National Youth and Student Peace Coalition calls for National Books Not Bombs Week of Action! April 16 - 24, 2005 Jessica Marshall National Co-Coordinator Young Communist League, USA (YCL) 646-437-5348 work 646-643-7702 cell e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] (mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED])
Web: _http://www.yclusa.org_ (http://www.yclusa.org/) Has your campus administration raised tuition again? Is the local school board cutting funding for yet another program for students? Are military recruiters invading your school and using promises of scholarships and career opportunities to convince your friends to join the military? Does more of your school research funding go to developing weapons than developing cures for diseases? Has the fear of the "threat of terrorism" been used to justify attacks on immigrant youth and students in your area? You're not alone. The war in Iraq is coming home to our schools and communities in a variety of frightening ways. But, youth and students are sitting up and taking notice - and taking action! Two years ago, when the US military was poised to invade Iraq, we protested the war and demanded 'Books Not Bombs.' We marched out of our classrooms and campuses and poured into the streets, organizing speak-outs and rallies and together creating the largest student strike in recent history. Two years ago, Bush and his administration promised us that the presence of US troops in Iraq would lead to a safer world. Young people didn't buy it - we predicted that this war would only make our world and our future more insecure. And after a two-year occupation, attacks on rights and opportunities for youth and students have only increased. It seems that the war on our future and our resources is part and parcel of this war-on-the-world foreign policy. Now more than ever youth and students have to demonstrate our power, our unity, and our energy. This spring, we have the chance to unite our voices again! * City voices will join with rural voices to question and challenge the ever-increasing presence of military recruiters who prey on our future * College and high school students will join together to demand full education funding and an end to tuition hikes * Peace activists speaking out against wars abroad will join with community activists fighting against the war on our communities A CALL TO ACTION! Since 2001, NYSPC has been organizing youth and students to speak out and organize to fight for Books Not Bombs. NYSPC calls on all member groups, affiliates and youth and students everywhere to demand an end to wars and occupations. Join us from April 16th to 24th in our fight for the Books Not Bombs Agenda: H Fund Education - Not Empire! H Military Out of Our Schools - No to the Poverty Draft! H Protect Our Civil Liberties! H Campuses For Peace - Not War! H Schools Not Jails! GET INVOLVED! Organize one of the events listed below or something completely different. The important thing is let this week of action help you highlight the local struggles youth and students in your area are facing! 1.) Organize a Books Not Bombs Rally / Open-Mic / Speak-Out / Concert / Cultural Event Youth voices can't be confined. So get out in the street! Energize your school or community, kick-start or publicize a campaign, and make the connections between the wars being fought overseas and the war that we're facing every day in our schools and communities. Turn a local hip hop or rock show into a blast of energy to stop the war! The Books Not Bombs Week of Action is the perfect time to get your friends, classmates, co-workers, and everyone else together to listen to music and call for youth rights and priorities to replace war and militarism. Adding an Open Mic to any event allows everyone to express what Books Not Bombs means to them, through poetry, music and more. 2.) Tent State University Tent State University (TSU) was launched in 2003 at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, NJ, with the goal of stopping drastic budget cuts to higher education in the wake of the wars on Afghanistan and Iraq. For five days, hundreds of students built and maintained a tent city at the center of campus, symbolizing the displacement of Higher Education, and held a wide array of activities, including alternative daytime classes, direct actions, as well as live bands and a variety of other performances every night. This year, TSU is going national. Universities, high schools, and youth groups around the country are building tent universities and linking the destruction of public higher education to the ever-rising costs of war. Students and youth groups are encouraged to join in and create their own version of TSU. Visit _http://www.tentstateuniversity.com_ (http://www.tentstateuniversity.com/) and download a toolkit for youth organizers to hold a successful event on your campus. 3.) Realities of War Event One of the first steps to winning the Books Not Bombs agenda is to engage and educate our friends and peers on the issues that are most affecting youth today. Youth and students around the country deserve to hear the real truth behind the war on Iraq and learn what they need to do in their communities and on their campuses to fight back! The Realities of War is an ongoing national speaking tour, sponsored by NYSPC that brings home the real face of war: in Iraq, in our high schools, in our universities and in our communities. During the week of action, NYSPC calls on youth and students to host public forums and teach-ins that showcase the Realities of War. Use these educational events as a chance to highlight the local struggles youth are facing and their connection to the war. Several universities around the country are already planning Realities of War events during the Week of Action! For more info on hosting a Realities of War event at your school, email us at [EMAIL PROTECTED] CONNECT! The National Youth and Student Peace Coalition wants to amplify your voice and your demands. Tell us your story, announce your event, and we'll help get the word out to the media and other youth and students. We've found the website _www.campusactivism.org_ (http://www.campusactivism.org/) to be a great tool for activists. Check it out! Coming up at _www.campusactivism.org_ (http://www.campusactivism.org/) , under the category Books Not Bombs, you will be able to: * Register your Books Not Bombs event * Learn about and connect with other Books Not Bombs events around the country and in your region * Download upcoming resources like the Week of Action organizing guide, images for posters, sample press release, and more. * Share the resources you've created The National Youth and Student Peace Coalition is sponsoring the Books Not Bombs National Week of Action. NYSPC is the largest coalition of youth and student organizations from around the country committed to fighting for peace and justice in our schools, communities, and around the world. Find out more at _www.nyspc.net_ (http://www.nyspc.net/) ============================================================= Peace, No War War is not the answer, for only love can conquer hate Not in our Name! And another world is possible! 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