Drop Beats Not Bombs: Resisting Militarism Through Creative Action

Speaking, Workshop, and Hip-Hop Tour: November 5-25, 2008
Host us in your city!
FOR's Nonviolent Youth Collective (NVYC) and Colombia program, in collaboration with the Not Your Soldier Project, are putting on a Hip-Hop tour with Colombian and U.S. conscientious objectors (COs) to the military. The purpose of the tour is to train and empower youth to support each other in resisting militarism through creative action, including building the international conscientious objector’s movement. We'll be traveling caravan-style with C.O.s from the Colombian Military and the United States, two FOR staff, and Detroit-based hip-hop artist Invincible.

We aim to:

• Collaborate with a wide range of youth through creative forms of expression to explore the issues of militarism and its impact on young people.
• Strengthen youth anti-militarism organizing while supporting veterans.
• Raise the visibility and increase the political support in the struggle for the right to conscientious objection in the U.S. and Colombia.
• Build social networks and solidarity between the movement for conscientious objection in Colombia and counter-recruitment work in the United States.
• Network with active, interested young people to build relationships and concrete organizing in 2009.
The Nonviolent Youth Collective and Not Your Soldier will be following up with interested youth to provide training and support to help mobilize creative nonviolent direct actions on and around May 15, 2009 - International Conscientious Objectors Day. This follow up includes organizing training and nonviolent direct action training as well as local organizing support.

General Info:

• The tour will last 20 days, from November 5-25, 2008
• It will launch in Chicago and travel eastward (tentative route includes IL, IN, OH, KY, PA, and potentially WV, MD, and NJ)
• A variety of workshops will be available at tour stops (military counter-recruitment, organizing 101, nonviolent direct action, etc.) and Detroit-based hip-hop artist Invincible to perform concerts.
• The venues will consist of university and college campuses, community and club spaces. We are also excited about the possibility of house parties!

If you'd like to host the hottest Arts-based, Counter-Recruitment, Conscientious Objector Hip-Hop Tour extravaganza of the Fall, contact Brie Phillips at 651-757-5353, or send an email out to peacemakertraining@gmail.com. Brie is available to answer any questions regarding the tour, as well as to provide support for the organizing responsibilities for tour host.

Tour Host responsibilities include:

• Organize speaking/performance events: at high schools, colleges, community events, churches, house parties, cafés, bars, bookstores, concert halls, etc.
• Arrange for housing for 4-5 people and food
• Secure funding from universities/colleges and fundraise at events to cover other speaking tour costs (we can help with fundraising ideas and/or working with the university to raise funds)
• Outreach for events, including networking with other interested groups, individuals, and organizations to attend the events and workshops.