Youth Converegence for Books Not Bombs

New York City, Aug. 28, 2004

Before a week in the streets against the Republican National Convention... Come to NYC on August 28 to build the youth & student movement!

We are a generation that wants peace, but for the last four years, we've seen only war, terror, occupation. We are a generation that wants freedom for all of us, but theirs is a government that's abandoned the very liberties they claim to fight for.We are a generation that needs quality public schools and affordable universities. But instead of funding our education, they've used our money to build an empire: with bombs and bullets to secure their friends' profits and enforce their will on other peoples; with "Patriot" Acts and prisons to enforce their will on our own.

We are a generation that wants decent jobs and access to the things we need to live our lives, but this government comes to us only to recruit the poorest and people of color among us to kill and to die. As we asked before the war, and as most of America is asking now: for what?

This August and September, those who made this war happen will be coming to New York City for the Republican National Convention. They will party near the ruins of the fallen towers, plot their next moves, pick their next targets, and anoint President Bush for what they think will be another four years in power.

On August 28, two days before the Convention kicks off, young people from all over the country and the city will gather in New York for a one-day Convergence for Books Not Bombs. This will be a space for us to share un-conventional wisdom and to build our own movement — one that we hope will connect the dots, expand the possibilities of what we can do in our schools and communities, and prepare us for a big week in the streets and a decisive year in the struggle.

The Convergence Center will be at Saint Marks Church in the center of New York City's East Village, at 131 East 10th Street (just off 2nd Avenue). It will be open from 9 in the morning to 6 in the evening, with additional locations TBA.

What to expect: Chances to get to know each other and each other's work. Discussions of strategy and analysis. Issue workshops. Skills trainings. Banner making. Food, help with housing, and information you'll need for the upcoming protests. At night, we'll unwind and enjoy the culture of youth resistance as we drop beats not bombs.

And the following day, August 29, we will take to the streets of Manhattan together, in a demonstration called by United for Peace & Justice (www.unitedforpeace.org) to declare hundreds of thousands of voices strong, The World Says No to the Bush Agenda! The Convergence will gather a powerful youth contingent to march together that day.

This Convergence is being called by the National Youth & Student Peace Coalition, organizer of the March 5, 2003 Student Strike for Books Not Bombs. We fight for:

*Education Not Empire

*Respect for Our Civil Liberties

*Campuses for Peace Not War

*Schools Not Jails

*No More Poverty Draft

This summer, we will also have a presence at the Boston Social Forum, before the Democratic National Convention, as we wish to hold all officials accountable and seek to build a youth movement beholden to no one but ourselves.



All young people and students are welcome at the Convergence on August 28th. Unlike the Republican National Convention, you will not have to pay to get in. But we are asking that you pre-register for the Convergence, so that we know how many of you will be showing up come August.



To pre-register and stay in the loop: write to info@nyspc.net with your name, city/school, and organization if any. More information will be up soon at www.nyspc.net. Hope to see you this August!