policy issues. One consensus from that discussion that emerged from that discussion was that we need to hold meetings in more locations in Loudoun County, Leesburg, Broadlands, South Riding, elsewhere. Please send me your recommendation and let me know if you are willing to host meetings. Also, do you have particular topics in mind?

Next Meetings. We plan to meet next in January at the home of Tim Bucholtz. Date and time to be announced. Tim lives in Broadlands Larry also recommended that in addition to his home and that of Mustafa, where most of the meetings have been so far, we also need to meet around the county, in an effort to broaden participation. Tim also recommended consideration of libraries.

Possible Future topics:

Somalia at the United States Institute of Peace: Mary Hope Schwoebel of USIP (United States Institute for Peace) agreed to develop a program of sessions at USIP with our group as a partners on intercultural conflict management. Mary Hope Schwoebel is a program officer in the Education and Training Center/International. She holds a Ph.D. in conflict analysis and resolution from George Mason University and an M.Ed. in adult and non-formal education from the University of California, Davis. Her dissertation was entitled Nation-building in the Lands of the Somalis and compared three state-building and peacebuilding interventions in terms of how they negotiated Somali, Islamic, and Western models of governance and conflict resolution.
Afghanistan: This has been recommended by Pravin Gandhi, who gave a formal presentation on the conflict in Afghanistan in July. The group agreed to have another discussion, especially in light of the President's new policy statement.
Risk Reduction: Sálvano Briceño , our member in Geneva, Switzerland, recommended we consider disaster risk reduction as a topic. He also recommended local speakers from the National Science Foundation and the World Bank to speak with us. The group agreed this was a very good idea. Poor disaster risk reduction creates enormous risks to cultures and societies, as well as major risks in foreign aid. Note on Sálvano Briceño: he was appointed the Director of the Secretariat of the International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UN/ISDR) in June 2001. His career has focused on the management of environmental and sustainable development programmes at the United Nations, the World Conservation Union and the Government of Venezuela. Prior to joining UN/ISDR, Mr. Briceño was the Coordinator of the BIOTRADE and GHG Emissions Trading Initiatives of the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), Geneva. Before that, he was Deputy Executive Secretary of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification secretariat (1996-1999), following several years as the Coordinator of Intergovernmental and Institutional Support of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. Further UN experience includes five years with UNEP's Caribbean Environment Programme at Kingston, Jamaica, where he collaborated closely with the Pan-Caribbean Disaster Preparedness and Prevention Programme (1987-1991). Earlier in his career, Mr. Briceño worked on environmental education programmes of the World Conservation Union (IUCN) and coordinated a worldwide network of experts (1985-1987). Mr. Briceño received a Doctorate in Administrative Law from the University of Paris II (Panthéon-Sorbonne) in 1975 and a Master's in Public Administration from Harvard University in 1984.
End to War: Judy Lerner, a famous anti-war activist in the UN New York community recommended to Larry suggested we invite PeaceAction, one of America's most famous anti-war NGOs to talk to the group on their activities to end war as a tool of foreign policy. the group agreed. PeaceAction believes that war is not a suitable response to conflict, that every person has the right to live without the threat from nuclear weapons and that America has the resources to both protect and provide for its citizens. At PeaceAction "We are the nation's largest grassroots peace network, with chapters and affiliates in 30 states. We organize our grassroots network to place pressure on Congress and the Administration through write-in campaigns, internet actions, citizen lobbying and direct action. Through a close relationship with progressive members of Congress, we play a key role in devising strategies to move forward peace legislation, and, as a leading member of United for Peace and Justice and the Win Without War coalition, we lend our expertise and large network to achieving common goals."