Agape in Action

by Karen Topakian

Who said these words?

How about “…I’ve realized my education isn’t worth dying for.”

Two 17-year old male high school students in Los Angeles wrote these statements in a survey. What prompted them to say it? They had just finished watching Peter Dudar and Sally Marr’s documentary film Arlington West about the physical and emotional effects of war.

And finally from a 14-year old female “…Arlington West just gave me more evidence that this war is just an illusion for peace.”

Many others who were preparing to join the military after seeing the film simply wrote, “Now I don’t want to go to the war.”

What caused this transformation? A $4,333 grant from the David R. Stern Fund and the Frederick E. Pratt MD Memorial Fund, housed at the Agape Foundation, provided the resources to distribute and screen this film in school assemblies and classrooms as part of an Informed Enlistment Program. And it works.

Not only are students moved by this film but teachers as well. “The film breaks the silence,” said one high school teacher. And another said, “I’ve taught for forty years… I know these kids well, they’re rowdy in Assemblies,… I have NEVER seen 900 kids like this…dead quiet and their attention focused like a laser!”

According to Sally and Peter’s records, for six months, starting from Nov 3, 2007 to May 5, 2008, they have seen 21,000 students and given away 6,000 Arlington West DVDs. By holding to their $1 per child goal, 4,200 students acquired this information because of this grant.

Who are these students? They are immigrants and young people of color, targeted daily by military recruiters. Enrolled in public schools in the greater Los Angeles area.

Without seeing this film would they have joined the military? Probably.

Now that they have seen this film what do they want? Copies to give to their friends and family members. Job opportunities that don’t include killing and being killed.

What are Sally and Peter up against? According to Radical Reference, a collective of volunteer library workers who believe in social justice and equality, the combined military recruitment and advertising budget for FY2006 is $2.7 billion. Rumor has it this number is greater than AmeriCorps, Peace Corps, Job Corps combined.

Tough odds, but every time a student, parent or teacher sees this film and thinks about their future, the recruiters won’t be able to win. Sure, part of it is the power of film, but more importantly it’s the power of truth.

This isn’t the only grant that Agape has made to organizations that are telling the truth about the military machine. Starting with the build-up to the war to today, Agape, a small foundation devoted to peace and justice, has awarded 20 grants to 16 organizations committed to stopping this war with: counter-military recruitment efforts throughout the state, distribution of films and newspapers, and grassroots organizing in communities of color. This small foundation awarded five grants from the Alice Hamburg Emergency Grant Fund to organizations opposing the invasion. This small foundation fiscally sponsored five organizations actively organizing against the war.

The Agape Foundation was established in 1969 by conscientious objectors from World War II, pacifists and draft resisters from the Vietnam War to raise funds to end the war because other foundations wouldn’t. Ironically, we find the anti-war movement in the same boat today.

I guess it’s up to you and me. If you oppose this war, give to Agape and we will put your money into the hands of the groups that will end it.

Tags: Add new tag, anti-war movement, Arlington West, counter military recruitment, David R. Stern Fund, Los Angeles, Radical Reference, Sally and Peter Dudar, war

This entry was posted on Friday, June 13th, 2008 at 5:50 pm and is filed under Anti-War. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.