SLIM Meeting Minutes 9/21/09

Once again we had a great meeting this week. If you missed it, here's the down-low. Firstly we watched a short video on how pharmaceutical patents make getting treatments to AIDS patients, especially the complex but effective drug cocktails (http://www.avert.org/generic.htm if you missed it). Second thing, those of you that want to work on Project Malawi, we're looking for about 5 to 6 really committed people. We will start the planning meetings next week and we'll go over some details about the trip.

Again, those of you that want to work firsthand with the 5K/10K please let us know. I think it's excellent that we've had so many interested people already. The officers are planning to revise the letter to businesses as well as the master list of businesses that we would like to solicit. Those will hopefully be given out next week. If you have any businesses in mind that you would like to contact, go ahead and give them a preliminary email or phone call to find out their interest in helping out.

As you all know, G20 activities are in full swing so don't be afraid to get out there in learn a little more. Here are some things happening around campus this week:

Drop the Debt: "African Debt and Development: Challenges, Opportunities, and the way forward" Tuesday, September 22 (today!), 7:30 pm at the William Pitt Union, Room 630

Voices from Latin America, Friday, September 25 from 9:30-11:30 a.m. – 121 David Lawrence Hall Auditorium

Leaders of the Hemispheric Social Alliance and labor, indigenous and environmental organizations from Mexico, Colombia, Honduras, Peru and Bolivia, will comment on G-20 policies and offer alternative models of development.

Although SLIM does not encourage anyone to protest the G20, if you are going to the protest and would like to go with somebody, Sesi (512-363-2629) and Liz (860-324-6108) are planning to meet at the corner of Forbes Ave. & Craft Ave. on Friday at 2 pm. Just give them a call when you're on your way.

Besides that, remember that our next meeting is next Monday, September 28 at 8:40 pm in CL 232.

SLIM Meeting Minutes 9/14/09

It was great to see all of you regulars back as well as some new faces. Our most pressing matters coming up are the events surrounding the G-20 in Pittsburgh next week. We spoke at length during the meeting about the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank (the groups are represented by the G-20 members) and their roles in perpetuating cycles of poverty in Third World countries. If you missed the meeting and want to know more here is a link on the blog (http://slimupitt.blogspot.com/) to the PowerPoint presentation Sesi and Liz gave as well as some slides with extra commentary. We broke up into groups and discussed some of what we as students and as an organization can do to combat these policies. If you are interested in finding out more, stick with the club and maybe do some further reading and advocacy. There is a good list of books on the website (link below, click "Project Malawi" tab, under "Academic Objectives"). Here are some organizations that are fighting for legislation to combat IMF/World Bank policies and you can help lobby:

One: http://www.one.org/us/g20toafrica/index.html?rc=g20toafricaactnow

Jubilee USA: Change, Not Chains Act - http://www.jubileeusa.org/changenotchains.html, Stop Vulture Funds Act - http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/863/petition.jsp?petition_KEY=1288

Invisible Children: http://www.invisiblechildren.com/theMovement/Get_Involved

As always we would like to start our work on our annual 5K/10K fundraiser starting this fall. There is a lot of work to do finding sponsors, alerting race websites, getting timers, etc. so if you are interested in working with the 5K committee please respond to this email. The People's Summit flyers we passed out during the meeting need to be pasted across the campus so get on that. Here are the details of the People's Summit and other upcoming G-20 events, so czech 'em out:

People's Summit: http://www.cmu.edu/uls/september/g-20-events.html

Other Events on Campus:

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

12:30 to 2:30 p.m. - Pittsburgh Athletic Association, Pennsylvania Room, 4215 Fifth Ave. (Oakland)

Forum with Finance Ministries of Argentina, Brazil, South Africa and India

Presentation and exchange with representatives from the finance ministries of four major governments from the Global South: Argentina, Brazil, South Africa and India.

Friday, September 25, 2009

9:30 to 11:30 a.m. - David Lawrence Hall Auditorium, University of Pittsburgh (Oakland)

Voices from Latin America

Leaders of the Hemispheric Social Alliance and labor, indigenous and environmental organizations from Mexico, Colombia, Honduras, Peru and Bolivia, will comment on G-20 policies and offer alternative models of development.

As always are next meeting is Monday, September 21st at 8:40 pm in 232 Cathedral of Learning. Next week we will continue to talk more at length about the 5K/10K and will most likely have another discussion on some health-related topics so be there to learn something. In addition, we are trying to organize a bake sale for next week. More details are on the way but dig out those delicious cookie recipes!

SLIM Malier 09/08/09

Hello all!

We had our first meeting of the year last night and it was fantastic to see so many of you! We introduced our officers: Sesi and Liz, Miranda, Christina, Mujidat, and myself, as well as the club founder, Nathan Riley. We also spoke a little about our club's missions and our main activities throughout the year, most especially the SLIM 5K/10K and Project Malawi in the spring (you can read more about these on SLIM's blog [URL listed below]). If you missed the meeting last night and still want to be involved, come to our next meeting on Monday, September 14th at 8:40pm (room TBA).

In terms of what's coming up soon for our club, we are continuing to raise awareness about the G-20 summit coming to Pittsburgh September 24-25. One of our primary goals in this club is to educate people about economic imbalances and the forces that perpetuate them, so this conference is incredibly important to our club. We as an eBoard have been contacting other Pitt organizations asking them if we can give a short PowerPoint presentation about G-20 and global poverty issues. As of now, a few organizations have responded to us and we would like any of you to show up to these meeting and aid in giving the presentation. Just show up is all you need to do.

Wednesday 9/9 Microfinancing Against Poverty - canceled
Thursday 9/10 FORGE: Cathedral of Learning 206 @ 9pm
Sunday 9/13 Invisible Children: Cathedral 232 @ 4 pm
Wednesday 9/16 STAND: Einstein's in Posvar Hall @ 9pm

Please check our blog to see which organizations have not yet been contacted and go ahead and help us out. If you have any other clubs that you know may be interested in hearing our presentation, go ahead and shoot them an email as well. Other than that just keep an eye on the blog for any updates or new pictures.

If you are interested (as we all are) in poverty issues, check out this lecture at CMU next Monday.

Thomas Pogge, Leitner Professor of Philosophy and International Affairs, Yale University
World Poverty: Explanations and Responsibilities
Monday, September 14 - 4:30 PM
Gregg Hall (Porter Hall 100)

Abstract: While world income has grown at an impressive rate, the share
of the poorest half has sunk below 1.8% percent of world income. Severe
poverty persists in many poorer countries, causing about one third of all
human deaths (some 18 million annually) and blighting billions of lives
with hunger and disease. What role do global institutional arrangements,
such as the rules of the WTO Treaty, play in the persistence of severe
poverty? And how does the causation of poverty affect the responsibility
of citizens in affluent countries to work for its eradication?

See you next week,
Clif McKee
Secretary