Student Activism

Following up after our National Week of Student Action

Around 1500 groups participated in the NWSA this year - which is a record and is almost 3 times as many groups that signed up last year.  According to initial survey results, groups averaged 30 letters to their Senators and 140 signatures per petition.  Events were well attended, especially movie nights and panels.  Groups reported an average of 30 attendees for their events. 

Some responses that we received were:

- I LOVE AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL! Thanks so much for doing this for the better of the world. There are a lot of groups out there that keep the money that they raise, or don't do anything at all, so I want to thank you so much for doing this AND getting teens involved. As a teenager, it's hard for me to even think about making a difference, but with Amnesty and NWSA, I can do that. Thanks again!

- I think this was very successful and the students at my school learned a lot about the treaty and women's rights around the world (and at home) I think Amnesty did everything they could to make the event easy to organize

Good work! 

With National Week of Student Action in full swing, we hope your events and activities are going well. Valerie Montes, the AI Student Coordinator at Lamar Consolidated High School wrote to tell us how her school’s NWSA has been.

"I just wanted to let you know that our Lamar Consolidated high school student group is enjoying great success with the National Week of Student Action!! Our few but dedicated members- as well as many people who don't regularly participate in AI- are getting lots of signatures for the CEDAW petition, and everyone is interested to hear about the campaign."

Many thanks to Valerie for filling us in. How have your NWSA activities turned out? Leave us a comment letting us know what your week has been like; we want to hear from you!

Also a reminder: Actress Q’Orianka Kiltcher will do an online chat, answering questions about the Women’s Treaty and student activism today, April 6, at 8:00 PM (Eastern Time; 5:00 Pacific Time).  You’ve seen Q’Orianka starring as Pocahontas in the recent movie, The New World from director Terrence Mallick, but she is also actively concerned with human rights.  Make sure you join us for the chat and please submit a question in advance here.

On myspace, Scott LeFever from Capistrano Valley High School posted song lyrics for his school’s National Week of Student Action.  The first line is from a band called the (International) Noise Conspiracy and he wrote the rest.  We thought it was so great we decided to re-post it.  Good job Scott LeFever, we love your idea!

"so we are waiting for what this culture fears, the end of dress-codes, pants/skirts, pink/blue right here, yeah baby yeah we're gonna break out."

Like a hand that never lets go or a wall placed in front of our nose, gender roles prevent us from truly being free.
We dig in to the ground and stand on our toes to see what the other has to offer.
But our curious minds are criticized and our desires become dejected.
But we're a new generation, we think on an entirely different wavelength.
We won't let history tell us what we can and can't do, we won't let cultural norms tell us what we can and can't wear and we won't let society tell us what we can and can't feel.
No longer will the girl with dreams of presidency let them remain just dreams.
No longer will the boy who struggles to always ‘be a man’ hold back his tears.

On Friday April 7th we're escaping that hand and running right through that wall. Are you ready baby? Because in 2006 we're breaking out.

Good news, fellow advocates.  The Western Herald has featured the National Week of student Action in their paper yesterday.  Click here.

We would also like to remind you of our new myspace account here.

We want to shine our own spotlight on a wonderful poem donated to us for the National Week of Student Action from Joan Powers.

In the dark I wait
In the dark I listen
In the dark there are howls of pain
This night has lasted an aeon
Dark night of my soul
Sans all I sit
Starving
Because my torturers are starved
Morally bankrupt hearts of ice
Their dark is deeper than mine
Yet
The crumpled paper on the floor
Beside me where I wept to know
Out there in the light
The light that brightens
With shining gleam of hope
Someone sent a message
To tell me
I am not forgotten