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Remembering
MLK |
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"Somehow
we must transform the dynamics of the world
power struggle from the nuclear arms race, which
no one can win, to a creative contest to harness
man’s genius for the purpose of making peace
and prosperity a reality for all the nations
of the world."
-- Dr.
Martin Luther King
|
- STARS: Students Taking Action for Real Security!
"AMANI means PEACE": Organizing around Peace, Love, and
Music
- If you don’t know, now you know-
Ten
Reasons Why the U.S.
Must Leave Iraq
- Ways to STAND and take action-
Out
of Iraq
Events Planned Nationwide
FCNL
Youth Lobby Days
- Heads Up! On some organizations putting in some Major work
Students Not Soldiers: The Work of Inner City Struggle in Los Angeles
- On the News
- Update from National WAND
Remembering
King
- Announcements/Internships
1)
STARS
"AMANI
means PEACE": Organizing around Peace, Love,
and Music
You don't have to be
able to tie your shoes, say your ABC's, write in cursive,
or be old enough for kindergarten to have an active
voice. Children of all ages in North
Carolina are helping babies orphaned by AIDS in Africa. Fifteen different children's choirs from the Winston-Salem
area have used their voices to record an uplifting
CD called "Amani Means Peace." The proceeds
benefit the New Life Home Organization in Kenya,
a series of adoption centers which care for and nurture
babies back to health for future adoption.
The 800 young activists
are singing to create awareness for 13 million orphans
in Africa; they raise their voices through the power of music and community. "Amani
Means Peace" is the brainchild of a North Carolina recording artist, Brenda da Morie and Amani Foundation
Co-Founder, Jane Stephens, who have been able to organize,
design, and produce the CD with lots of help from
the community. All of the proceeds go toward taking
care of the babies until adoption at New Life Home
centers, which Stephens stated usually costs around
$1000 for each child. It is a beautiful concept for
the new year; when the faith of two women and the
support of the community can empower youth to engage
in enacting change in the world around them.
With peace in our hearts
and minds, cheers to these young people for helping
create awareness about how AIDS affects children in
Africa. A Kenyan proverb in the
liner notes says, "If you want to go fast, go
alone; if you want to go far, go together."
"Amani Means Peace" reminds us our voices
will echo and carry far into the future if we share
them with youth and speak the words together.
Peace to you all in
this New Year!
Abigail Browning, STAND
Member
For more information
on The Amani Foundation, New Life Home, or to order
"Amani Means Peace," visit www.amanichildren.org
 |
Abigail Browning is a senior at Vanderbilt University and has been a member
of STAND for four years. She is one of the founders
of the STAND scholarship and serves in the scholarship
committee. As a member of the Vanderbilt Feminists
she created a t-shirt campaign for Project Safe-
a student organization which raises awareness
about domestic violence issues. She is most passionate
about public education because she believes that
youth lead the way to the future. |
2.
If you don't know, now you know.
Ten Reasons Why the U.S. Must
Leave Iraq
From AFSC: Click
here.
1.
The human cost of war is unacceptable.
The U.S.
decision to invade and occupy Iraq
comes with a horrific price tag: deaths of an estimated
100,000 Iraqis and more than 2,345 occupation troops,
including 2,140 U.S. military personnel. The numbers rise daily.
Hundreds of thousands have been physically wounded
or traumatized by chronic violence and insecurity.
This path will not lead to victory. There are no
winners, and there is no military solution. In spite
of this, the U.S.
continues to embrace military rather than diplomatic
approaches. An immediate end to hostilities is essential
to stem the carnage and loss of human life.
2.
The U.S. occupation is a catalyst
for violence.
The longer the U.S.
occupation continues, the more Iraqis will join
the resistance, which primarily opposes the foreign
presence. Conservative estimates say the number
of resistance fighters in Iraq
increased from 5,000 in November 2003 to 20,000
in November 2005. Violence is aggravated at all
levels by the U.S.
presence: in neighborhoods, among militant extremists,
and between ethnic groups. When the brutality of
occupation — raiding homes and hospitals, detaining
people without charge or due process, torturing
detainees, imposing curfews on communities, using
military force to suppress demonstrations — ends,
the majority of resisters will lay down their weapons.
3.
U.S. actions inflame divisions
and the chance of civil war.
The occupation and its divisive policies deepen
tensions within Iraqi society. Three major U.S.
mistakes contributed: (1) dissolution of the Iraqi
army and police, leading to insecurity, looting,
and violence; (2) failure to dismantle militias,
allowing the number of armed combatants to increase;
and (3) support for Shi’a demands for regional autonomy,
fueling the possibility of break-up of the country
along ethnic lines. This will continue as long as
the United States
controls Iraq politically and militarily. If U.S.
troops leave, an independent Iraqi government, free
of external control, could open the door to discussion
and reconciliation between groups.
4.
Iraqis want the United States to leave now.
Recent polls reveal that Iraqi opinion coalesces
on four demands: (1) an end to foreign occupation,
(2) compensation to Iraqis for damages caused by
the U.S. invasion, (3) release
of Iraqi prisoners, and (4) establishment of political
and military institutions independent of outside
influences. A survey in Iraq commissioned by the British
military in September 2005 found that 82 percent
of Iraqis “strongly oppose” continuing presence
of coalition troops, and 45 percent feel attacks
against coalition troops are justified. The battle
for hearts and minds has been lost.
5.
Democracy cannot flourish under an occupation.
For Iraqis, the key issues in the December 2005
election for the first permanent government were
security, economic opportunity, and removal of foreign
occupation. The mechanics of voting worked — the
third election for Iraqis during 2005. However,
the election is only a milestone in the country’s
difficult journey toward self-determination, with
great challenges ahead. The new government must
now move beyond artificial deadlines set by outsiders,
determine its own goals, and see the process through.
6.
The United States has failed to rebuild Iraq or provide for Iraqis’
basic needs.
Twelve years of economic sanctions (1991-2003) nearly
crippled Iraq. Malnutrition became
widespread. Life-sustaining systems such as water
and sewage treatment, electricity, and health care
were severely degraded. These problems led to deaths
of hundreds of thousands of Iraq’s most vulnerable citizens, many of them
children. Since the beginning of the occupation,
U.S. forces not only failed
to reverse these trends, but also failed to restore
services disrupted by war and looting. This is not
due to a lack of funds, but to a perversion of priorities.
While the United States spends $6 billion a month fighting
the war (a total of more than $226 billion so far),
it has not spent even half of the $18 billion allocated
for reconstruction. Much of the money evaporates
due to corruption and ballooning security costs.
Plus, awarding major contracts to U.S.
corporations who fail to complete their work takes
money out of the economy and creates little benefit
to Iraqis. The money that is spent on war and occupation
should be spent on meaningful Iraqi-led reconstruction.
7.
The Iraq war and occupation waste resources needed
for U.S.
domestic programs.
Community programs are being cut in every corner
of the United States – from public
schools to libraries to hospitals to transportation.
Meanwhile, the U.S.
deficit continues to skyrocket, building a massive
debt for future generations of Americans. Money
that could be used for domestic needs instead goes
into the war and occupation. Furthermore, using
National Guard troops in Iraq leaves states shorthanded
when disasters strike at home. Hurricane Katrina,
in particular, highlighted the need for massive
reallocation of resources from armaments into disaster
preparedness and infrastructure at home.
8.
The U.S. occupation of Iraq
destabilizes the Middle East.
The rash, ill-advised, and nearly unilateral invasion
of Iraq and subsequent U.S.
occupation has profoundly damaged the United
States’ relations with other
Middle East governments, including
those it considers to be allies. U.S. actions have galvanized militants in the region
to join the insurrection in Iraq
and attack other countries, such as Jordan,
considered to be too closely aligned with the United States. Elsewhere, the United States’ “tough talk” toward Syria has led the Israeli government to warn that
U.S.
actions threaten to destabilize the region. The
massive number of civilian casualties in Iraq
are caused by heavy weapon attacks and flesh-burning
compounds such as white phosphorus, particularly
devastating in urban areas. Such attacks greatly
damage U.S.
credibility and political influence in the Middle
East, as well as respect from the international
community. The many U.S. bases in Iraq
are seen as a long-term threat to the region and
the future of Iraq. They should be removed
when the troops leave.
9.
Humanitarian aid is crippled by the occupation.
The U.S.
military seeks to win Iraqis’ support by delivering
food and medicine and implementing reconstruction
projects. Such activities are also used to gather
intelligence, blurring the lines between the military
and humanitarian efforts. As a result, civilian
humanitarian aid is confused with military-led operations,
creating the misperception that relief workers are
part of the occupying forces and a legitimate target.
These conditions have forced almost all NGOs and
UN agencies to leave. Coupled with lack of progress
by the U.S. military in rebuilding Iraq, this severs the lifeline
of international humanitarian aid to Iraqis. Ending
the U.S. occupation would reduce
tensions and clear the way for humanitarian organizations
to support Iraqis in rebuilding their country.
10.
The global community wants the war and occupation
to end now.
The United
States cannot afford to ignore
the voices and sentiments of the many other countries
that oppose the occupation. Bridges need to be rebuilt
between the United States and the international
community. The past three years show that unilateral
militarism, with disregard for our allies, leads
to isolation and failure. Iraq needs political and diplomatic
support from the international community—including
its immediate neighbors—to get back on its feet
and keep peace internally and externally.
For
ways to take action, go to: www.afsc.org/iraq
To find an AFSC office near you, go to: www.afsc.org
3.
Ways to STAND and take action!
Three
Years Too Many
| End the
War on Iraq
Bring All
the Troops Home Now
A Call for
a Week of Local Action, from
UFPJ
March 15-22,
2006
March 19th will mark the third anniversary of a war
that never should have happened -- a war based on
lies that continues to devastate the lives of thousands,
both in Iraq and the United States.
United for Peace and Justice joins partners in the
global antiwar movement in calling for a massive outpouring
of opposition to the war in Iraq. We are urging opponents of the war to organize a wide
array of events in their hometowns for the entire
week surrounding this anniversary.
As important as our periodic large national gatherings
are, we believe it is vital that we bring antiwar
sentiment out into the streets of every community
around the country.
Last year, on the second anniversary of the war, more
than 765 actions were organized in response to the
call from UFPJ for local antiwar protests. This year
we want to increase that number significantly, and
expand participation at each event.
Our national coalition will help local groups organize
a range of events and activities throughout the week
of March 15-22, with the goals of increasing the visibility
of grassroots antiwar sentiment and bringing new people
into this movement. We encourage groups to plan educational
events and protest actions, including vigils, marches,
rallies, non-violent civil disobedience and other
creative activities and to publicize them by listing
them on the UFPJ website calendar.
Find
the event nearest you, or list your organization's
Out of Iraq event at:
http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/event
Friends Committee on National Legislation
Youth Lobby Days
http://www.fcnl.org/young/
What
if you could talk to Congress and they really listened?
Join with young adults from across the country March
31-April 3, 2006 to learn to lobby
Congress from the largest peace lobby in Washington,
hear updates on current peace and justice issues in
Congress, organize lobby visits with your members
of Congress, and take a big step towards changing
the world.
Sign up for FCNL's Young Friends
email list to get updates and registration information,
or call Imy Berry
at 800-630-1330 x2504.
4.
Heads up! Some organizations putting in major work
Students Not Soldiers: The Work of Inner
City Struggle in Los
Angeles
(En espańol: Estudiantes,
no soldados - click here.)
Inner City Struggle
is a community organization working on educational
and economic justice issues in the Boyle
Heights, El Sereno, and East Los Angeles communities
(see http://www.innercitystruggle.org).
War Times/Tiempo de Guerras (see http://www.war-times.org) talked with Nancy Meza, a youth
organizer for ICS at the Roosevelt High School campus, about the economic pressures facing youth in working-class, immigrant
communities in L.A.
and how those pressures related to military recruitment.
5.
ON THE NEWS
Iraq War Could Cost US Over
$2 Trillion, says Nobel Prize-Winning Economist
6.
Update from National WAND
Remembering King
While
the description of urban violence may seem dated,
Dr. King's analysis of the causes of, and cures
for, urban injustice remains disturbingly relevant.
His understanding of what was happening among
youth as well as his understanding of American
militarism is, for better or worse, equally
pertinent. Especially important, in view of
current claims that Dr. King was undergoing
a fundamental change of political philosophy
toward the end of his life, is his concluding
affirmation of non-violence.
While
listing the Vietnam War as one cause of urban
violence he is quoted as saying
“We
are committing grave atrocities in Vietnam.
We are left standing before the world glutted
by our own barbarity. We are engaged in a war
that seeks to turn the clock of history back
and perpetuate white colonialism. The bombs
in Vietnam
explode at home –they destroy the dream and
possibility for a decent America. I must also comment
that the poor are conscripted in double measure
for combat. They constitute more than 24 per
cent of the front-line troops in a war of unprecedented
brutality. Our young men are marching under
slogans of democracy, supposedly to defend a
Saigon government that
scorns democracy. At home they know that there
is no genuine democracy for their people and
that on their return they will be restored to
a grim life even if they are bedecked with hero's
medals. A black man who runs rampant through
the ghetto during a riot has been given the
clear example of his own government running
rampant throughout the world.
When
pressed on the futility of non violence as tool
or strategy he responded
"On
this question of non-violence, I’m going to
stand by it. I'm going to love because it's
just lovely to love. I'm going to be non-violent
because I believe it is the answer to mankind's
problems. I'm not going to bargain with reality,
but I’m going to stand by non-violence in spite
of. And so I say to you that I've taken a vow
–I, Martin Luther King, take thee, Non-violence,
to be my wedded wife, for better or for worse,
for richer or for poorer –this isn't a bargaining
experience –for richer or for poorer, in sickness
and in health, until death do us part. I'm going
on in the faith and with that determination."
In
1964, speaking to young adults President Lyndon
B. Johnson said -
“For
better or for worse, your generation has been
appointed by history to deal with those problems
and to lead America toward a new age. You have
the chance never before afforded to any people
in any age. You can help build a society where
the demands of morality, and the needs of the
spirit, can be realized in the life of the Nation.
Will
you join in the battle to make it possible for
all nations to live in enduring peace - as neighbors
and not as mortal enemies?
How
will you work for peace?"
7.
Announcements/Internships
International
Health Conference at Yale University in April
2006 - Early Bird Registration Rate!
"Empowering Communities to Bridge Health Divides"
When: April 1-2, 2006
Where: Yale University,
New Haven, Connecticut
Who should attend?
Anyone interested in children's health, medicine,
health education, health promotion, public health,
international health, international service,
eye care, nonprofits, or microenterprise
Goal: To empower conference
attendees to identify health needs and to develop
solutions to improve access to care for the
medically underserved
http://www.uniteforsight.org/2006_annual_conference.php
Early Bird Registration
Rate (before February 1): $35 student rate;
$50 for all others
The Young Global
Leaders Summit
The
summit aims to encourage today’s young leaders
to view the pursuit of the Millennium Development
Goals, nonproliferation and the end of
terrorism as the special mission of their
generation. Thanks to the generous support of
the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, DarMac Foundation,
and Hewlett Foundation, the summit (including
tuition and meals) is free for selected students.
At
the summit, young leaders with a demonstrated
commitment to public service will engage in
workshops and discussions aimed at equipping
them with the tools to effectively educate their
peers about global development and security
issues. Students will also have the opportunity
to meet and exchange ideas with a diverse group
of young leaders, equipping them with the knowledge,
support and structure to implement these ideas
in their neck of the woods. Click
here to see the schedule of the conference.
January
9th - London: Young Global Leaders Summit on
global security and development
February 11th - Miami: Young Global Leaders
Summit on international development and climate
change
February 24th - Indianapolis: Global Citizenship
Conference on civic engagement in the globalized
world
February 25th - Green Bay: Citizen Diplomacy
Summit on tools for interacting across borders
March 11th - Boston: Harvard Global Educators
Conference on integrating global issues into
K-12 education
March 25th - Portland: Young Global Leaders
Summit on development and climate change
April 7th-9th - London: Bringing the World Summit
on raising global awareness after study abroad
Peace Study Internship Opportunity
Opening available in Northern England for a 9-month student internship, working
with the Chief Editor of an International Encyclopedia
on Peace and Conflict, and related research
projects. Basic Computer skills and a strong
interest in world peace issues, as well as competent
English needed. Bed and board provided in family
home, in the Yorkshire Dales National Park,
25 miles from Bradford.
Apply to: A.T.I.Young@bradford.ac.uk
or phone ++44 (0) l756-730-23l
Southwest Regional Leadership Training:
February 24-26, 2006
The Southwest Regional Leadership Training is
a joint effort by Choice USA, the National Asian
Pacific American Women’s Forum (NAPAWF), the
National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health
(NLIRH) and the Third Wave Foundation to help
build a diverse and sustained base of young
(ages 18-35) leaders in the reproductive justice
movement in the Southwestern United States (CO,
NV, AZ, NM).
We are hosting our first regional
training in Tucson, AZ on February 24-26, 2006
- Apply
Now! Rolling Deadline: January 23, 2006.
http://www.latinainstitute.org/
TURNING THE TIDE TOWARDS FREEDOM:
Building the Youth and Student Movement for
Justice
February 17-19, 2006
New York City
[PDF conference flyer
– print & distribute] (see website www.ydsusa.org) The Young Democratic
Socialists (YDS) are hosting a national conference
to bring together activists from across the
country for workshops, trainings, great speakers,
and more to reenergize the struggle to build
a better future!
Scholastic
and the Children’s Defense Fund are pleased
to announce applications for the 2006 Scholastic
Children’s Defense Fund Fellows (CDF) program.
Open
to current college students and graduating college
seniors, the Scholastic CDF Fellows program
is part of Scholastic’s ongoing commitment to
promote diversity in the publishing industry.
Scholastic believes that having a workforce
that reflects our diverse and culturally rich
society is essential to our industry’s growth
and success.
The
program runs from June 5 to August 11, 2006. All Fellows positions are located
at Scholastic corporate headquarters in New
York City.
If you have any questions about the program
or the application, please contact Mercedes
Douglas, Scholastic Recruiting Manager,
via email at cdffellows@scholastic.com or Warren
Buford at (202) 662-3502 or via email at wbuford@childrensdefense.org.
USSA Legislative
Conference & National Student Lobby Day
March 4-7, 2006!
Register
On-Line at www.usstudents.org
First National
Conference on Precaution: June 9th - 11th, 2006
in Baltimore, MD
Join
with groups across America who are applying
the precautionary approach to environmental
hazards by shifting the focus to "how can
we prevent harm?", instead of asking
"what level of harm is acceptable?"
This national event will bring together
people working on conservation, disease prevention,
environmental justice, environmental health,
green purchasing, precautionary business practices,
toxic and nuclear pollution prevention, worker
safety and more to build a stronger movement
to protect our health and environment.
http://www.besafenet.com/
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