This website shows some of the initiatives I am proud to have sponsored or supported.
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October 3, 2011: Peace and Justice Commission held Forum on "Combating the Sexual Exploitation of Minors and Sex-Trafficking in Berkeley and the Bay Area," jointly with the Commission on the Status of Women
Follow-up:
March 20, 2012: Sex Trafficking Task Force Click this link to see the minutes of the Berkeley City Council meeting (see item #30 for amended text of "Sex Trafficking Task Force to Combat Sexual Exploitation of Minors in Berkeley" as passed unanimously by the Council).
Action: Approved recommendation.
October 25, 2011: Close Guantanamo Click this link to see the minutes of the Berkeley City Council meeting (see item #14 for amended text of "Closure of Guantanamo and Justice for Cleared Detainees" as passed by the Council).
Action: Approved recommendation.
May 31, 2011: Consolidation of City Commissions Click this link to see the minutes of the Berkeley City Council meeting. This City Manager proposal would have restricted many Commissions including Peace and Justice from ten to six meetings a year, merged a number of Commissions and reducing their volunteer membership (undermining their ability to continue providing informed advice. See item 39. Twenty speakers testified before Council, unanimously in opposition to the proposal. The referral back to the City Manager was a victory for civic participation in local government.
Action: City Manager was directed to bring back information on the savings to be realized by any consolidation/meeting reduction proposal. He is likely to propose a reduction to eight rather than six meetings per year.
February 15, 2011: Humane Treatment for Bradley Manning Click this link to see the minutes of the Berkeley City Council meeting (see item #19 for amended text of "Obtain Humane Treatment and conditions of Pre-Trial Confinement and Human Rights for Pfc. Bradley Manning" as passed unanimously by the Council).
Action: Approved recommendation.
November 15, 2011: Official Visits for Bradley Manning Click this link to see the minutes of the Berkeley City Council meeting (see item #25 for amended text of "Official Visits for Army Pfc. Bradley Manning" as passed by the Council).
Action: Approved recommendation.
Vote: Ayes: Maio, Moore, Anderson, Arreguin, Capitelli, Wengraf, Worthington, Bates. Noes: Wozniak.
December 7, 2010: Teen Dating Violence Click this link to see the text of amended "Designation of February 2011 as National Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Month" as passed unanimously by the Berkeley City Council.
Action: Approved recommendation.
November 16, 2010: Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) Click this link to see the direction to staff to prepare an ordinance adopting the operative articles of CEDAW into the Berkeley Municipal Code, as passed unanimously by the Berkeley City Council.
Follow-up:
January 31, 2012: Adopting Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women into Berkeley law Click this link to see the minutes of the Berkeley City Council meeting (see item #6 for amended text of "Adopting the Operative Principles of the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women and Adding Chapter 13.2o to the Berkeley Municipal Code" as passed unanimously on consent by the Council).
Action: Approved recommendation.
September 28, 2010: Clemency Request for Leonard Peltier Click this link to see the text of "Clemency Request for Leonard Peltier" as passed unanimously by the Berkeley City Council.
Action: Approved recommendation.
October 26, 2010: Status of Prosecution of John Yoo Click this link to see the minutes of the Berkeley City Council meeting (see item #16 for amended text of "'Status of Prosecution of John Yoo for Promoting Torture" as passed unanimously by the Council).
Action: Approved recommendation. Abstain–Wengraf, Wozniak.
October 4, 2010: Peace and Justice Commission held Forum on "Breaking the Prison Cycle"
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September 28, 2010: Clemency Request for Leonard Peltier Click this link to see the text of "Clemency Request for Leonard Peltier" as passed unanimously by the Berkeley City Council.
Action: Approved recommendation.
September 21, 2010: "Berkeley Says No to Torture" Week Click this link to see the minutes of the Berkeley City Council meeting (see item #36 for amended text of "'Berkeley Says NO to Torture' Week" as passed unanimously by the Council).
Action: Approved recommendation.
July 13, 2010: Democracy in Burma Click this link to see the text of "Support of H.R. 898--Democracy in Burma and Opposition to Crimes Against Humanity" as passed unanimously by the Berkeley City Council.
Action: Approved recommendation. Abstain–Bates.
July 13, 2010: Oppose Burmese Military's Illegitimate Election Click this link to see the text of "Opposition to Burmese Military Regime's Illegitimate 2010 Election" as passed unanimously by the Berkeley City Council.
Action: Approved recommendation. Abstain–Wengraf, Wozniak, Bates.
April 27, 2010: Opposition to Corporate "Rights" Click this link to see the text of amended "Reclaiming Democracy and Opposition to Corporate 'Rights'" as passed unanimously by the Berkeley City Council.
Action: Approved recommendation.
April 12, 2010: Peace and Justice Commission held Forum on local compliance with International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) in Berkeley
March 23, 2010: Universal Periodic Review to the United Nations Click this link to see the minutes of the Berkeley City Council meeting (see item #39 for text of "Support of the Universal Periodic Review to the United Nations" resolution, as passed by the Council).
Action: Approved recommendation
March 9, 2010: Amnesty for Military Resisters and Veterans Click this link to see the minutes of the Berkeley City Council meeting (see item #20 for text of amended "Universal and Unconditional Amnesty for Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan War Military Resisters and Veterans who acted in Opposition to the War for Matters of Conscience" resolution, as passed by the Council).
Action: Approved recommendation. Vote: Ayes –Maio, Moore, Anderson, Arreguin, Capitelli, Worthington, Bates; Noes – Wengraf and Wozniak.
February 23, 2010: American Relief Efforts in Haiti Click this link to see the minutes of the Berkeley City Council meeting (see item #20 for text of amended Haiti Relief resolution, asking US to prioritize aid and relief over military intervention, as passed by the Council).
Action: Approved recommendation.
January 26, 2010: Teen Dating Violence Click this link to see the text of "Designation of February 2010 as National Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Month" as passed unanimously by the Berkeley City Council.
Action: Approved recommendation.
December 15, 2009: International Migrants Day Click this link to see the text of "International Migrants Day--December 18th" as passed unanimously by the Berkeley City Council.
Action: Approved recommendation.
October 27, 2009: Withdrawal of United States Armed Forces and Private Mercenary Contractors from Afghanistan Click this link to see the minutes of the Berkeley City Council meeting (see item #24 for text of amended Afghanistan resolution as passed by the Council).
Action: Approved recommendation. Abstain–Wozniak.
October 5, 2009: Peace and Justice Commission held Forum on Human Rights for Immigrants in Berkeley
September 29, 2009: United Nations Treaty Reports Click this link to see the minutes of the Berkeley City Council meeting (see item #19 for text of amended UN Treaty Reports resolution as passed unanimously by the Council).
Action: Approved recommendation.
NOTE: The Commission completed its report on local compliance with the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) in spring 2010, but the report has been pending city staff review since.
In 2010-2011, the Commission has been considering a draft report on the Convention Against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Forms of Treatment or Punishment (CAT).
September 29, 2009: Support of Congo Week Click this link to see the text of "Support of Congo Week October 18-24 2009 for the Bay Area Friends of the Congo" as passed unanimously by the Berkeley City Council.
Action: Approved recommendation.
June 9, 2009: Call for Release of Jesús Gutiérrez and Urging UC Berkeley to Adopt a Sanctuary Policy Click this link to see the minutes of the Berkeley City Council meeting (see item #23 for text of Sanctuary resolution as passed by the Council).
Action: Approved recommendation. Abstain–Wengraf and Wozniak.
May 19, 2009: Endorsement of UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People Click this link to see the text of "Endorse The United Nations Declaration On The Rights Of Indigenous Peoples And Send Letter To U.S. Ambassador" as passed unanimously by the Berkeley City Council.
Action: Approved recommendation.
Mar 10, 2009: Endorsement of LGBT Walk from the Bay Area to Sacramento
Click this link to see the text of "LGBT Walk to Sacramento" as passed unanimously by the Berkeley City Council.
Action: Approved recommendation.
Feb 10, 2009: Support Release of Efren Paredes, Jr.
Click this link to see the text of letter to Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm condemning Mr. Paredes' sentence, Juvenile Life Without Parole, as passed by the Berkeley City Council
Action: Approved recommendation. Abstain–Capitelli, Wengraf and Wozniak.
Jan. 27, 2009: Berkeley Public Library's Request for Waiver to Contract Requirement of Nuclear Free Berkeley Act
Click this link to see the action of the City Council waiving the Nuclear Free Act for Berkeley Public Library to contract with 3M Corporation, but restricting the contract to a term of two years (see item #21)
Attachment "a" shows the submission from the Peace and Justice Commission recommending denial of the waiver.
"...To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history." [Barack Obama inaugural address, quoted in the Commission statement]
"...the time for short-sighted public policy as expressed in the last eight years of the national administration is at an end. We cannot have fiscal responsibility by ignoring the longer term threats to the peace and security of the world we live in." [Commission statement] Click for text.
The Peace and Justice Commission subsequently established a Nuclear-Free Berkeley Act Subcommittee to monitor the Library's compliance with the waiver. In a victory for the will of the voters (who by a two-thirds majority passed the NFBA in 1986), the Library replaced the system that 3M was contracted to support, and ended the two-year contract with this nuclear-tipped vendor on schedule in early 2011!
Dec. 16, 2008: Support Release of Haitian Political Prisoner Ronald Dauphin
Click this link to see the text of "Letter in Support of the Release of Ronald Dauphin" as passed by the Berkeley City Council
Action: Approved recommendation. Vote: Ayes – Maio, Moore, Anderson, Worthington, Bates; Abstain – Capitelli, Wengraf, Wozniak; Absent – Arreguin.
Dec. 8, 2008: John Yoo: Bush Administration Torture Memos
Click this link to see the minutes of the December 8 Berkeley City Council meeting (see item #23 for text of John Yoo resolution as passed by the Council). Council supported the Commission's call for prosecution of former US Dep. Asst. Attorney General Yoo, but greatly watered down the call for the University of California to investigate his outside professional conduct.
Click this link to see video of Max Anderson speaking on the John Yoo resolution. 3:59:55 to 4:06:30
"I’m glad people brought up Nuremburg. There are people that escaped without blood directly on their hands; but they sure made sure that blood flowed." Click for text.
Dec. 8, 2008: End to Death Sentences in Alameda County
Click this link to see the text of "Resolution for an End to Death Sentences in Alameda County" as passed by the Berkeley City Council Action: M/S/C (Maio/Worthington) to adopt Resolution No. 64,289–N.S.
Vote: Ayes – Maio, Moore, Anderson, Arreguin, Wengraf, Worthington, Bates; Abstain – Capitelli, Wozniak.
June 24, 2008: Election Justice in Zimbabwe
Click this link to see the text of the resolution "Support Election Justice in Zimbabwe" as passed by the Berkeley City Council
Action: Passed on unanimous consent
Jan.-Feb., 2008: Marine Recruiting Station
Click this link to see the first resolution on the Marine Recruiting Station actions as passed by the Berkeley City Council January 29
Action: Approved recommendations 1–3. Noes – Olds, Wozniak. Worthington voted No on recommendation 2.
Click this link to see the second resolution on the Marine Recruiting Station actions as passed by the Berkeley City Council February 12 (see item #25)
Click this link to see video of the best statements by Berkeley City Councilmembers on Marine Recruiting.
"...there comes a time when you’ve just got to do something to stop the gears of this very corrupt machine." [Dona Spring] Click for text.
The video shows the Council meeting of February 12, 2008. The Council was bombarded with demands that it apologize for declaring the recruiters unwelcome in Berkeley. In the end the Council refused to apologize and maintained its strong opposition to the war in Iraq "and the continued recruitment of our young people into this war."
I highly recommend viewing the statements of these Council members:
Max Anderson (05:22:45 to 05:28:20)
Dona Spring (05:45:25 to 05:50:30)
Nov. 6, 2007: San Francisco Eight
Click this link to see the text of the resolution "Free the San Francisco Eight!" as passed by the Berkeley City Council
Action: Removed from Consent Calendar for discussion. Approved recommendation as amended by Councilmember Maio. Vote: Ayes –Maio, Moore, Anderson, Spring, Capitelli, Olds, Worthington, Bates; Noes – None; Abstain – Wozniak
September 9, 2003: Investigate the Death of Rachel Corrie [I served briefly on the Commission that summer]
Click this link to see the text of the resolution "Support House Concurrent Resolution 111: Investigation into the Death of Rachel Corrie" as passed by the City Council.
Click this link to see background for this item.
Click this link to see video of me speaking on behalf of the Rachel Corrie resolution at the Council meeting. 01:41:40 to 01:46:34
"...the international community has a right to observe the state of human rights and challenge their violation everywhere. Human rights workers need to be able to travel to zones of conflict to promote peace-making without being put in mortal danger." Click for text.
Actions: Moved, seconded, failed (Hawley/Wozniak; Noes – Maio, Breland, Shirek, Spring, Worthington) a motion to postpone indefinitely.
Moved, seconded, carried (Shirek/Breland; Noes –Hawley, Olds, Wozniak, Bates) to adoptJune 10, 2003: Free the Cuban Five
Click this link to see the minutes of the June 10 Berkeley City Council meeting (see item #33 for text of Cuban Five resolution 62,088 as passed by the Council, as well as the Commission's Majority and Minority reports).
The resolution, passed unanimously, called for "1) a new and fair trial in a neutral venue outside of Miami-Dade County; and 2) the same family visitation rights, humanitarian concerns, and equal treatment under the law for the Cuban Five as any other prisoner in the United States."
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Contact me:
geolippman.pjc@earthlink.net
