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 GLOBAL MOVEMENT FOR A CULTURE OF PEACE

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Question: Can such student strikes be effective?, What else can students do to promote peace? CPNN article: Books Triumph over Bombs
Joe
Posted: Mar. 30 2003,02:42
:angry:

Just as we had feared, Bush asked Congress for $75 billion to fund his Iraqi escapade. I recently added a new bumper sticker to my car which reads: "If you're not outraged, you are not paying attention." And rightly so. That amount of money could solve the budget woes of virtually every school in the country, with some to spare. Well, not really, because it's all deficit spending; but you get the point.

So, was it all for naught? Many have expressed their frustration since the war has taken hold. Certainly, this sort of self-righteous unilateralism on the part of the administration, in the face of a visible anti-war majority, is a frightening precedent. But, is that a reason to despair?

Of course one of the March 5th strike's major goals was to subvert war. But, we also sought to raise awareness and build political pressure. In this latter goal, I think we were successful to a degree. The very fact that our college President was frightened enough to publish an article against our efforts indicates that we're on the right track. The fact that CNN devoted a large part of their web page to coverage of the strike on the 5th is further proof. To despair now is to betray that momentum.

There's a lot of speculation now that we're living in a proto-fascist state similar to Germany 70 years ago. And, while some of it is alarmist, there are some eerie truths to that analogy. The time for student strikes may be expired, but outrage is still an option. Our tactics must move to meet Bush's audacity. And the only way to do so is to build more power and keep the pressure on.
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Guest
Posted: Mar. 30 2003,07:50
Your comparison of these times to the 1930's is appropriate in more than one way.  As the following little bit of history indicates, the thirties were a time of important student movements that prepared an entire generation for the struggle for peace and justice.

"The student anti-war movement was especially effective. The Socialist League for Industrial Democracy, (social democratic) the National Student League (Communist), and the National Student Federation of America (liberal) joined forces at the end of 1933 to initiate an annual student strike against war. Joined the next year by a new liberal organization, the American Youth Congress, they sponsored strikes which grew by 1935 to include 175,000 students and by 1936 to include half a million. The student unity was built around a simple program based on the Oxford pledge which students at Oxford, England, had originated. The American version was "We pledge not to support the government of the United States in any war it may conduct." In addition to organizations on Northern white campuses, the student peace organizations reached out for solidarity with trade union organizing drives throughout the country, and they pioneered in developing Black/White unity among Southern college students."

Excerpted from the American Peace Movements, available online.

Edited by David Adams on Mar. 30 2003,07:53
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CPNN Administrator
Posted: Mar. 05 2004,10:14
NATIONAL YOUTH AND STUDENT PEACE COALITION
PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Wednesday, March 3, 2004

CONTACT:
National Youth and Student Peace Coalition national spokespeople:
Jason Fults, (215) 222-4711,
seac@seac.org
Jessie Marshall, (646) 643-7702,
Jessica.M.Marshall.01
@Alum.Dartmouth.org

Grassroots spokespeople:
(Austin, TX) Brent Perdue, (512) 736-6852,

brent@notwithourmoney.org
(Chicago, IL) Dan Lichtenstein-Boris, (773) 505-2579,
dwlb@uchicago.edu
(Des Moines, IA) Jay Kozel, (515) 255-6876,
desvalido@aol.com


********************

COMMUNITIES WITH PLANNED MARCH 4 BOOKS NOT BOMBS DAY OF ACTION EVENTS

Below are communities where the National Youth and Student Peace Coalition knows youth and students are organizing events to challenge Bush to focus on
the needs of students and youth.  For specific details on local actions, please contact Jason Fults at (215) 222-4711 or

State  Location
AZ  Tucson High
CA  San Francisco, CA
CA  Arcata, CA
CA  California State Polytechnic University-Pomona
CA  Chabot College; Hayward, CA
CA  San Diego
CA  UC Berkeley
CT  Yale University
CT  Wesleyan University, Middletown, CT
DC  Washington, DC
FL  University of FL
IA  Des Moines, IA
ID  Boise State University -Idaho
IL  Chicago, IL
IN  Notre Dame
KS  Shawnee-Mission South HS - suburb of KC
LA  Louisiana State University -Baton Rouge
MA  Harvard University
MA  Boston College
MI  University of Michigan
MI  Grand Valley State University; Allendale
MN/WI  Northland, Minnesota and Wisconsin
MO  St. Louis, MO
MO  University of Missouri -- Kansas City
NC  North Carolina State University
NC  Duke University
NJ  New Brunswick, NJ
NM  University of New Mexico
NY  Syracuse, NY
NY  NY, NY
NY  Fordham University
NY  Cobleskill-Richmondville High School, NY
NY  Buffalo St./Students for Peace
NY  NYU
NY  SUNY-Orange, Middletown
OH  Wright State University; Dayton, OH
PA  Philadelphia, PA
PA  Westminster College, Wilmington, PA
PA  Cedar Crest College; Allentown
PA  Orwigsburg, PA
TX  University of TX-Austin
TX  University of St. Thomas; Houston, TX
TX  University of Texas - Arlington
TX  O'Connor; San Antonio
VA  James Madison University, Harrisonburg Virginia
VT  AFSC-VT
WI  Un. of Wisconsin-Madison
WI  Un. of Wisconsin-Osh Kosh
WI  Un. of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

Edited by CPNN Administrator on Mar. 05 2004,10:21
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