Organizing for America | Obama Cruces Connection: Global Issues: Obama Cruces Connection: Global Issues Group Meeting recap for Thursday, Feb. 19 2009

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Obama Cruces Connection: Global Issues Group Meeting recap for Thursday, Feb. 19 2009

By Bryan J Chasko - Feb 25th, 2009 at 2:29 am EST

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Tags: connection, Cruces, Dona Ana, global issues, Las Cruces, Mesilla, New Mexico, Obama, Veterans, world affairs

Obama Cruces Connection:
Global Issues Group
Meeting recap for Thursday, Feb. 19 2009

NEXT MONTH'S MEETINGS:

General meeting of the Obama Cruces Connectionis:
Saturday, March 14th at 11am
1400 S Solano Ave

Pending schedule approval, the agreed upon time and date for next month's meeting of the Global Issues Group: Obama Cruces Connection:
Thursday, March 19th at 6pm
1400 S Solano Ave

Top 3 Points for Future Action:

Plan to Plan- Find & bring in a volunteer with PR experience to help us plan the agenda and activities of the group; chair will lead this effort.
"When evil men plot, good men must plan. When evil men burn and bomb, good men must build and bind. When evil men shout ugly words of hatred, good men must commit themselves to the glories of love."
Share- Begin the practice of sharing articles & media pertinent to our discussions which we may then share with the public.
"Wisdom alone is true ambition's aim, wisdom is the source of virtue and of fame; obtained with labour, for mankind employed and then, when most you share it, best enjoyed." - Alfred North Whitehead
Utilize Human Capital- During the planning, focus intensely on ensuring that as volunteers become involved there is opportunity to actively contribute and be rewarded by achieving tangible results.
"Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Willing is not enough; we must do." - Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

General Meeting Summary:

Introductions, discussion of subjects of personal interest.
- Afghanistan
- Radical Islam
- Veterans
  - Homeless Veterans
- Service Abroad
- Cultural Awareness
Discussion of 3 areas of focus by chair
- Bring Intelligent Dialogue to the Community- Modify the Camp Obama concept to community meetings to educate the public about the policies of the Obama Administration while actively working to give an ear to the voice of citizens. Provide an extended dialoge to the community online through a group website and on social networking sites. Build on the thousand points of light ideals to join the discussions in existing organizations committed to the community i.e., institutions of faith.
- Communicate Up- In addition to group and community communication, the concerns and ideas of the community and any intellectual property produced should be shared with our elected officials as well as the Office of Public Liason & Intergovernmental Affairs.
- Spark Action & Support Legislation that has a Global Impact. Provide human capital to groups and issues.
Discussion about campus organizations
- OASIS- Group working for sustainability & the global cafe
- NMSU Speech Pathology Department- a little-known resource for local veterans
- Amnesty International?
Discussion about being sensitive to groups with active agendas
- i.e., when finding ways to support veterans, it will be important to be sensitive to the functions served by groups like VFW.
- The group will work to energize existing groups in place of duplication of efforts.
Discussion about creating a generalized plan for the group.
- Clarify positions & where we want to go as a group.
- Bring in expert opinion to guide the plan.
- Keep it simple.
- There should ALWAYS be a way for volunteers to actively contribute.

Thank you everyone for a productive discussion, I look forward to seeing what everyone is reading & watching.

Sincerely,

Bryan J Chasko
Global Issues Chair
The Obama Cruces Connection
575 805 2855
bchasko@obamaconnection.org

Gen. David Mckiernan, Commander of U.S. Forces Afghanistan & NATO's International Security Assistance Force provides an operational update to the pentagon press corps: http://www.cspan.org/Watch/watch.aspx?MediaId=HP-A-15583

The American Enterprise Institute hosted foreign policy scholars reviewing the strategic challenges facing the U.S. and its military partners in Afghanistan. Among the panelists is Frederick Kagan, who advised the Bush administration the "surge strategy" in Iraq:
http://www.cspan.org/Watch/watch.aspx?MediaId=HP-A-15589

"There will be setbacks and false starts.
There are many who won’t agree with every decision or policy I make as President, and we know that government can’t solve every problem. But I will always be honest with you about the challenges we face. I will listen to you, especially when we disagree. And above all, I will ask you join in the work of remaking this nation the only way it’s been done in America for two-hundred and twenty-one years – block by block,
brick by brick, calloused hand by calloused hand."
~President Barack Obama

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