CELEBRATE YOUTH!: A CONFERENCE ON LIBERATION
[email protected]
**********************************************
CELEBRATE YOUTH!: A CONFERENCE ON LIBERATION
February 15-17, 2002 * St. Petersburg, Florida
**********************************************
* We want to learn and grow and play! *
* We want to be young! *
* We want to be free! *
**********************************************
We are a group of students, teachers, artists, activists, musicians,
writers,journalists, filmmakers and farmers. We are kids, and we ware
fed up with the way that we and our peers are treated. Young people
are capable of playing a vital role in our communities. Throughout
time, we have participated in progressive political action. However,
adults often overlook our potential and fail to support us. Parents,
teachers and other adults in our lives ignore and marginalize our
views.
WE WANT OUR VOICES BACK!
We are locked up for seven or more hours a day, for at least 13
years. We are forced to "learn" things that aren't useful or
applicable to our lives and that often aren't even true. We are
taught to obey, to keep our opinions to ourselves and to remain
silent. We are groomed to enter the workforce. We targeted by
corporations that prey on us as lucrative customers.
WE WANT OUR MINDS BACK!
We are punished for pursuing our dreams. We are raised and
indoctrinated into a culture of racism, sexism, ageism and violence.
We are forbidden from being in public during certain hours of the day.
WE WANT OUR FUN BACK!
We are taught not to question or challenge our own oppression or that
of others. We learn onlyn how to operate within and perpetuate
authoritative relationships. We want to escape these destructive
environments.
WE WANT OUR LIVES BACK!
For all of these reasons, we are organizing Celebrate Youth!: A
Conference onLiberation, a three-day gathering in scheduled for Feb.
15-17 in St. Petersburg,Florida. The conference will incorporate
serious discussion, analyses of the problems facing youth today and
constructive workshops that equip us with the tools we need to
dismantle these oppressive systems in favor of a healthier
approach to learning and living. Of course, we will also have fun with
activities such as games, movies, picnics, a concert, free-form
performances andbike rides through the city. Through this conference,
we hope to empower youth and adults from a variety of communities and
diverse backgrounds to begin building a society based on freedom and
respect, rather than oppression and domination.
HOW CAN YOU HELP?
We are looking for people to speak at the conference, facilitate
workshops, donate money and resources and spread the word of the
conference in their communities. Please get in touch to let us know
what you can do to help. We look forward to working with you to end
the oppression and marginalization of youth everywhere.
FOR MORE INFO, CONTACT: compassiontothecore@h... or 628 4th
Ave. South, St. Petersburg, FL 33701.
ALSO!
Calling all Bicyclists!
Join the bike brigade traveling to the Celebrate Youth Conference in
St. Petersburg (more info on the conference below). Right now we're
trying to spread the word and orgainze routes. If your interested in
being involved, have suggestions or questions email
[email protected] or join the flordia_bike_punx list
at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/florida_bike_punx . Pass the info
to your friends and community.
CELEBRATE YOUTH!: A CONFERENCE ON LIBERATION
February 15-17, 2002 * St. Petersburg, Florida
**********************************************
* We want to learn and grow and play! *
* We want to be young! *
* We want to be free! *
**********************************************
We are a group of students, teachers, artists, activists, musicians,
writers,journalists, filmmakers and farmers. We are kids, and we ware
fed up with the way that we and our peers are treated. Young people
are capable of playing a vital role in our communities. Throughout
time, we have participated in progressive political action. However,
adults often overlook our potential and fail to support us. Parents,
teachers and other adults in our lives ignore and marginalize our
views.
WE WANT OUR VOICES BACK!
We are locked up for seven or more hours a day, for at least 13
years. We are forced to "learn" things that aren't useful or
applicable to our lives and that often aren't even true. We are
taught to obey, to keep our opinions to ourselves and to remain
silent. We are groomed to enter the workforce. We targeted by
corporations that prey on us as lucrative customers.
WE WANT OUR MINDS BACK!
We are punished for pursuing our dreams. We are raised and
indoctrinated into a culture of racism, sexism, ageism and violence.
We are forbidden from being in public during certain hours of the day.
WE WANT OUR FUN BACK!
We are taught not to question or challenge our own oppression or that
of others. We learn onlyn how to operate within and perpetuate
authoritative relationships. We want to escape these destructive
environments.
WE WANT OUR LIVES BACK!
For all of these reasons, we are organizing Celebrate Youth!: A
Conference onLiberation, a three-day gathering in scheduled for Feb.
15-17 in St. Petersburg,Florida. The conference will incorporate
serious discussion, analyses of the problems facing youth today and
constructive workshops that equip us with the tools we need to
dismantle these oppressive systems in favor of a healthier
approach to learning and living. Of course, we will also have fun with
activities such as games, movies, picnics, a concert, free-form
performances andbike rides through the city. Through this conference,
we hope to empower youth and adults from a variety of communities and
diverse backgrounds to begin building a society based on freedom and
respect, rather than oppression and domination.
HOW CAN YOU HELP?
We are looking for people to speak at the conference, facilitate
workshops, donate money and resources and spread the word of the
conference in their communities. Please get in touch to let us know
what you can do to help. We look forward to working with you to end
the oppression and marginalization of youth everywhere.
FOR MORE INFO, CONTACT: compassiontothecore@h... or 628 4th
Ave. South, St. Petersburg, FL 33701.
ALSO!
Calling all Bicyclists!
Join the bike brigade traveling to the Celebrate Youth Conference in
St. Petersburg (more info on the conference below). Right now we're
trying to spread the word and orgainze routes. If your interested in
being involved, have suggestions or questions email
[email protected] or join the flordia_bike_punx list
at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/florida_bike_punx . Pass the info
to your friends and community.