This is a report and call to action from the first planning meeting of the March 4 Books Not Bombs mobilization committee.

The next planning meeting will be Friday, January 30 from 5:30-7pm in the UIC Behavioral Science Building (BSB) located at 1007 W. Harrison St. (Harrison/Morgan), room 145. This is 1/2 block (south) from the UIC/Halstead stop on the Blue Line, Morgan St. (west) exit. There is a pay parking lot ($5 or so) available at the intersection of Harrison and Morgan and there is --some-- street parking available on adjacent streets. This meeting is for Students AND youth ONLY!

Following this report is the text of the original call to action that explains the history and motivation behind this call, both locally and nationally.

On Friday, January 16, students and youth from throughout the Chicagoland area gathered to discuss this year's Books Not Bombs national day of action that will occur on March 4, 2004.
Represented at this FIRST meeting were students AND youth from the following schools and groups.

UIC - Students for Social Justice, Campus Antiwar, Youth and Students for a Democratic Foreign Policy, International Socialist Club

DePaul - DePaul Students Against The War, Activist Student Union, La Voz de los de Abajo

Libertyville HS - various groups

Columbia College - On The Ground, NION

Northwestern University - Northwestern Against War and Racism, Peace Project, The Protest (zine)

Glenbard East HS - Student Liberation Collective

Glenbard South HS - group(s) not listed

Addison Trail HS - Student Liberation Collective

University of Chicago - Action Towards Peace, Students Against Sweatshops, Student Labor Action Project

College of DuPage - Campus Greens

New Trier HS - liaison to a couple of groups there

Other groups in attendance that are not based in a particular school but that have student and youth participation: Midwest Unrest, Students for Social Justice (network), Hammerhard Media Works, Palestine Solidarity Group, International Workers of the World, Aurora Food Not Bombs, and the AZone Collective

Meeting Summary:

We began with personal introductions, gave a brief overview of what happened locally and nationally with last year's actions, chose a facilitator, set an agenda and got started with the meeting. We went around the room and each person gave an account of where their school or group(s) were at in regards to March 4 discussions and overall activism. We can't list what everyone is up to because of time, space and security concerns but rest assured that the upcoming months will be filled with a plethora of creative and exciting student and youth initiated actions and campaigns.

This was followed by a brief discussion and vote as to whether we wanted to organize a collective student/youth action following the day's autonomously organized actions taking place in different schools and communities. The resolution to hold a collective action passed unanimously. We brainstormed as to what the nature and location(s) of that action could possibly be but the decision was tabled until the next meeting so that more students and youth could be represented and contribute to the discussion. A similar decision was reached in regards to themes, though everyone seemed to agree that any messages must clearly link the domestic with the foreign.

A discussion of possible working groups ensued and several were created in order to get the process moving along, but the possiblity for the creation of other working groups exists if need be. Working groups established at this meeting were as follows: Media, Outreach, Legal, Propaganda. If interested in finding out more and/or getting involved in a particular working group contact red_samurai (at) hotmail.com. We did not publicly list the contact information for each working group because we simply forgot to get permission to do so at the last meeting.

March 4 is going to be another historic day in the student and youth movement for global justice in this country, and in the Chicagoland area we have the opportunity to make it even more successful than it was last year....but we need you to make it happen!

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****TEXT OF THE ORIGINAL CALL TO ACTION****

CALLING ALL YOUTH AND STUDENTS IN THE CHICAGOLAND AREA!

Last year on March 5th students and youth from more than 450 schools across the country participated in a National Day of Action to demonstrate their oppostion to the invasion of Iraq and the fact that there is always enough money for war but never enough for education, housing, jobs and healthcare.

This action was initiated nationally by the National Youth & Student Peace Coalition (www.nyspc.net) but the actions that came together throughout the country were largely autonomous and done in solidarity with one another and the national call. Locally there were walkouts, teach-ins, rallies, forums,
speak-outs, sit-ins, guerrilla theater and a number of other solidarity actions at 40+ schools. Following the day's events we came together and participated in a 3000+ person rally in downtown Chicago that was predominantly youth and students. Many of you participated in these actions last year but many of you did not for one reason or another. One thing is certain, it was a tremendous demonstration of student solidarity and showed but a glimpse of what we can achieve together.

One year later it is even more apparent that young people will continue to be called upon to make tremendous sacrifices in the name of a racist, global hegemony. Unless we take a stand... NYSPC has once again initiated a national call to action for March 4th. These year's themes are similar to last year but are being updated to include opposition to the following:

1) the increasing militarization of our schools 2) the criminalization of dissent and youth in particular
3) violence and repression at home as a result of xenophobic legislation like the Patriot Act.

A planning meeting has been called to bring together those youth and students who are interested in working on this initiative but ALL youth and students are welcome to attend and find out more. Other than the date nothing has been decided and it is up to each school to decide what they will do or if they will even participate. The meeting is simply a way for people to find out more and get everyone on the same page and working together as much as possible. A number of schools, groups and individuals have already signed on and interest in this initiative is building rapidly. Don't miss out on this incredible opportunity!!! The meeting information follows.

Preliminary High School Contact:
Matt, rbg_soulja (at) ziplip.com

Preliminary College/University Contacts:
Dan, dwlb (at) uchicago.edu, 773-505-2579
Eric, s4sj (at) hotmail.com, 312-491-9092

--message truncated regarding previous meeting information--