Selectman's
Meetings
A Town version of a Proclamation of Peace, using the declarations
set forth by the original UN resolution, is being taken to every
town council meeting in the local towns of South Berkshire County.
In order to have the town selectmen sign these letters, local
youth will present the request in person, accompanied by a local
youth and Iraq veteran John Flynn. The proclamation also asks
each town to participate in acknowledging Sept. 21 with a moment
of silence at noon, education through the public schools, and
suggests that there be public displays in each town.
Global
Connections
In order to inspire other youth to have their local governments
sign the Proclamation of Peace, we are working with the International
Day of Peace website and connecting with other youth networks
on the web to spread the fire.
Web-based
networking is an important way to reach millions of youth. There
is so much potential to blow this movement out of the water, so
to speak, if we could all link up. Ideas floating around include:
creating a peace proclamation sign up that would appear on networks
such as friendster, myspace, etc...something that could be mainstreamed
and very cool for youth.
Art
on Display
Print out postcard - Front (2
MB PDF) Back (365
K PDF)
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The
International Day of Peace is September 21. This year, the
Railroad Street Youth Project from Great Barrington, Massachusetts
would like to invite youth from around the world to submit
any work of art that responds to the question “What does
peace look like in your community?” Artwork may include
any style, medium, or size by artists of all skill levels
and should be submitted by September 1, 2006 to: Railroad
Street Youth Project 70 Railroad St. Great Barrington, MA
01230 USA.
Artwork
submitted by September 1 will be displayed at the United
Nations youth events for the International Day of Peace.
Each year, peace day is an opportunity for youth and communities
world-wide to promote peace and non-violence by participating
in a moment of silence at noon local time, hosting a public
vigil or celebration, and urging governments to honor a
one day global ceasefire.
Think
about what peace looks like in your community, and send
your artistic expressions for display at the UN! For more
information, please visit www.internationaldayofpeace.org
or send an email to rsypeace@gmail.com.
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Courageous
initiatives
The following are a few examples of youth-inspired projects from
the constituents of Railroad Street Youth Project:
Iraq
War Veteran John Flynn is working in collaboration with local
residents to create a group called CEASEFIRE. They hope that in
its development, a worldwide movement will initiate peaceful development
of third world countries through the work of local community organizations.
The Ceasefire group is currently shooting a counter-recruitment
film that will be geared at teaching high school age children
an informed perspective of joining the military. John will use
unique film and photography to tell his story before, during,
and after Iraq.
Dan
Kobran is working with other youth to create a theatrical, interactive
piece that could be performed and replicated at festivals and
events all over the world.
Ian
Fellerman is working with RSYP staff to bring a festival to Berkshire
County that would celebrate IDP and feature a big-name music artist,
a peace activist speaker and many interactive events for youth.
RSYP
will work with local schools to show the film Peace One Day before
September 21 at school assemblies, in order to introduce and inspire
youth to participate in the day. Erin Mahoney and Rose Lloyd are
working in their high schools to launch campaigns for everyone
to recognize a moment of silence at noon on Sept. 21, for school
districts to sign a proclamation of peace, and for art classes
to paint the downtown store-front windows according to the theme
of "What does peace look like in your local community?" that would
be on display for the month of September.
Quintavious
Walls (Q), Janos Fullop (the Arcitype), Tynan
Whalen (Aposoul) have created rap songs, and others are working
on a music video and Public Service Announcements to raise awareness
for IDP.
Jesse
Buttcus and Lannie Moore are working on journals that will be
sent chain-letter style all around the world from one youth org.
to the next until Sept. 1 when they will be returned to RSYP for
collection. In launching a snail-mail style communication that
educates youth about IDP, we hope to reach thousands of people
who are un-reachable via the web. The journals will be mailed
and hand-delivered by leaders and students who participate in
study/volunteer abroad programs.
Carrie
Burke has volunteered to help RSYP form a Peace Commission in
Great Barrington. Other Peace Commissions may be formed in local
towns all over the U.S., check out the one in Cambridge Massachusetts
at www.cambridgema.gov/dept/peace.html
Public
Outdoor Mural
RSYP has commissioned Allen Dooley Jackson, a graffiti writer
from New Haven Connecticut, to oversee the creation of a new outdoor
mural in Great Barrington, created by the class participants,
that will express the youth and community's answer to the question,
"What does peace look like in our community?"
Youth
Inspire Cease-Fire Poster
LoRes PDF (297K)|
HiRes PDF (2.3
Meg)
