AFDOP 2006 Accomplishments
CONGRESSIONAL REP/SENATOR OFFICE VISITS
(All five Congressional Representatives and both Senators)
- Senator Feinstein and Senator Boxers' offices - Three visits to each Senator's San Diego office (State DOP Senate Day Event, Mothers Day Event, and Senate Team visit (at Senate Team visit, reps. from community orgs. who support the DOP Bill and would be funded by it, attended with the Senate Team and participated, lending support for the DOP Bill).
OR
Please note that donations to AFDOP are not tax-deductible, since we
lobby legislators. While your donation isn't a tax write-off, it
is a great investment in creating a culture of peace!
- Rep. Susan Davis - One visit to office; one visit with top Aide; two visits to community events with personal contact w/ Rep. Davis (she's a co-sponsor)
- Rep. Duncan Hunter - Visit to office and meeting with Aide (Mothers Day Event)
- Rep. Brian Bilbray - One visit to office for meeting with Aide; Kids for Peace event with his and his staff's personal attendance and participation; Student Peace Alliance event at Carlsbad High School with his participation at the school
- Rep. Bob Filner - About 20 AFDOP members two Kids for Peace members attended fundraiser for Rep. Filner with Rep. Dennis Kucinich attending. AFDOP presented, through Kids for Peace, awards (beautiful plants with pots decorated by the kids) to both reps. for authoring DOP Bill (Rep. Filner iss a co-sponsor). Also, AFDOP was present, and "tabled" at a Chicken Soup for the Soul book event where he spoke.
- Rep. Darrell Issa - Visit to office and meeting with Aide (Mothers Day Event)
2006 EVENTS SPONSORED OR CO-SPONSORED BY AFDOP
- Walk for Peace - About 300 participants; three TV Stations present; music, walk, booths, information; speeches, awards
- Tabling Training - "Experts" trained more than 20 people on "best practices" for tabling at events
- Non-Violent (Compassionate) Communication Training - We held this training at one of the monthly AFDOP meetings (also a FUNdraiser).
- Mothers Day Event - We participated in national event and visited Senate and Cong. Rep. offices with the "Mothers Day Proclamation" and "Plants for Peace".
- Fathers Day Event - We participated in national event - Local fathers sent postcards to our Senators and Cong. Reps. the DOP, with pictures of themselves and their children, saying why they wanted a DOP.
- Senate Day - We participated in State-wide event, and our new senate team visited both CA Senators' offices and gave info and updates about our DOP Campaign.
- Kids for Peace Event with Rep. Brian Bilbray - We partnered with Kids for Peace in event hosting Rep. Brian Bilbray and staff where kids told him what they were doing for peace, and Rep. Bilbray read kids a story.
- Student Peace Alliance Events - Some of our local, AFDOP, high school and college students (under the guidance of Jill McManigal) have formed a local "Student Peace Alliance" and have done several events at their various schools on the International Day of Peace and others.
- Agape Church Training - Some of our AFDOP members went to Agape Church to kick-off and help train their new DOP group.
- Letter Writing Parties - Two AFDOP letter-writing parties were held at which participants wrote letters to Senators and Cong. Reps.
- Letters to SD County Organizations and Churches - Letters explaining the DOP, and inviting participation (which have already generated interest), were sent to about 1,800 San Diego County organizations, churches, synagogues, and mosques.
- Players Group Retreat - Last summer, a Retreat was held for the "core group" of AFDOP, called the "AFDOP Players", at which trainings were done, goals were set, events were planned, and policies were discussed and implemented.
- Monthly AFDOP Meetings - General Meetings were held each month, with speakers each month from different organizations that would most likely be funded by the DOP budget.
- Monthly "Players" Meetings - Monthly meetings (before the General, AFDOP, meetings) were held to plan projects, plan strategy, set and track goals, and work on Campaign.
- Air America Parade for Peace - Several AFDOP members participated in the "Parade for Peace" in Los Angeles, led by Arun Gandhi.
- Kites for Peace Picnic - We got together at Mission Bay Park for a fun, family day of picnicking, music, kites, and DOP information.
- Calif. State DOP Conference - Several of us worked with The Peace Alliance and State Coordinators in putting together, participating in, and running the first, California State DOP Conference.
- Martin Luther King Parade and Breakfast - Many AFDOP members marched in the parade, carrying banners, passing out DOP information, and talking to participants and spectators about the DOP; we "tabled" at, and attended, the Breakfast, again, wearing our buttons and promoting the DOP and Campaign.
- Peace Alliance Fundraiser in Beverly Hills - Several of us from AFDOP participated in, and/or assisted at, a very successful fundraiser for the DOP Beverly Hills, at which many celebrities appeared, and Joaquin Phoenix was the main sponsor.
- Board of Supervs/City Council Team Meetings - Our new Board of Supervisors/San Diego City Council team has met to starting working on getting resolutions passed by both bodies supporting the DOP Bill.
- "Kick-off" of North County/Seaside Chapter of AFDOP - AFDOP supported, and participated in, the "kick-off" meeting of the North County chapter of AFDOP, many members of which also participate in the AFDOP Players and the county-wide AFDOP group.
NEW (2006) AFDOP TEAMS, MATERIALS, COURSES, ETC.
- Creation of AFDOP Players (core group)
- Creation of AFDOP "Senate Team"
- Creation of AFDOP Board of Supervisors and City Council Team
- Creation of "Kids for Peace", which is now its own organization, in partnership with AFDOP
- Creation of the San Diego Chapter of the "Student Peace Alliance" for college students and high school students
- Creation of a Learning Annex Course Proposal re peace activism
- Supported creation of the Agape Dept. of Peace Ministry
- Creation of AFDOP bank account
- Creation of AFDOP PayPal Account
- Creation of new bumper stickers
- Creation of AFDOP stationary
- Creation of AFDOP website new features
- Creation of "streaming" video to show at tabling events
- Creation of song about the Dept. of Peace by two AFDOP members
- New bumper stickers, buttons, postcards, and ALL-OCCASION CARDS for sale (for donation)
NEW (in 2006) PARTNERSHIPS And/Or ENDORSEMENTS OBTAINED BY LOCAL AFDOP MEMBERS
- Alternatives to Violence Project
- American Psychiatric Nurses Association
- United Nations Association (San Diego)
- Interactions for Peace ("Peace Patrol", "Bullies Beware", etc.)
- "Second Step" School Program
- Tariq Khamisa Foundation
- Israeli-Palestinian "Hand in Hand" Project (Miko Peled and partner)
- Peace Flags for Kids
- Kids for Peace ("birthed" by AFDOP)
- Sister Cities (San Diego)
- Arun Gandhi and his projects
- Teen Storefront
- San Diego Coalition for Peace and Justice
- Tikkun (Rabbi Michael Lerner)
- Veterans for Peace
- Agape Center for Spiritual Living
- Seaside Center for Spiritual Living
- Mideast Peace Prayer Project
- Additional Non-Violent Communication groups and teachers
- Church of Today "Youth for Peace"
Additionally, we have sent speaker from our Speakers Bureau, who have spoken at: two Rotary Clubs, two Kiwanis Clubs, several college campuses (i.e. UCSD, Mt. San Jacinto College - our first Honorarium!); several high schools and elementary schools (Kids for Peace and Student Peace Alliance); several churches (Seaside Church, Agape Church, Methodist Church, Unitarian Church); Buddhist Women's Foundation, etc.)
We have "tabled" (had a table, spoken with people, and passed out information) at many places - Church of Today (now The Unity Center); Seaside Church; Unitarian Universalist Church; Church of the Brethren; Chicken Soup for the Soul Event; San Diego Earth Fair; various concerts (i.e Red Hot Chili Peppers; Snatum Kaur; Peace Alliance concert; college peace concert; San Diego LEAD Conference; two Marianne Williamson events; Walk for Peace; Martin Luther King Breakfast, and others.
MEDIA AND MISC. "ACTION ITEMS" (2006)
- Local AFDOP members and/or events received coverage (articles, and/or mention regarding the DOP Campaign in the following publications: Fox 6 TV News and website; Univision TV News; LETTER TO THE EDITOR re the DOP published in "O" MAGAZINE!!! (Oprah's magazine); San Diego Union-Tribune; North County Times; Coast News; La Jolla Light; Light Connection, and others. Many community calendars published notice of our various events.
- At various meetings, we wrote letters to new Senators who supported the DOP Bill while in the House; wrote letters to Oprah requesting a show on the DOP; wrote letters to "Yes" Magazine, thanking them for their coverage re the DOP; wrote letters to our Senators and Cong. Reps.; sent out letters to organizations; got instructions to change our personal "search engines" to www.goodsearch.com (every time someone does a search on it and designates the Peace Alliance, the DOP Campaign gets money); and wrote letters to the White House. We also did a collection and a "tithe" to Church of Today in recognition of their "birthing" of AFDOP and of all the generous resources they have provided us.