Socialist Alternative

WhaT:: Strategizing Session - Youth, Militarism  and Art- Another Reality is Possible
WhY:: Public Schools, Military and our Opportunity for Change and Accessing Power
WhO:: Youth, People of Color, Artists, Immigrants, Allies of all kinds and colors: Community; all affected by the military industrial complex and War
WheN:: November 10th, 2007
Peace Marshall Training, 10:30a- 11:30am
10-noon, Food and Art
Noon- 4:30p Community Plottin’
WherE:: Center for Independent Artists
4137 Bloomington Ave. South
Minneapolis

Check us out at:
www.forusa.org
http://www.myspace.com/yawrmn
www.ivaw.org

Dearest friends,
Please mark November 10th as an opportunity to make Art, strengthen relationships and co-conspire for a better tomorrow.

Come join the Fellowship of Reconciliation, Youth Against War and Racism and Iraq Veterans Against the War in plotting for:
-truth in military recruiting,
-demilitarized youth culture,
-career,  educational and creative community opportunities,
-generational economic justice and more!

We CaN become a creative culture of peace and justice aNd fully access our communities’ potential!
Prisons and the Military must not be the only ‘attractive’ or default options for low-income youth.

Want to know more about top military recruitment facts? Follow this link for a quick look at what some veterans and activists have to say about military recruiting and community organizing opportunity.
http://www.alternet.org/waroniraq/62945/?page=1

Role of Public Schools in Democracy and Military Influence
http://216.35.221.77/templates/story/story.php?storyId=15586946
Debate over Chicago ‘Military’ Public Schools Continues , NPR, 10/24/07
Pauline Lipman, a Chicago urban education expert, and Herman Badillo, a New York attorney and policy expert, analyze the ongoing debate.
Also check out their show on October 23rd, 2007

http://www.militaryfreeschools.org/

Interested in the Arts?
This is a wonderfully strategic time for artists to get organized! In November of 2008, on the 150th Anniversary of our state, Minnesotans will have the historic opportunity to preserve our arts and cultural heritage by voting for a constitutional amendment that will create designated funding for the arts and environment.  Let’s seize this time to explore publicly funded options to JROTC and other school-based militarized options. The Arts are a better choice to address the need for guidance, structure, leadership, discipline, critical and creative thinking development needs of our young people.

Click for Trading Books for Soldiers article
http://www.peaceworkmagazine.org/pwork/0410/041021.htm

and for a whole website for questioning JROTC.
http://www.objector.org/jrotc/jrotcfunds.html

Immigration and People of Color?
Endless wars (mostly enriching weapon manufacturers and their friends) are requiring the military to reach out to specific populations to satisfy its need for an endless supply of troops.

Click here for an article titled Military Recruitment, Communities of Color and Immigrants
http://mcc.org/us/co/stories/militaryrecruitment.html

http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=04/12/23/1541224
A New Poverty Draft: Military Contractors Target Latin America For New Recruits

http://www.metroactive.com/metro/09.19.07/news-0738.html
Click above for Yo soy el Army article about recruiting of immigrants, highlighting military recruitment of Latinos.

Or check out the story of Anslem Ifill who was a legal permanent resident who living in the U.S. for 25 years. He served in the U.S. Army for eight years and now faces deportation. This video, by Breakthrough TV, a human rights organization, tells his story.
http://www.matt.org/english/blog/236/daily_video_legal_permanent_resident,_8-year_army_veteran_faces_deportation.html

Violence Against Women
Follow link below for an NPR segment on Women in Combat titled Reported Cases of Sexual Assault in Military on the Rise
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=15005484

Click below for link on Militarism and Violence Against Women
http://zmagsite.zmag.org/Apr2004/marshall0404.html

Taking Care of our Veterans
Veterans overall earn less then their civilian counterparts and are more likely to be homeless without full support for their specific needs.

http://www.nchv.org/page.cfm?id=81
Click for Number of Homeless Veterans and VA Beds by State, 2005

http://be-think.typepad.com/bethink/veterans_for_peace_2006_national_convention/index.html
Article on 2006 Veterans for Peace Network