Get HIPP -- Help Increase the Peace

Yesterday, during our tabling at McCallum High School, several teachers came up to our table to talk with us and express their support.  One of the teachers is involved in the "No Place for Hate" campaign at the school, and he said that what would be very helpful for his students is a conflict resolution training program because a primary concern of students is dealing with conflicts in interpersonal relationships.  Fights can happen especially when there are miscommunications, rumors, gossip, mistaken assumptions, etc.

A good resource is HIPP -- Help Increase the Peace Program, a workshop for youth developed by the American Friends Service Committee in 1991.  Here is a great video about the program.  For more information, call the HIPP Nationwide Network at 410-323-7200.

Chinning up with the Marines at McCallum High School

Today, Tami and I had the rare experience of tabling directly across the hall from two Marine recruiters during the lunch periods.  They brought their chin-up bar and had quite a few students try it.  Students were asked to fill out cards giving their contact information.  I spoke with the two recruiters and asked about the cards.  They said they don't contact students if they list their age as younger than 17.  It's important to abide by that.

We set up our chin-up bar, too, but didn't have takers on it today.  But, a number of students noticed the contrasts between our tables, looked at our materials and thought it was interesting that we were there together.  I thought it was a good opportunity to encourage critical thinking about these important things -- war, peace, using nonviolent strategies instead of military force, the realities of military life and alternatives for college funding, etc.

We appreciated our conversations with students, teachers and the recruiters.

Marine recruiters' chin-up bar

Tami at SOY table

Susan at SOY table

Students doing chin-ups at Marines' table

good to see this group at McCallum

Card that students fill out at Marines recruiting table

US drones are killing civilians

When we were tabling at Bowie High School last week, students who are in the school's Air Force JROTC program told us that they are studying military aircraft.  Today, this message came from the Youth Program Coordinator of Amnesty International about the terrible effects of the use of killer drones by the CIA and the US military in remote areas of Pakistan and Afghanistan.  Do JROTC students know about the wrongful civilian deaths caused by weaponized unmanned drones launched by the US?  

Here is the message from Amnesty International:

Why did the U.S. government kill Nabeela's grandmother?
At age 8, Nabeela Bibi witnessed the unimaginable horror of a U.S. drone blowing her grandmother, Mamana Bibi, to pieces. Last week, she and her brother and father traveled over 7,000 miles to tell their painful story to Congress.

Nabeela had to relive that terrifying day all over again. Adding insult to injury, the Washington Post reports that only 5 members of Congress bothered to show up.

Today, I'm asking you to help this child and her family seek the truth.

In the past few weeks I've crisscrossed the country building a movement to raise awareness about Mamana's case and rein in the killer drone program. 
It's been incredible to watch people learn about the secrecy and devastation of the U.S. government's drone program.

Every evening, I look at a photo of Nabeela, and I am appalled at the suffering this child has endured. And I vow to help this little girl get the answers she deserves.

We're taking this fight to President Obama and Congress until they tell the truth, and there is justice for Nabeela and others like her.

What will it take to make the government talk about these attacks?
We must make our cry for justice louder and more powerful than the drones. Amnesty has a plan to kick this movement into high gear, but we can't take it to the next level without you.
Follow Nabeela's lead — stand up for human rights.
In solidarity,

Kalaya'an Mendoza National Youth Program Coordinator Amnesty International USA

Superheroes and sheroes at Bowie HS

Tami and I really enjoyed talking with the students who stopped by our table today at Bowie HS.  This is Spirit Week at Bowie, with daily themes, and today's was "Superheroes Day." Lots of students were wearing capes and/or shirts with various super-person images.  We felt our Peace Wheel heroes and sheroes fit in well with that theme.  Bowie HS has a JROTC program.  JROTC students were in uniform today, and a number stopped by the table to check out what we were about.  One student took an "Addicted to War" book to show her instructor.  We hope that our information is shared and taken to heart.

student art

student art

Tami at our table

Susan at our table

SOY table at Reagan HS

Tami and I displayed our materials today during lunch at Reagan HS and appreciated the students and staff who stopped by to talk, peruse the literature, do some art and spin the peace wheel.

More students know of Malala since she has been in the news for having been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize

New stickers from Americorps

SOY stencils

Student folder art

Student folder art

We placed our fliers and this poster next to recruiting fliers we saw on a bulletin board, as we are permitted to do by AISD policy

Placing SOY fliers next to this Army poster

False advertising: training in your chosen field is not guaranteed and neither are the enlistment bonuses

We placed some of our fliers next to the recruiting posters, as permitted by AISD policy

Kicking off the new school year at Austin HS

Ben and Tami at SOY table

Today, we had a literature table during lunch periods at Austin High School and really enjoyed talking with students and staff who stopped by the table.  Tami and I were joined today by Ben, a US Marine veteran and member of Iraq Veterans Against the War and Civilian/Soldier Alliance.  A number of students who came to the table talked about their thoughts about enlistment -- they were thinking about it or had a family member who was in.  Hopefully, some of our materials will help them see a broader picture of what enlistment really entails and what some of the adverse consequences are for veterans and others around the world where US militarism has affected civilian populations.
Because September 21, International Day of Peace, is coming up, we invited students to write down what Peace means to them.  Interestingly, Freedom was the main theme in their responses.

SOY display made of compiled headlines from Statesman articles

We ordered more Addicted to War books from Veterans for Peace

student stencil art

student stencil art

student stencil art

student stencil art

student stencil art

Austin HS stencil art!

Poster for upcoming International Day of Peace

What peace means to you

Before You Enlist ...

A new school year is beginning!  We look forward to meeting students and school staff persons as we start another year of visiting our Austin high schools.  We have materials about realities of military life and war along with information about nonviolent alternatives and post-high school options that are more sustainable for you and the planet.

Check out this video to hear some straight talk from veterans and military family members: