When I heard the news from Honduras that democratically elected Manuel Zelaya was kidnapped in a coup, there was a 5 second delay before I thought about Haiti. In 2004, the democratically- elected president of Haiti, John Bertrand Aristide was also violently overthrown in a similar US-supported coup and taken hostage by military forces. Each coup was more than an action against a sitting president, but were counter-revolutions by elites aimed at silencing popular movements for social and economic change. We can't let them win.
In Honduras Sunday, the military took over the government television station, a curfew was imposed, and the Venezuelan, Cuban, and Nicaraguan Ambassadors were also kidnapped and detained. According to the New York Times, the only people permitted to have access to information were the wealthy with access to the internet. President Manuel Zelaya told Telesur from Costa Rica that he was kidnapped in his pajamas and told if he refused to hang up the cell phone, he would be shot. Zelaya was largely supported by organized labor and the poor. The referendum was largely expected to succeed by popular mandate---hence the violent reaction by elites who wanted to prevent the voting altogether. The referendum was bitterly opposed by the Honduran upper-classes who feared Zelaya would extend his four- year term limit and transform political inequalities in their representative system.
Choosing not to use violent revolution, a host of popularly elected leaders in Latin America are using the ballot box to empower the poor and working class. The most powerful weapon in their arsenal until now has been the referendum, which allows citizens to vote on constitutional reforms aimed at redistributing power and influence. Honduran president Manuel Zelaya, and Haiti's Bertrand Aristide had taken calculated risks, upsetting historical elites who for years have used the constitution to protect their private wealth and influence.
Today in Haiti, the same entrenched elites that staged the 2004 coup have united against former president Aristide's party, Femni Lavalas, by banning them from running candidates in the next election. They fear that the massive support which the party continues to enjoy could lead to a broader movement toward popular democracy in the poorest country in the western hemisphere. In response, the Lavalas party has called for a successful boycott of the elections which are clearly illegitimate without their participation.
In 2002, the democratically elected president of Venezuela, Hugo Chavez was also overthrown briefly before a popular movement and resistance in the military restored him to power. There is a widely circulated video on the internet called The Revolution Will Not Be Televised, which highlights how the US and Venezuelan media were culprits in fomenting the anti-democratic actions of domestic elites.
Much the same thing is happening in both Honduras and Haiti, where popular movements for justice are all to often silenced by violent reactionary force from people with tremendous historical privilege and power. In the United States of America, there needs to be more forums that allow popular movements in Latin America to express their struggle among those of among us with a conscience and heart for the poor and exploited.
On Thursday, June 25, thousands of people gathered at the Upper Senate Park in Washington, DC to rally for health care reform. Speakers including former DNC Chairman Howard Dean and actress Edie Falco, who played Carmela on HBO’s The Sopranos, gave inspirational speeches and led the crowd into chants that echoed over the Capitol.
The national rally took place in the early afternoon and was followed by lobby meetings and town hall meetings with constituents who traveled by the bus-load from around the country to demand health care for all from their members of Congress. The rally was organized by Health Care for America NOW (HCAN), a national grassroots campaign of more than 1,000 organizations representing 30 million people.
Among the unions, community organizers, and national and local advocacy groups, Campus Progress stood strong to represent young people and ensure that young people have a voice in the health care debate. We spoke to several young people about their personal stories with the current health care system and distributed facts about how young people are being affected by the health care crisis:
Young Adults Suffer from the Health Care Crisis More Than Most
• Young adults between the ages of 19 and 34 represent over one-third (34.7 %) of the entire uninsured population.
• Over half (54 %) of all young adults have low incomes (below 200% of the federal poverty level, $21,660 for a single person in 2009). Low-income young adults are more than 2.5 times as likely to be uninsured as higher income young adults.
Young Workers Get Screwed by the System
• 56 % of uninsured young adults between the ages of 19 and 29 are full-time workers.
• Over half of uninsured young adults between the ages of 19 and 29 (55 %) work for small businesses which are less likely to offer health coverage than larger firms.
• Young adult workers are half as likely to be covered by their employer as older workers.
Young Adults are Hit Hard by Skyrocketing Healthcare Costs
• Two-thirds (66 %) of uninsured young adults between the ages of 19 and 29 went without necessary care because of costs in 2007.
• Half (49 %) of uninsured young adults ages 19-29 and more than one-third (35 %) of all young adults report having medical bill problems.
Campus Progress joined Generational Alliance partners and Choice USA at the rally. Audriannah Levine, a student from Mills College involved with Choice USA, shared her story of battling Crohn’s Disease without health insurance and minimal income.
“I currently do not have health care at the moment, and neither [does] my family. We [have] a household income of under $20,000 a year as our combined income, so there’s no way for us to pay for health care whatsoever,” Audriannah explained. “It’s a daily battle for us to go about our day without having flare-ups and needing medication.”
Check out the video coverage Campus Progress captured at the event, including an interview with Audriannah:
The convening of thousands like her on the Hill yesterday is proof that Audriannah is not alone in her fight against our broken health care system. Campus Progress joins HCAN and all its members in asking Congress for a public plan that will force the health insurance companies to compete on equal footing, and will provide health care for all. We will not stand for the “co-op” or “trigger” compromises that weaken and fracture a true public plan; this system is broken, and it needs to be fixed…now!
For more information on the ongoing health care debate, visit Campus Progress’ blog Funding Our Future.
The first half of the title of this post is a traditional Somali proverb, which I find particularly moving in the context of contemporary events in the eastern Horn of Africa. The longer the decades old conflict between various factions continues in Somalia, the more difficult a reversal of the tremendous human suffering, disease and hunger there becomes.
New ideas and fresh solutions are hard to come by, but it is crystal clear that endless war is not the answer to the devastating circumstances in which the Somali people now live. For advocates of peace and development, its time to let the US military know a middle-east style "war on terror" is unacceptable in east Africa.
The chain of events which led to this year's turmoil is long and can be difficult to untangle. BBC news has a fairly accurate time line of the major events in Somali history over the centuries. However, regardless as to how Somalia arrived at this point, the important thing now is turning the corner. So far, so bad.
Whatever their intentions for doing so, the US military's mobilization of new weapons armaments to send to the Somali government is a failed strategy---one that in the past has brought terrible consequences for the people. The US government's attempts to prevent a potential hot bed for future acts of extremism are doomed to fail when they involve further militarization of the conflict.
There has been a wealth of evidence that supporters of the rebel group Al-Shabaab (the youth) are motivated by a strong hatred of foreign intervention, and a desire for order and stability. Until now, the actions of the United States and other foreign actors has merely fed the flames, bringing more instability and chaos. Human Rights Watch and other international observers have accused Ethiopian, Somali and African Union forces of committing war crimes on innocent civilians since the chaos reignited in 2006.
Now, like a self-fulfilled prophecy, perhaps hundreds of foreign fighters under a proclaimed banner of Islam are entering Somalia to join Al-Shabaab. As the African Union prepares for its July summit in Libya, they should go fully aware of the long list of violent responses to Somalia's political crisis that have failed before. If by chance they decide to follow the example of the US military's recent actions, they risk any potential hope of lasting peace and development. Militarization of the conflict is not the answer.
On Friday, the House is voting on the American Clean Energy and Security Act (the Waxman-Markey bill, HR 2454), the first climate bill to have any chance of getting congressional approval.
Our generation - and our world - needs America to take action on the climate crisis, but the current bill falls short of the reforms we need. We must make it stronger, and now is our chance.
Campus Progress Action Grantee and former Intern Tony Anderson, is now the host of a newly launched series on Mother Nature Network.
A graduate of Morehouse College, Anderson created the “Let’s Raise a Million” campaign which focuses on distributing environmentally friendly compact florescent light bulbs to low-income communities. Last February, during Campus Progress’s Southern Regional Conference, more than a hundred student volunteers traveled to a neighborhood in Atlanta to install over a thousand energy-efficient light bulbs. These bulbs resulted in the community saving an estimated $80,000 in energy bills, and also contributed to a decrease in the particulate emissions in the area.
The new show, “Green Jobs with Tony Anderson,” will explore the emerging field of green-collar jobs by focusing on the innovations and contributions coming from ordinary people and their everyday experiences.
Campus Progress congratulates Tony on his accomplishments and looks forward to seeing what he does next as he works towards, in his own words, “A cleaner, healthier, greener and more livable tomorrow.”
Check out a clip of Tony talking about green jobs in the current economy:
As the debate about the safety and fairness of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) by large agribusinesses intensifies around the world, is it rational for the United States not to be debating the use of such products as food-aid to poor countries? Mandated by law in the United States, 75 perecent of all U.S. food donations must be produced, processed, and shipped by U.S. companies.
Large agribusinesses have recently been lobbying around the world to secure markets for their GMO products. Major agricultural oligopolies claim that their genetically modified products are completely safe. Furthermore, any attempt by governments to guard local farmers from their more advanced products was simply "protectionism".
But that hasn't stopped the groundswell of resistance in the European Union for example. Many countries inside the European Union refuse to accept many varieties of GMO's which are bought and sold in the United States. Citing higher safety standards than the United States, European countries remain committed to denying access of some GMO's into their territories. Eleven European Union countries will call next week for the right to opt-outs for growing genetically modified crops.
In response, to the question "should GMOs be banned in Europe?” conducted in April 2009, 79 percent said yes, 18 percent no and 3 percent did not know. There is no question that in Europe there is a deep skepticism about the growing pressure from agricultural powerhouses to pump their products into European markets.
"If (genetically engineered) wheat is released commercially, contamination would be inevitable and markets would view all wheat produced from these areas as GE unless proven to be non-GE...Farmers growing GE wheat will take on all of the responsibilities, costs and liabilities, with little available legal recourse to recover their losses."
If such a resistance is emerging in the global North on the grounds of either safety concerns or competition with larger oligopolies, why is there virtually no debate about the use of these same genetically modified products flooding into poorer countries as aid, let along be sold in the US?
As the United States looks to spend hundreds of millions of dollars in foreign assistance to developing countries. There is an important but sadly absent debate about US food aid and GMOs that could prevent us from doing more harm than good.
It would be a complete shame if a little pink cat on youtube could host a more honest discussion on GMOs than the US government. Well i'll be darned....
from Campus Progress Advocacy Intern, Ryan Lester:
On Monday, Obama’s summer service initiative, United We Serve, was officially launched. Obama called upon the citizens of the nation to volunteer in their local communities, and help to strengthen the nation in health care, energy independence, education, and community/economic renewal through activism, service, and organization:
“This summer, I'm calling on all of you to make volunteerism and community service part of your daily life and the life of this nation. And when I say ‘all,’ I mean everyone – young and old, from every background, all across this country. We need individuals, community organizations, corporations, foundations, and our government to be part of this effort."
Campus Progress is pleased to announce that three more outstanding student publications have joined our progressive publications network. These organizations will receive funding, journalism trainings and other support beginning immediately.
The newspapers and magazines joining the 50 members already in Campus Progress’ network include:
Nommo Newsmagazine – Nommo is UCLA’s Afrikan student and community newsmagazine. It strives to be the source for vital information to those who have an interest in community organizing, educational issues, the arts, and social justice issues that affect members of the Afrikan diaspora. Nommo encourages activism and discussion of how Afrikans fit into the scheme of social justice and equality.
The Kosmopolitian Online - The Kosmopolitan is an online journal of relevant culture, politics, and the arts, based at Kalamazoo College in Kalamazoo, Michigan.
OutWrite Newsmagazine – OutWrite is the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, and queer newsmagazine at UCLA. It provides coverage of political and social issues and events that occur in the LGBTIQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and questioning) community at UCLA, and it aims to cover the LGBTIQ experience with a unique level of depth.
Check out all the publications in our network here. It's also not too late to apply to join the network and receive a grant! Check out the online application here today!
Campus Progress is excited to announce the most recent addition to our 2009 National Conference. We’ll give you a hint- he’s a two-time U.S. President and the founder of the William J. Clinton Foundation.
That’s right, President Bill Clinton will be addressing the progressive youth of America as a keynote speaker at the Conference!
There is still time to register for the Conference, so click here today to learn more.
Campus Progress Student Representative and recent graduate of the University of Texas at Austin, 23-year-old Hooman Hedayati, has been featured in both The Wall Street Journal and Public Radio International’s The World for his work organizing a rally set for Wednesday at the Texas state capitol to protest the controversial results of the Iranian election.
On Friday, June 12, presidential elections were held in Iran. The close results revealed incumbent Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to be the winner and prompted protests and claims of fraud by many Iranians at home and abroad who were hoping for a regime change throughout the country.
Originally from Iran, Hedayati has been a Campus Progress Representative for several years, receiving action grants for his work against the death penalty in Texas. He also served on the Campus Progress Student Advisory Board and won the award for Best Student Representative in 2008.
Quoted in The Wall Street Journal, Hedayati said, “The main similarities between the post-revolution generation and our parents who were protesting in the streets of 1978 is that we are both hoping to create a free democratic government where our civil rights and liberties are respected. But the difference is that the young people who are protesting today, unlike in the '70s, are very educated and envision a more secular form of government with more personal freedoms.”
Hedayati, who voted in a polling booth in Austin, is disillusioned by what has transpired since the election. As he told PRI’s The World, “After voting and seeing the results of the election and what’s happening in Iran, it’s really sad and disappointing. I’m not sure anymore if my vote has been counted. I’m not sure about the truth of this election anymore.”
Check out Hooman's video footage from the rally here.
Each month for our Progressive Focus newsletter, we highlight the amazing work of a student activist. You can subscribe to the newsletter by clicking here.
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Rachel Fauber Public Relations and Environmental Studies Towson University
" I chose to be arrested in a blockade of Congressman Boucher’s office because he has consistently neglected his constituents who want a clean and just energy economy. "
For the first time EVER, a climate bill made it out of a congressional committee yesterday and is heading to a full House vote. Unfortunately the American Clean Energy and Security Act was badly weakened in the process, to the point that some of the most principled environmental organizations are opposing it. At Campus Progress we are still hopeful that it will be strengthened on its way to the President's desk, but it won't happen without your continued engagement.
It is still early to declare victory, but take some time to celebrate for this historic occasion. This could not have happened without all of you who took action in your communities. From PowerVote to PowerShift, from organizing town halls during the recess to clocking in thousands of phone calls from constituents, we managed to turn two 'Expected No' votes into yesses. Now let's keep this up and make sure that the final bill will be a much stronger, bolder and more just one.
Check out the Funding our Future blog for news about the bill's progress, resources and action opportunities and tell everyone you know that our climate legislation will be hijacked by King Coal if we don't step up to protect it.
The University of Houston Students for Fair Trade (UHSFT) recently won a major victory on their campus. Their university administration decided this month that Java City, a campus coffee shop located in UH’s student center will only serve fair trade certified coffee starting in the fall. This has been a major request of UHSFT for some time.
Some of UHSFT’s other victories have included:
Made fair trade coffee available in all campus corporate coffee outlets (but not the dining halls)
Made Fair Trade greeting cards available in UH’s Barnes and Noble-run campus bookstore
Helped make a small business, Hope for Women, become an official vendor for all Barnes and Nobles campus stores nationwide
Made fair trade coffee available in campus dining halls
Placed signage and brochures about fair trade coffee at every coffee outlet
Generated quite a bit of local and national publicity,
UHSFT has received Campus Progress Action Grants for two years now. Action grants make $200-$1,000 available to progressive issue campaigns led by college students and young people. Grantees will also get assistance with events, publicity, training, and other resources.
Campus Progress Student Reps in Austin, Texas have been doing some amazing work through Students Against the Death Penalty (SADP) and the Texas Moratorium Network.
One of their biggest issues right now is the impeachment of a state judge that refused to receive paperwork a few minutes for an urgent appeal from a man that was scheduled to be executed the same night. The cause against Judge Keller has received widespread support, including from the New York Times. SADP has a campaign website where you can find more information about this issue.
You can find recent testimony at a committee hearing from Hooman Hedayati, a University of Texas student, and an update from Margaret Haule, a student at Austin Community College, below:
Campus Progress released the following statement after the passage of the Credit Cardholders' Bill of Rights early today:
Credit Card Bill will Help Young People & Students Washington, DC — Today Congress passed the Credit Cardholders’ Bill of Rights by a margin of 361-64 in the House of Representatives, following yesterday’s vote of 90 to 5 in the Senate. The President is expected to sign the bill on Friday afternoon. “By passing this legislation, Congress took a big step toward extending basic protections to all credit card borrowers, especially young people and students,” said Erica Williams, Deputy Director of Campus Progress, who testified before the House Financial Services Committee on this issue last summer on behalf of Campus Progress Action.
To read the full statement, and see the attached factsheet on young people and credit cards, click here.
an Update from Campus Progress student Chris Hicks:
Wichita State University’s Campus Progress chapter held two successful and engaging events about student debt on April 16th with a “Student Debt Money Machine” and a panel entitled “Debt Hits Hard.”
At the money machine, students were encouraged to get inside of a glass case filled with fake money. The air machine would kick on and while the fake money flew around the individual, they tried to gather as much as they could for 15 seconds. After exiting the cash cube with fake money, it was added to an amount of “student debt”. Each participant was given a blue Campus Progress nametag with “Hello, my student debt level is $______,” where they could write in how much student debt they accumulated in the money machine.
The second event, the “Debt Hits Hard” panel, was held in the evening with three speakers: Bill Shiebler, National Field Director of the United States Student Association; Lindsey McCluskey, Massachusetts Students Uniting; Pedro De La Torre III, the Advocacy Senior Associate from Campus Progress; and with moderator Tanya Paperny, Network Associate from Campus Progress.
Each speaker stressed the growing need for student debt relief with examples of Sallie Mae and other top companies that make extensive profits through private loans they offer to students. Pedro De La Torre III presented several shocking facts about the rise of student debt, showing that the price of a college education has skyrocketed just over the past few decades. Bill Shiebler outlined that while America likes to be the most competitive country in the world, we are one of the few that have invested heavily in education. In fact, because America does not invest in education like other countries, we are becoming less and less competitive intellectually and technologically. Lindsey McCluskey highlighted that working with Administrators, Boards of Regents, and other decision-makers is how to Massachussetts group is working to make college affordable.
All three delivered animated speeches that encouraged students to speak out against problems with the monetary cost of education, with emphasis on how to make real changes on their own campus. Finally, they informed the audience of the National Call-In Day that was held on April 21st where students could call in to their state representatives and senators to lobby for budget reconciliation in the first version of the Federal Budget to ensure that more money would go toward higher education and Pell grants. And just a few days later, on April 29th, the Federal Budget passed in the House and Senate!
Campus Progress applauds the House for recently passing the 21st Century Green High-Performing Public Schools Facilities Act (H.R. 2187). This legislation will provide public schools with funding for modernization and renovation, encourage energy efficiency and renewable resource use, and provide added funding for schools still recovering from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in the Gulf Coast areas.
Schools are where young people spend the majority of their time; they should be safe havens and promote learning in a healthy environment. Unfortunately, all too often -- and especially in public schools -- children and teenagers are exposed to crumbling infrastructures, poor learning conditions, and inefficient energy systems. According to recent studies, our nation’s schools are billions of dollars short of the funding needed to remedy these poor conditions and research has shown a correlation between the quality of school facilities and student achievement. This legislation will not only address this important issue, but it will simultaneously reduce the amount of emissions our schools are contributing to global warming -- and create green jobs in the process.
Congress has already made the “greening” of schools a priority when they passed green school modernization, renovation, and repair as part of an allowable use of funds under the state fiscal stabilization fund in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
The 21st Century Green High-Performing Public Schools Facilities Act calls for more funding:
· $6.4 billion for school facilities projects for fiscal year 2010 and ensures school districts will quickly receive funds for school modernization, renovation, and repairs that create healthier, safer, and more energy-efficient teaching and learning environments
· Guarantee a minimum of $5,000 to districts that receive funding under Part A of Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act
The Act will also encourage energy efficiency and the use of renewable resources in schools by:
· Requiring 100% of the funds by 2015 be used for projects that meet green building standards
· Requiring schools districts to publicly report the educational, energy and environmental benefits of the projects, how they comply with green building standards, and the percentage of funds used for projects in low-income, rural and charter schools.
· Requiring the Secretary of Education, in consultation with the Secretary of Energy and the EPA, to disseminate best practices in school construction and to provide technical assistance to states and school districts regarding best practice.
The Act also authorizes separate funds, $600 million over six years, for public schools affected by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, where many students are still attending school in temporary facilities.
Our schools are literally an investment in the future - where we teach and prepare the next generation of leaders. Calling for the most sustainable and responsible way to support that learning environment, while addressing the need for more renewable energy use, green jobs, and economic stimulation, makes a bold statement on our future priorities.
Rebecca Buckwalter-Poza, a Campus Progress Advisory Board member from 2006 and 2007, recently co-authored a book with well-known political strategist James Carville. The book, 40 More Years, details the rise of a Democratic majority. You can find more info on the publisher’s website.
You can see Rebecca’s profile from her Campus Progress days here. She's always been a superactivist and has done amazing work for women of color, reproductive rights, and healthcare. Rebecca is also a former Truman scholar and was profiled in Glamour magazine as one of America’s next top (role) models.
Chris Bentley, a Campus Progress student rep from Weber State University in Utah, was featured on the most viewed local news program in the state for his amazing Earth Week events. Check it out here!
Green DMV is a non-profit organization seeking to promote clean energy and green jobs in low-income communities across America as a pathway out of poverty. Green DMV (the DMV stands for Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia) was founded by CAP’s own Rhon Hayes, and Philip E. O'Neal in hopes of influencing policy change in the region that will spur sustainable green job growth and equitable environmental policies.
Green DMV believes that by helping low income communities to realize the true benefit of clean energy, we can increase the vitality of the small business community, educate the next generation on environmental stewardship and strengthen the effectiveness of community stakeholders by encouraging participation in the political process to make a measurable difference in saving the environment.
Earlier this week, Green DMV held an Environmental Awareness Day at Jefferson-Houston Elementary School in Alexandria, VA. The goal of the day was to expose students to several environmental issues facing us today, such as climate change, through activities that helped show them the relationship between the environment and their everyday lives. Most importantly, the students were able to take what they learned back home to their parents who will play an integral role in strengthening their interest in the environment. Green DMV’s Program Associate Adam Levine describes the day, which was a huge success:
“The day began with Green DMV Co-founder Philip O’Neal leading gymnasium full of elementary school students in the chant of “We are, we are green kids! Green kids!”, to the tune of Queen’s “We will Rock You.” If there was a bleary eye in the gym that morning, it was wide awake by the time the students were done singing. The affirming mantra segued into a brief introduction to the concept of climate change and a discussion about the power and responsibility that we have to make choices in our lives that consider the environmental impact of our actions. By the end of the morning assembly, the students at Jefferson-Houston elementary were beginning to understand just what being a “green kid” meant.
The morning assembly was the beginning of a day-long fair that was held at Jefferson-Houston Elementary in Alexandria, Virginia. This environmental awareness day was the product a partnership between Green DMV, a D.C.-based environmental organization, and Jefferson-Houston elementary. The event introduced students to the environmental challenges that we face while equipping them with the tools to make smart, environmentally conscious choices in their lives.
Throughout the day, students visited various stations where they were able to start their own vegetable gardens, decorate reusable canvass tote bags, plant a tree, sign an eco-pledge, and make their own ice cream (serving the dual purpose of cooling off on an unseasonably warm spring day, and saving on packaging and shipping as compared with buying it from the store). A host of motivated and indispensable volunteers and teachers made the day a great success and an absolute joy for everyone involved.
Jefferson-Houston was chosen as a fitting school to kick off the environmental awareness day initiative. Located in the heart of Alexandria, many students at Jefferson-Houston come from low-income and single parent households. With parents struggling to earn decent wages and secure healthcare for their children, many of these students had had only minimal exposure to what it means to be a steward of the environment. But by introducing them at a young age to the environmental challenges and responsibilities in front of us, we can help these students find themselves in a position to contribute and prosper in the emerging green economy.”
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