Countering the Militarization of Youth Conference
A Project of Halifax Friends Meeting
- Is the use of military force presented as inevitable and normative to Canadian youth?
- Are there aspects of a more militarized society presented as a positive value to youth?
- Is the military reaching deeper into the lives of youth, through recruitment in schools, cadets, etc?
- How do war video games affect the attitudes of players?
- How might Quaker youth who are called to act on these Concerns be supported?
Halifax Friends Meeting has launched a project on this issue. The centrepiece of the project is supporting two Quaker youth to attend a Youth and Militarism Conference in Germany, June 8-10, 2012
The components of the project are:
- Select two Quaker youth (age 18-35) to attend the conference. The youth will be well- prepared to benefit from attendance and will be motivated and supported in carrying out follow-up actions.
- Fundraise in order to gather sufficient funds to cover travel and conference expenses.
- Have a support committee that works with the youth before and after the conference, giving support to activities that inform others and creates actions relevant to the issue.
How you can be involved:
- Apply to be one of the delegates. Application guidelines are included in this document.
- Provide funds for the project, either as an individual, Meeting, or Worship Group.
- Oversight for finances will be done by The Finance Committee of Halifax Monthly Meeting.
- Full disclosure of the accounting is available to Quakers at any time. Any funds not used by the delegates will be retained for one year, for follow-up projects. After that time, the funds will be transferred to either CYM Youth Support, or CFSC.
- Become part of a Youth and Militarism Quaker Network. All youth and adults are welcome to participate in this network. The network will help the delegates be in contact with other concerned Quakers.