www.yawr.org End the occupation of Iraq - Bring the troops home now!
The occupation of Iraq is about oil and U.S. corporate interests in the Middle East. It’s doing nothing to bring genuine democracy to Iraq. The overwhelming majority of Iraqis want U.S. troops to go, and any truly representative Iraqi government would make this demand their top priority. The Iraqi people will never give in to colonial domination. Prolonging the occupation will only mean deepening the cycle of violence.
Money for jobs and education, not war!
The U.S. military receives half a trillion dollars each year of our tax money. Meanwhile public education continues to crumble. Schools are closing, class sizes are growing, and programs are being cut. College tuition is rising, pushing many out of higher education. Most young people are forced into dead-end jobs with no prospect of a decent future. With the money spent on the Iraq war alone, over 75 million young people could have gotten four-year scholarships at public universities.
Military recruiters out of our schools!
The failing occupation in Iraq means the Pentagon is dramatically stepping up recruitment efforts in our schools. Bush’s “No Child Left Behind Act” forces schools to give students’ personal information to military recruiters. These recruiters have to fulfill quotas and get bonuses for signing us up, so they tend to say just about anything to trick us into joining. Instead of explaining the horrific realities of war, they make exaggerated promises of college money and job training. In reality, two thirds of recruits never get a cent for college and even less receive relevant job training. Recruiters target schools in working class communities, and black and Latino youth in particular. For working class youth faced with a choice between unemployment, dead-end jobs, and enlistment, targeted recruitment amounts to nothing less than a poverty draft!
Say NO to racism and attacks on our civil liberties!
Since September 11th, there has been a racist backlash against immigrants, and particularly against Arabs and Muslims. The USA Patriot Act and other repressive immigration policies have led to thousands being rounded-up and secretly thrown into jail on secret evidence, as well as mass deportations. This repression has created a climate of fear for millions more, amid widespread racial and religious profiling, harassment, and discrimination in jobs and housing. The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are racist wars, and Bush promotes a racist nationalism to justify U.S. violence abroad.
Movies
Books
check out YAWR's new twin cities newsletter RESISTANCE!
Youth Against War and Racism (YAWR) is a diverse group of high school students, junior college and university students, youth and young adults organizing to change our schools, communities and our nation. We are student activists starting YAWR clubs in our schools and non-students who are supporting that work and working with other groups. Our generation wants change and were gonna be the ones to make it happen!!
STRIKE AGAINST THE RNC!
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2008
STATE CAPITOL ST. PAUL
"MARCH TO ARREST THE WAR CRIMINALS"
11am: Walkout of Class - Bus, Carpool, Bike, Walk to the Capitol
12noon - 4pm: Antiwar Festival, Rally and Theater
The Republican National Convention is coming to town Sept. 1-4. We cannot allow business as usual to continue while our city is used to promote the unending occupation of Iraq, the militarization and underfunding of our schools, and attacks on social programs. That's why Youth Against War and Racism is calling for a massive student strike culminating in an antiwar festival and theatrical arrest and mock trial of the war criminals meeting in St. Paul.
GET ACTIVE!
We need volunteers in every school to mobilize, to create giant puppet theater, etc. See Calendar.
Wednesday, August 20th
Puppet Making
6pm - 9pm
Bedlam Theatre Scene Shop
1501 S. 6th St.
Minneapolis, MN
(west bank)
http://www.bedlamtheatre.org/display.php?info=directions
Sunday, August 24th
Student Strike Meeting
1pm - 2:30pm
Mayday Books
301 Cedar Ave S.
(West Bank, below the Hub Bike Co-op, near Cedar/Riverside)
Puppet Making
2pm - 5pm
Bedlam Theatre Scene Shop
1501 S. 6th St.
Minneapolis, MN
(west bank)
http://www.bedlamtheatre.org/display.php?info=directions
Mobilizing in Schools Workshop!
5pm
Bedlam Theatre Scene Shop
1501 S. 6th St.
Minneapolis, MN
(west bank)
http://www.bedlamtheatre.org/display.php?info=directions
MONDAY, AUGUST 25
Student Strike Press Conference
1pm
Bedlam Theatre
1501 S. 6th St.
Minneapolis, MN
(west bank)
http://www.bedlamtheatre.org/display.php?info=directions
Wednesday, August 27th
Puppet Making
2pm - 5pm
Bedlam Theatre Scene Shop
1501 S. 6th St.
Minneapolis, MN
(west bank)
http://www.bedlamtheatre.org/display.php?info=directions
Mobilizing in Schools Workshop!
5pm
Bedlam Theatre Scene Shop
1501 S. 6th St.
Minneapolis, MN
(west bank)
http://www.bedlamtheatre.org/display.php?info=directions
Sunday, August 31st
Student Strike Meeting
1pm - 2:30pm
Mayday Books
301 Cedar Ave S.
(West Bank, below the Hub Bike Co-op, near Cedar/Riverside)
Mobilizing in Schools Workshop!
5pm
Bedlam Theatre Scene Shop
1501 S. 6th St.
Minneapolis, MN
(west bank)
http://www.bedlamtheatre.org/display.php?info=directions
Puppet Making
2pm - 5pm
Bedlam Theatre Scene Shop
1501 S. 6th St.
Minneapolis, MN
(west bank)
http://www.bedlamtheatre.org/display.php?info=directions
*Dates and Location Subject to Change pending on location of puppet making.
Who I'd like to meet: Youth in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area interested in fighting back against the occupation of Iraq and against military recruitment in our schools!
YOUTH AGAINST WAR & RACISM - MN's Friend Space (Top 8)
Hello. World Peace Before 2021 became YourFriend some time ago. Now I am much more accustomed to how MySpace works. So please forgive me for not 'commenting' until now. My eight-year-old-peace-activist son Axil Kollist's quest for World Peace Before 2021 is gaining momentum! I'm so proud of him. Please embrace him AND his song "World Peace Before 2021" which he performs beautifully. His performance can be seen on MySpace, his webpage www. worldpeacebefore2021. com and/or YouTube (by searching his name Axil Kollist.) It is my intention to post a new video of him singing his song every few months so people can watch his talent grow as impressively as the momentum for his quest! I'm inviting you to contact my son directly too via his email address worldpeacebefore2021@hawaii.rr.com .I'm sharing two photos with you. The first is of my son distributing his free world peace bumperstickers and the second photo is of him singing at Maui's Martin Luther King Jr. Peace Day Festivities in January 08. Very best regards, Axil's mom
I really respect YAWR. I had the opportunity to participate in the youth march on the fifteenth, and I really enjoyed the speakers at the rally. Hopefully the more time I spend in MN the more involved I'll be able to become. I wish you luck in your work.
On May 30th - June 1st, 2008, folks from all over the Midwest will be heading to Minneapolis, Minnesota to flesh out solid proposals in regards to how we’ll work together against the RNC/DNC come September and August.
This three day event will include essential party-crashing workshops, networking, and intensive strategizing. If you have a specific workshop you’d like to see or facilitate, get a hold of us at the email address at the bottom of this release.
TO GET INTO THE STRATEGIZING SESSION YOU MUST BE VOUCHED FOR. If your planning on making it to the strategizing session, please send an RSVP (to the e-mail at the bottom of this release) specifying your willingness to be apart of it. At this point we’ll send you a form to complete and send back to us.
THE REST OF THE WEEKEND IS OPEN TO EVERYONE. Because of this, we ask that folks to keep security culture in mind to create the safest space possible for all parties involved.
PLANNING EARLY. We are asking people to send their proposals and ideas for the strategizing session ahead of time so we can go into this organized. You can send your input to the email address at the bottom of this release.
CHILDCARE. We will be providing childcare for most (if not the entire) convergence. Please give the organizers a hand and RSVP ahead of time to the e-mail at the bottom of this release. We need to stock up on toys and supplies!
Please RSVP to the following email address well ahead of time so we know what we can expect for food, housing, numbers, ect.
