Coalition calls day of youth action for peace

Thousands of high school and college students and other young people around the country are organizing marches, teach-ins, demonstrations, vigils and other creative actions on campuses and in communities as part of a national day of action Nov. 15.

Youth and student organizations from around the U.S. came together to form the National Youth and Student Peace Coalition, which called the day of action to oppose the war, racial profiling and the assault on civil liberties.

“The Day of Action is important,” said Jo’ie Taylor, vice president of the United States Student Association, a member of the coalition. “It will show we oppose the killing of innocents anywhere – in New York City or in Kabul.”

The principles of unity adopted by the new coalition are also the demands of the Nov. 15 actions:
1. We support the victims and condemn the attacks of Sept. 11.
2. We are opposed to a military response to Sept. 11.
3. We call for the U.S. to address the root causes of the conflict and we see the U.S. policy in the Middle East as some of those root causes. We seek lasting peace at home but in order to achieve it we must have justice abroad. Instead of the U.S. using own means, we seek an international solution in which the U.S. is accountable.
4. We oppose attempts to pass opportunistic legislation sacrificing civil rights, democratic principles and domestic needs in the name of “anti-terrorism” or “home safety.” This includes: threats to civil liberties, institutionalized racial profiling, anti-immigrant policy, increased military spending, decreased education and social spending, fast track trade negotiating authority for the executive branch and any steps toward the militarization of outer space. We are opposed to an open ended “war on terrorism.”
5. Since we are youth and students, we will be especially vigilant about any attempts at high school and college campuses to deny civil liberties and we oppose disproportionate military recruiting of youth of color and working-class youth.

For more information on the coalition and day of action, contact the 180/MDE Clearinghouse at (608) 256-7081, or e-mail clearinghouse@tao.ca.