The National Network Opposing the Militarization of Youth (NNOMY)

  español  - 

November 4, 2005 / People's World / BERKELEY, Calif. — As the number of U.S. soldiers killed in Iraq neared the 2,000 mark, nearly 500 university and high school students, military resisters, veterans and peace activists gathered on the UC Berkeley campus Oct. 22-23 for “On the Frontlines: Options for Youth in Times of War.” While most participants were from California, some came from as far away as New York state.

The conference, co-sponsored by Military Out of Our Schools-Bay Area (MOOS-Bay) and the Campus Antiwar Network, brought together program participants from over two dozen antiwar, educational, cultural and political organizations. Nearly 50 workshops ranged from detailed how-to’s on topics like getting recruiters off high school and college campuses to lessons from earlier struggles like the anti-Vietnam War movement and exploration of the role of theater and art.

A theme throughout the gathering was the urgent need to win economic and educational opportunities for youth, especially working-class youth of color, in the face of economic crisis, lack of jobs and educational opportunities. “Though solving the problems of youth, finding the alternatives to the military, is not on the agenda of this conference, it is the underlying context,” said Kevin Ramirez of the Central Committee for Conscientious Objectors.

Another theme was the importance of reaching young people before they take the step of signing a contract.

   español -

September–October 2005 / Elizabeth Wrigley-Field / International Socialist Review  - WITH SUPPORT for Bush’s occupation of Iraq at an all-time low, reflected in plummeting rates of military enlistment, the antiwar movement has begun to reemerge. At the head of this revival has been a counter-recruitment movement that rapidly developed nationwide last year, particularly in schools, where young people resent being targeted to carry out an occupation they oppose. College students have kicked military recruiters off campuses around the country, while high school students, parents, and teachers’ unions are leading campaigns against recruiters in their schools.

This fall, the movement that began to take shape over the last year is taking steps to cohere itself into a more effective force to challenge military recruitment and the war. Two grassroots initiatives in particular show the potential for building a powerful movement organized around the theme College Not Combat.

San Francisco takes on recruiters

On November 9, voters in San Francisco will have the opportunity to vote for the following resolution against military recruitment in the city’s schools:

Resolved, that the people of San Francisco oppose U.S. military recruiters using public school, college and university facilities to recruit young people into the armed forces. Furthermore, San Francisco should oppose the military’s “economic draft” by investigating means by which to fund and grant scholarships for college and job training to low-income students so they are not economically compelled to join the military.

The resolution, known as the College Not Combat (CNC) initiative, was placed on the November election ballot in San Francisco after activists collected over 15,000 petition signatures—5,000 more than the legal requirement—in an effort to put the city on record calling for military recruiters out of our schools. Alongside teachers and veterans, parents petitioned with their children. This all-volunteer force was able to exceed its petitioning goals and secure ballot access in part because, according to activists’ estimates, about 80 percent of those approached signed the petition. In the words of CNC organizer Ragina Johnson, “It gives us the power to say the city of San Francisco is in favor of students and teachers and parents kicking recruiters off campus.”