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Students to choose 'asks' for Obama
by Nashrah Rahman
Editorial assistant
News | 12/9/08
Posted online at 5:31 AM EST on 12/9/08
Brandeis Coalition for Change, which aims to make issues of violence, the environment and poverty priorities for President-elect Barack Obama's administration, is now encouraging students to express which issues they feel are most important for the new administration to address by using Obama's www.change.gov Web site, according to Coalition representative Ned Crowley '10.
The Coalition is a collaboration among Student Peace Alliance, Students for Environmental Action and Positive Foundations. The Brandeis CFC created a Facebook event called "My Vision Is...," which represents the Coalition's first effort "to pass on our visions for Obama's administration," Crowley wrote in an e-mail to the Justice.
Alex Epps '10, a member of SPA, explained that SPA, SEA and PF each chose three issues, or "asks," and that Brandeis students will select one from each group's list to form a message to Obama.
SPA wants the new administration to establish a cabinet-level U.S. Department of Peace, make the prevention and reduction of youth violence a priority in the federal budget and ensure nonviolent and conflict resolution to the U.S. military and representatives abroad.
SEA is pushing for a rewrite of the Farm Bill to support smaller-scale family farms, local food and organic and heritage farming. It also wants the U.S. auto factories to start producing flexible-fuel vehicles, by 2010, of which 30 percent must be electric vehicles by 2015. The third goal is the creation of 5 million jobs by investing $30 billion a year in green industry.
PF is advocating the reduction of the number of people living in extreme poverty in half by 2015 and devoting 0.7 percent of the U.S. GDP to foreign aid and global sustainable development. It also wants the U.S. to pay off its debt to the U.N.
Last week, the Coalition hosted the weeklong event "My Vision Is…," which involved tabling in the Shapiro Campus Center and in Usdan Student Center. Students could access the Web site after speaking to club representatives about the different "asks," Schmidt explained. The Brandeis CFC will continue tabling until Inauguration Day, Jan. 20.
The Coalition is a collaboration among Student Peace Alliance, Students for Environmental Action and Positive Foundations. The Brandeis CFC created a Facebook event called "My Vision Is...," which represents the Coalition's first effort "to pass on our visions for Obama's administration," Crowley wrote in an e-mail to the Justice.
Alex Epps '10, a member of SPA, explained that SPA, SEA and PF each chose three issues, or "asks," and that Brandeis students will select one from each group's list to form a message to Obama.
SPA wants the new administration to establish a cabinet-level U.S. Department of Peace, make the prevention and reduction of youth violence a priority in the federal budget and ensure nonviolent and conflict resolution to the U.S. military and representatives abroad.
SEA is pushing for a rewrite of the Farm Bill to support smaller-scale family farms, local food and organic and heritage farming. It also wants the U.S. auto factories to start producing flexible-fuel vehicles, by 2010, of which 30 percent must be electric vehicles by 2015. The third goal is the creation of 5 million jobs by investing $30 billion a year in green industry.
PF is advocating the reduction of the number of people living in extreme poverty in half by 2015 and devoting 0.7 percent of the U.S. GDP to foreign aid and global sustainable development. It also wants the U.S. to pay off its debt to the U.N.
Last week, the Coalition hosted the weeklong event "My Vision Is…," which involved tabling in the Shapiro Campus Center and in Usdan Student Center. Students could access the Web site after speaking to club representatives about the different "asks," Schmidt explained. The Brandeis CFC will continue tabling until Inauguration Day, Jan. 20.
Viewing Comments 1 - 2 of 2
Ana Campos
posted 12/09/08 @ 8:48 AM EST
Great article. Right now the Dept of Peace is #1 on www.Change.org
If it wins, the idea is given to President Obama on Jan 20th, 2009 and will be featured on MySpace reaching 10's of millions of people. (Continued…)
martin kessler
posted 12/27/08 @ 12:41 AM EST
I came across your site and was impressed, until I came to A Department of WHAT! Are students rquired to read for admission to Brandeis? We already have a Departmrent of Peace. (Continued…)
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