from the Detroit Metro Times:
USSF: The kids are alrightJune 23, 2010
By Simone Landon
In the basement of Cobo Hall, a small group of jaraneros are playing. The traditional guitar music of Veracruz echoes in the warehouse-like space and it makes it difficult for the gathered participants to hear one another.
This is the U.S. Social Forum’s Youth Space, dedicated to those between the ages of 13 and 24. Like the wider forum, there are tracks and workshops on Education, Jobs, and Immigration, as well as cultural programming. The forum claims the space is “a place for young people to decide for ourselves what we want to do about these issues.”
About 50 college students meet under the paper banner of the Student Economic Justice Action Coalition (SEJAC). Most of them are involved in organizing on their college campuses, from Wichita State to Pomona College. Most are dressed in political T-shirts — Coalition of Imokalee Workers, Southwest Workers Union, “No Human Being Is Illegal.” They work with United Students Against Sweatshops, MEChA, and the Student Labor Organizing Project, among others.
Most people are organizing around campus and student issues, like fighting budget cuts and layoffs of campus workers. Many are organizing around the DREAM Act, which would allow greater access to higher education for undocumented students.
One of the workshop co-leaders, Maria, says the Youth Space meeting is “a super get-together of all these groups.” Several people mention that they’re here to “network” and “learn what people are up to.” .............(more)
The complete piece is at:
http://blogs.metrotimes.com/index.php/2010/06/ussf-the-kids-are-alright/
Printer-friendly format
Email this thread to a friend
Bookmark this thread
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
