Dear Peacemaker Training Institute graduate,

How are you? We know you've been busy, as we occasionally hear from you (which we LOVE!).  We're writing now to thank you for your involvement, let you know what we've been up to and ask you to get involved again with the Youth and Militarism work at FOR.

In the last year, we've begun to re-shape the Peacemaker Training Institute (PTI) program to specifically support youth resistance to militarism through creative action. That means the focus of our work - from the Drop Beats Not Bombs tour to our Art and Action trainings to our Intercambio Delegation to Colombia - is on giving young adult organizers tools to lead groups in creative cultural resistance, using art such as political concerts, murals, dance, theatre, banners, and wearable art to resist the poverty draft and create community based alternatives to military service.

We just finished the Drop Beats Not Bombs tour, where we combined efforts with Detroit-based emcee Invincible and Conscientious Objector Paula Galeano from Colombia for a campus art and action tour. We brought people together in 13 communities from the Midwest to the east coast to learn about creative resistance to U.S. militarism - specifically to the U.S.-funded war in Colombia and the poverty draft of young people of color and the poor in the U.S.

The tour is our launching pad for the next six months, which will include four trainings and a delegation to Colombia, all focused on supporting youth to use art as tool for resistance. We are poised to continue filling this much-needed niche in the movement, but we need to generate a lot of new financial support to keep going!

We need your support to continue the PTI tradition of training young people in nonviolence, anti-oppression, and creative organizing to resist militarism, racism, and economic injustice. Here are three ways that you can support us: 

1. GIVE - Support other young folks to attend PTIs and other trainings! $25 encourages a young person to seek more support; $100-$500 supports a young adult organizer to attend one of the art and action trainings; $625 provides a youth activist a FULL SCHOLARSHIP to attend a weeklong training & $1800 scholarships a youth delegate to Colombia. Scholarships often get build in donations of $25-$150 from various places - please go to your networks, faith communities, campus communities, etc to help train a young person in creative military resistance  and community building!! Donate online right now.

2. ATTEND A TRAINING OR DELEGATION- that's right, PTI grads, you're invited back! You will recognize some parts of your previous training, but the curriculum is significantly updated and combines a train the trainer approach to give you skills in leading your community in creating and using public art. The March Arts and Action Delegation to Colombia is an extraordinary way to share strategies, tactics, and experiences with young activists from the U.S. and Colombia, which you can then apply in your home communities. For more information on upcoming trainings and to apply, visit http://forpeace.net/project/nonviolent-youth-collective and follow the links on the upper left side of the page, or contact Brie Phillips at 651-757-5353 or peacemakertraining@gmail.com.  

3. SHARE YOUR EXPERIENCE - We need you to share your stories to help communicate with others about how people are impacted at FOR youth trainings and why we should continue to have them! Please go to FOR's blog and share your memories, experiences, photos, etc from PTI's or other trainings that you have been part of. You can also send photos, videos, and your thoughts to Shauen at shauen@forusa.org.

Hope to hear from you soon, and thank you again for the role you've played in shaping FOR's youth work thus far!

In Solidarity,

FOR National Staff
Maryrose Dolezal, Shauen Pearce, Brie Phillips, and Liza Smith