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Summarizing 2007 Accomplishments: October 6, 2007 1- 3:00 PM Meeting Notes
The meeting started with introductions and the agenda was reviewed. A video highlighting new enhancements to the Teach Peace site was shown (e.g., Toolkit for high schools, DC trip page, etc.). Our membership continues to grow and is now at 1,208 members in the United States. Internationally we reach over 100,000 people, sometimes up to 4 million people, when an article gets published (see http://www.dailystaregypt.com and use the search box to pull up articles or click here). Our website server requests are over 2 million and we are broadcasting an e-mail message to over 500,000 people. As a result we now show up at the top of the list of many search engines when teach peace is entered. We recently ran a test campaign with Google Adwords last month and had over 1 million impressions of our web address and a respectable click through rate that resulted in new members. The addition of the Forward This Issue button in communications has also added new members. The addition of the Volunteer button has helped us increase our volunteer team (we now have 107 people who have volunteered to help Teach Peace). Our volunteer ratio is consistent with our vision of 1 volunteer for every 100 members (and 1 full time person for every 100 volunteers. President Bush is also helping us when he talks about the Qods Force (or Quds Force as both www.qodsforce.com and www.qudsforce.com addresses come to us). We also secured other valuable names in the event we need them in the future (e.g., www.dreamchanger.com and this costs $8.95 a year which is an inexpensive way to drive up our website traffic in the event the Dreamchanger coloring book is a big success). This week we have a television show on Teaching Peace that will be viewed by over 250,000 people in the San Franciso area. We will have the video of this show on our website in a week or two. We were able to get a brief message that war with Iran is harmful for US security to about 6 million people via KGO's radio station (to hear it click here). Our efforts to educate people about the cockroach propaganda was recognized by an Iranian scholar and in Windows To Iran Volume 39. The name change to Teach Peace Foundation has been a major positive step forward. In addition, the Junior Peacemaker, Leaders Club, and Did You Know programs are on the right track (although student feedback suggests Leaders Club will be renamed something else, maybe Dream Changer Club or Leaders Club. Recently, one of our Did You Know programs was selected by the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute and the same day the program was offered to their members it sold out (the program is on October 4 in Davis and the subject is The First Casualty Of War Is The Truth). On a related note, a similar subject but focused on Iran will also be presented at Chico State on October 25 if anyone wishes to come with me). On another downbeat note, board member Rich Lees informed us that his movie production company in the UK went into bankruptcy and the American Hiroshima movie project is terminated. We always knew this was a long shot and thank Rich and his team for the incredible amount of energy they invested in this project. On a positive note, Rich is continuing to be our UK country leader and he is arranging a theater showing of Bringing Down A Dictator and Hope (both films are in our program for high school students) to raise awareness and build Returning to upbeat developments, the reaction to our website, the new Teach Peace Moment program, expansion of the high school Peace Clubs, and presentations (see http://www.teachpeace.com/previouspresentations.htm) continues to be very positive. For example, two Teach Peace classes were given today at Burbank High School in Sacramento. The teacher was geniunely surprised when both classes ended in applause and students said "wow" throughout the presentation. The Before You Enlist video was shown followed by a discussion on the reasons why Iraq was invaded. The students then viewed the joyful and empowering Hope video. I shared a couple of stories that are unknown to most of the people receiving this e-mail. About a month ago a person considering becoming a Blackwater mercenary wrote to us because information he received from Teach Peace convinced him to say no to becoming a mercenary. Another indication that we are on the right track are our survey results and e-mails from people letting us know they value what we are doing so much that they are forwarding our newsletters and Teach Peace Moments to their entire address book. The Teach Peace Moment program is also picked up by other organizations like the Network for Spiritual Progressives and rebroadcast to their members. We have many e-mails from people around the country and a long list of endorsements. If you click on the endorsement link you can also see new Teach Peace graphics (be sure to scroll down the page).
The next monthly
meeting is also our annual planning meeting on November 3rd (see
http://www.teachpeace.com/meetings&events.htm for
the meeting information and agenda). Last year we actively sought feedback from
hundreds of peacemakers for our 2007 Success Plan. We are doing the same this
year. Please use the form at
http://survey.constantcontact.com/survey/a07e263pojzf6x0pcvx/a001f6x2saa2/questions Following the November 3 meeting, we will be voting to consider adding new Board and Executive Committee members. If anyone wishes to step back or step forward, please let me know. We are looking for recommendations of new people who are currently not members that should be on our team. Please call me if you have suggestions. Next we discussed planning for the upcoming October 21 Evening of Peace dinner. Attendees were asked to approach businesses and ask them to show promotional materials. People also signed up to help sell dinner tickets. A dozen people signed up to make phone calls to members help get the word out. We will follow up with everyone who volunteered to help. I noted that in addition to award winners and Teach Peace volunteers, five groups of people we be recognized at the dinner. Luminaries for Peace - Sofia Cortopassi, Julia Cortopassi, Elisa Espinoza, Jessica Weidenfeld and Marlene Sisemore. Walk for Peace - Jeremy McLaughlin and team. Voices of Patriots - Valerie Mih and Don Richards. Mel Presents - Mel Van Dusen Hope - The Luna Media team. Videos from the Teach Peace site were shown to illustrate how presentations end on an upbeat and empowering note. The meeting ended with a call for members to take time to talk with other members. We also left with smiles as a funny video from Google of Steven Colbert was shown. Click here for the full video. After the meeting, a 3:00 to 3:15 Iran War propaganda video was shown. Sincerely, Dave Dionisi
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