Cross generational organizing is challenging but it is a necessity toward building the kinds of forces we need to challenge the US war machine.
A tactic toward organizing events with youth participation that has proven uccessful is pizza shop organizing. (It works with college students and "older folks" too!)
If your group has a couple youth members or through organizing you make contact with a youths interested in anti-war efforts, invite them and their friends to an organizing pizza party at a local shop. If they are not "adult aged" it is best if you can talk to their parents about it and welcome them to attend as well.
We offer to pay for the pizza and work with them to invite the friends and colleagues to participate. We push some tables together and while we wait for the pizza we facilitate an informal discussion on the topic of opposing US war making. We offer a proposed plan for a subsequent event for the youth to participate in that we will provide assistance in organizing. We do everything possible to facilitate the successful event and build from there.
We can inquire among our members and supporters as to who has connection to younger folks, be they parents, mentors, facilitators of youth groups, religious ministers, educators, etc.
Approach the youth with the idea if there is interest move forward. We suggest to them to invite as many interested friends as possible. We can provide hand outs. Ideally, have a couple of facilitators of the meeting but it is important that after an initial presentation the discussion be allowed to flow informally. Before the meeting breaks we try to come up with a commitment to move forward with an event and a high level plan to make it happen.
Make sure that the point persons know how to get in touch with everyone there through a sign in or even passing a lap top or phone around to collect the contact info. Then we do it again! If you are interested in helping to put together such a meeting and especially if you have a connection to interested youth who can help get one of these meetings going, please call or text 908-881-5275. I definitely will help and I am definitely willing to throw a few pizza pies on the table for such efforts. Contact: Organize@NJAntiWarAgenda.org NJAntiWarAgenda.org/Organize.html
