youth

In the wake of President Obama's decision to send more troops to Afghanistan, it is more important than ever to listen to the voices of ordinary Afghanis. The Fellowship of Reconciliation has been in dialogue with some young leaders there, and a few days ago -- just before the president's announcement -- the Afghan Youth Peace Volunteers published a video on YouTube. It is a touching message of peace greetings to Malia & Sasha Obama, the president's daughters, from Afghani girls and boys. Their ordinary, gentle voices speak to love, conscience, and human dignity. Click here to watch this video message to Malia & Sasha Obama from young Afghanis.

The Olympia Fellowship of Reconciliation uses a variety of media to get out the word about their efforts for justice, peace, and nonviolence. Examples include a monthly television show broadcast on local public-access TV, a film series, and a partnership with the local newspaper, The Olympian, to provide op-ed perspectives on current issues. This past weekend, Jody Tiller Mackey, co-chair of the Olympia FOR's steering committee, published the following perspective in the newspaper:

Gentlefriends: Here is a step into another world, the Beloved Community.  Our friends and colleagues in the Olympia FOR, and especially Doug Mackey, are nurturing our introduction and support of this group of Afhgan Peace Youth Vigilers.

Watch these Afghan peace youth vigilers say with the world “Love is how we’ll ask for peace.”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lLKR6iEdZGs 

Please take our next small steps with us.  Love and peace from Afghanistan,

A year ago I was a young person looking for opportunities to gain job skills, find adventure, and serve my community. Theoretical discussions and the occasional protest wasn't enough - I wanted to be doing something that would make a difference in a concrete way. I was ready for physical and mental challenges, and to be tested in ways that I never had been. That's when I signed up. Six months, a physical, screening and few tests later, I was in. My life would never be the same - I had joined my local emergency response fire and rescue department.

Amongst peace and justice- oriented folks, it's fairly safe to say that your first choice for a resolution to any conflict is calm, rational dialogue, right?. Many people reading this might even say that an open dialogue is the ONLY solution to conflict - why should we need war, aggression or threats to work out our differences? But what about in regards to conflicts with your parents, siblings, children if you have them, signifiant others, or the occasional annoying stranger? Are we able to hold ourselves to the high standards (and really hold ourselves accountable) to the grand ideals that we have in place for others?

The deadline for the WWFOR PAT (peace activist trainee) program has been extended to May 25th. We had some major problems with e-mail from May 10-14 so decided to extend the deadline. The program is for high school students finishing their sophomore or junior year. It runs from July 7 through July 30. For more info: www.wwfor.org.

The Western Washington Fellowship of Reconciliation (WWFOR) is still recruiting applications for the 2009 summer PAT
(Peace Activist Trainee) program. The deadline for applications is this Friday, May 15, 2009.

If you know anyone who is currently in their sophomore or junior year in high school who might want to be empowered to make change in their community, please encourage them to apply! The four-week program emphasizes building organizing skills, as well as meeting activists and organizing working on a variety of peace & social justice issues.

There is more information, including flyers and application, on the WWFOR web site. The deadline for applications is May 15, 2009.

Ellen Finkelstein: 206-789-5565 (WWFOR office)

Two days ago, a 21-year-old student at my alma mater, Wesleyan University, was murdered by a man with a handgun. Johanna Justin-Jinich, a young woman with a beautiful future, was cut down as she entered the prime of her life by someone who had far-too-easy access to a killing tool and ammunition. She was killed in the Red and Black Café, a local gathering place that is run by a friend and classmate of mine.

Every day, families lose their loved ones due to preventable murders such as this.

By Kristen Kuriga

Last night I dreamt I was in Colombia. I was walking down the street at
night alone and the lighting was dim. A man with a machine gun came out
from behind a building and forced me to the ground. He put his gun up
to my head and I could hear him slowly pulling the trigger back. My
heart was pounding as I lay with my face on the cold concrete. Am I
going to die? Everything was in slow motion. As I heard the bullet
coming out of the gun I grabbed the end with my hand and bent it. I
stood up, took the gun from the man, and broke it with my hands. I
threw the gun on the ground and walked down the dark street alone.

by Kristen Kuriga

When friends have asked me about my time in Colombia, my initial response is intense … full of life … big. In the span of ten days I witnessed and experienced the context of the conflict in Colombia, its effect on youth, and the creative ways that ACOOC and the Red Juvenil have developed an alternative path for youth built on the principles of nonviolence, conscientious objection, and art. And I met people who inspired me and filled me with a sense of possibility and resilience. In the midst of armed conflict and daily violence, poverty, and the repression of dissident voices, the youth that I encountered emanated love, life, joy, and celebration. What was at the core of this? I saw community, self-created family, vision, play, and most of all creativity!