Blog

Desperate times call for creative minds!

--By Emily Moldy

If you don't know them for their dope music or community activism here in Oakland, you should recognize them from blogs about the U.S. Social Forum (on YMR's website which you should be checking out daily!) They are: AJ Thrower (YMR) and Tania Pulido (RYSE)... and they are two of many Bay Area youth who attended this year's U.S. Social Forum, where they spent time with thousands of other artists, activists, and like-minded folks who are SERIOUSLY ready to change the world..

It's true that now, more than ever, young folks have a powerful voice in movement towards changing our worlds. Here at YMR we talk a lot about movement (like "youth movement" "social movement", etc).. but what exactly is this movement? Where is it going? What does it look like?

This past Monday, YMR hosted a meeting in the lab for anyone to come and listen to what AJ, Tania, and YMR's Video Coordinator, Dan Reilly had to say about their journey to the East Coast to represent YMR at the U.S. Social Forum in Detroit, MI. They brought back with them a contagious energy talking about being creative to make changes in their communities, neighborhoods, and throughout the country. Bono of U2 once said, "This is a time for bold measures. This is the country, and you are the generation.” Imagine if we actually came together with our art (whatever form of art that may be) to use as both our medicine for healing and weapon for resistance, and imagine if we got to brainstorming... we really could run this town.

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YMR's AJ Thrower interviews Liberation Ink at U.S. Social Forum

Check out AJ's interview with Emunah Yunka Edinburgh from Bay Area's own Liberation Ink, a printing and design collective which makes & sells conscious shirts to support social justice organizations. At this year's U.S. Social Forum in Detroit, AJ connected with them to see what kind of work they're doing in our community and across the country. To find out more about liberation ink, go to http://www.liberationink.org

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YMR Alum DJ CoolHand with G-Eazy

Youth Movement Records alum DJ CoolHand spins in Berkeley at La Pena with G-Eazy... Check out the mad skills of the artists on stage, and the ones behind the scenes who made this video...

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Dan's Reflections on the US Social Forum 2010

By Dan Reilly (Video Coordinator)

Attending the US Social Forum this past week in Detroit, Michigan was a truly inspirational experience – one that I am sure to carry with me for years to come.

First off, I unexpectedly reconnected with a number of individuals from around the country that I have worked with in the past. I guess I’ve never really stopped to think about how long I’ve been working on social justice issues and how many wonderful people I’ve had the opportunity to collaborate with during that time. Seeing all those people again really brought back a lot of positive memories and has renewed my commitment to forge new relationships with others in the future.

Secondly, my experience in Detroit reinforced personal ideologies that have guided my work in the past and will continue to guide it in the future. To briefly list just a few that arose during workshops and discussions with fellow anarchists:

• The principle of “Social Insertion.” Anarchists should be there to demonstrate our value to movements by bringing our belief systems, material support, and experience as activists and organizers to those movements.
• Revolution comes from people’s movements. Anarchists don’t start revolutions; we offer those movements ideas and support.
• The principle of “Transformative Justice”. Basically the belief that we can derive a structural analysis from interpersonal relationships and struggles and use that analysis to promote positive transformations of individuals and groups.
• From a current member of SDS: “I don’t see any such thing as a radical tactic. There’s only effective tactics and ineffective tactics.”
• One of the most powerful tools we have at our disposal is the ability to “frame shift.”
• Effective communication is about moving and triggering people’s core values.
• Social Justice Leaders (anarchists included) need to be strategic, creative and disciplined.

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