CALL TO ACTION
As the third anniversary of the invasion of Iraq approaches, the war's impact on our generation is increasingly alarming:
- The vast majority of US troops killed in Iraq have been youth of college-age (18-25)
- Military recruiters have escalated their aggressive and deceptive campaigns in our schools, preying upon young people as the Pentagon struggles to enlist enough youth to fight a war based on lies.
- The war's soaring cost (nearly $400 billion!) has forced massive budget cuts, leaving young people with under-funded schools, diminishing social services and fewer alternatives to the military.
- The President has now announced he plans to make this a "long war" with no end in sight, burdening OUR generation with ongoing violence and growing national debt.
*But young people all over the country are organizing and fighting back!
*On March 16, as part of the *United for Peace & Justice* week of anti-war resistance (Mar. 15-22), the *NATIONAL YOUTH & STUDENT PEACE COALITION*(NYSPC) is joining with our allies across the movement to call for a national day of youth- and student-led cultural resistance against three years of needless war.
We are calling for creative grassroots actions across the country to demand an end to this occupation, as it becomes more deadly, costly and disastrous each day. Outraged by the war's soaring costs to our communities, and the war machine's endless grip on our economy, we will organize opposition to war and militarism by amplifying the youth movement's call for Books Not Bombs! Young people everywhere will organize locally to demand that our leaders stop funding this illegal occupation, which is robbing us of resources we need for schools, services and real alternatives to military enlistment.
WHAT TO DO:
***Raise Your Voice!**
*On March 16, as part of a week of national resistance to the war, we are urging young people to organize open-mic nights, anti-war concerts and other creative forums where our generation can raise our voices against the Bush Administration's reckless policies of greed and destruction.
By organizing unified local efforts across the country, we can build the youth movement's power to speak out against the impact of endless militarism on our generation.
- It is our peers losing their lives for Bush's lies.
- It is our schools that have been invaded by aggressive military recruiters.
- And it is our opportunities for education and job training that are being slashed to fund war.
Now it is OUR generation that must rise up to SPEAK OUT against endless war!
So start organizing an open-mic night, anti-war concert, teach-in, speak out or other event in your area – or do something completely different! The important thing is that this day of resistance brings forward the unique voices, demands and creative ideas of our generation. And this means we need to hear from YOU to make this day a national success! So check out www.NYSPC.net to get in touch and access a bunch of organizing tools. You can use our website to:
* Register and publicize your local Books Not Bombs event.
* Endorse the Books Not Bombs National Day of Resistance.
* Learn about/connect with other Books Not Bombs events around the country and in your area.
* Download organizing resources, media tips, petitions, postcards and more.
* Find other youth-led peace and justice groups, counter-recruitment links, and more.
* Help us build a massive and powerful National Day of Resistance!
***Take It to Congress!***
While we have taken our resistance to the streets for more than three years, now is the time to take it to Congress. With the 2006 elections just around the corner, we need to send our elected leaders a clear message: if you will not pay attention to young people's demands, then get out of our way! NYSPC will provide organizing resources to all
local participants, including petitions, postcards and sample letters you can use to collect stacks of signatures, calling upon your reps to end this occupation and stop the cycle of endless war by voting to fund books not bombs!
Immediately following the third anniversary of the war, Members of Congress will be in their local districts (your neighborhoods!) from March 20 to 24. This is the perfect time for you to take all the postcards, petitions and letters you get signed at your events on the 16th and hand-deliver them to the Congressional office in your district! We must
make our voices heard, from our campuses and communities to Capitol Hill!
