OSC GMO Campaign Meeting Notes - 11/23/15 (Public Version)

OSC GMO Campaign Meeting Notes
Monday, November 23, 2015
Peace & Justice Center

​9 people p​resent​ including 2 newcomers​

Reports ​B​ack

1. Garden and garden boxes are closed for the winter.
2. Attended climate change march and rally in Oakland around Lake Merritt.
   Set up TPP information tent with team.  Not many people came up to booth.  Of those who did, around half had heard about TPP while the other half didn't know anything about it!  Press release was written and sent out.  If TPP passes; our laws protecting us from knowing what's in our foods will be void, Corporations can sue others for lost profits even if they are harming the Earth and our health, wages will drop completely, quality of food will go down, pharmaceuticals can extend patents, country of origin labeling will be eliminated.  A lot of people don't know that we have less than ninety days to take action!  Sixty days for Representatives of Congress to go over, then thirty days for the President.  Obama is for TPP.  Congress will decide it it goes thru or not on February 4th.  Obama likely will push it thru.  ​H​as only three people on ​their​ team. They are overwhelmed and in need of more help just raising peoples' awareness.  "We need a phone group of 100!"  People have to write letters and call their representatives!  Tables are being set up at farmers markets to bring people in.  ​Some people are​ working very hard on this.
3. Monsanto has been testing GMO crops for some time in Hawaii. The islanders have been active in fighting to stop them and demand GMO labeling.  More info to follow.
   Note: Here is a link to a video about what GMOs are doing to Hawaii https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZgrOFjhzdg#t=13.
4. H​as been at Oliver's and Community Market in Sebastopol getting petitions signed.  Spoke on ​Women's Spaces​ radio show about the FDA passing GMO salmon.  Wanting to go on KBBF and KOWS to announce GMO protection.  Article about body oppression sent to Sonoma West News hopefully will go in.  Need more PR stuff.  Handing out flyers, getting our name out there.  Working on media contacts spreadsheet, having some technical problems with formatting in Excel.
5. Pulled together GMO salmon press release the same day as the FDA announcement.  Press release written on Titanpad​ by two other people​. Then sent out to the press that night.  S​omeone p​osted the press release on our website.  Made a post for Twitter with a link to our press release and a photo of a GMO salmon and posted that to over 1,000 organizations and media contacts that we are following on Twitter.  Also Facebook.
   Our March against Monsanto has a Facebook event page at https://www.facebook.com/events/1687679744786457/.  Tried to get onto the international MAM list but it's not out yet.
   Invited a lot of people to this meeting including everyone who's attended teach-ins and people who have contacted us through our website.
   Will work to update the flyer distribution list.
6. Florida is pushing to get mandatory GMO labeling on ballot.
7. Working on police brutality with the new coalition that we joined last month.  Protesting at Santa Rosa Mall on Black Friday to do a reenactment of prisoners being beaten by guards in Sonoma County Jail, raising public awareness.  People are needed to carry signs.  Recently twenty prisoners were lined up and beaten for over five hours by guards in black ski masks.
8. Setting up a new donation system on our website.  Working on the Body Oppression teach-in video for our Youtube page.
9. Goats are next to be genetically modified.

AGENDA

Quick Items

• ​ Radio station, ​KOWS​ show wants to have people on 12/22 to speak of any GMO information or news.
• We​ will show GMO films at Sonoma Creek Commons, evening events.  Using their equipment.  Need to know date we can show them.  May choose February 29th, a Monday.
• Think of organizations to contact, share information and collaborate with.
• Taqueria letter-writing campaign - tabled

March Against Monsanto

Went over notes from last meeting.  Brainstorm, quick second run-thru.  Agreed to ditch or add anything wanted.

Added:

• Contact and coordination with MAM.
• Must agree on time, schedule, location.
• Displays
• Specific goals
• Emergency kit including water
• Prepare for rain
• Events leading up to MAM
• Flyering
• Chants

People ​volunteered according to ​who want​s​ to work on ​the following ​tasks:

• Publicity-​M&P meeting​
• Permits
• Performers
• Vendors
• Plants
• Signs
• Outhouse
• Endorsements
• Food Vendors
• Speakers
• Sound Systems
• Coolers
• Tables
• Canopies
• Time Schedule- Monthly Meeting
• Display
• Goals- GMO meeting
• Fundraising-​ ​
• (​donation ​
• buckets, planter boxes)
• Flyer
• Press Release
• PSA
• Interviews
• Media Contact
• Walkie-talkies
• Contact and Coordinate with MAM
• Emergency Kit and Water
• Events
• Flyering
• Chants

End meeting 9:20 PM

Next GMO Campaign meeting: Mon, January 25, 7-9 PM; Peace & Justice Center
Next meeting: Media & Publicity (M&P) Monday, January 4, 7:15-9:15 PM