SWOPblogger

To: Friends and Supporters,

I am angered to inform you that the event the SWOP youth and the South Valley Male Involvement Project have been planning for the last three months has been cancelled. The youth have faced numerous difficulties from the city in trying to put on Rock Out with Your Cause. We received word via our lawyer that the city is not going to grant us the permit to go forth with the event, meant to entertain and educate young people on how to lead healthy and informed lives. Proving once again that the city does not support youth.

Attached is the press advisory further explaining the situation and the next steps. SWOP would like to ask for your support in the days to come. On Thursday August 24, 2006 at Civic Plaza at 3:30pm we will be holding a press conference to explain the situation and to announce the rally we will hold on Saturday August 26, 2006 at Civic Plaza at 12:00pm.

There is a much BIGGER situation at hand than the youth not getting the permit, youth are not supported by the mayor and the city and our community needs to know.

[karlos says: It's important to note that the Mayor singles out a certain part of the youth community to abuse his power - young people of color who are working to change their communities and who disagree w/ the Mayor's "anti-youth" agenda.]

You can help by:

Attending the press conference in support.
Attending the rally to support youth of this city.
Sending me a statement in support of our event and the youth.
Outreach by getting the word out about the rally!!
A press release and a flyer for the rally will be sent to you tomorrow.

Again THANK YOU for your support and we hope to see you at the rally!!!!

Mónica Córdova, Youth Coordinator

For Immediate Release:
Press Advisory – August 22, 2006
Contact: Monica Cordova 247-8832
Mayor Chavez Crushes Hope For Positive Youth Event; City denies permit for “Rock Out With Your Cause Out”

Youth demand a space to empower themselves and access to public facilities.

While Mayor Chavez claims to support youth, he and the city of Albuquerque have once again proved his claim hypocritical. The city has very few spaces for youth to express themselves in a positive way. The SouthWest Organizing Project and South Valley Male Involvement Project have spent the last three months organizing “Rock Out With Your Cause Out”, an event intending to entertain and educate youth on how to live healthier and more informed lives by using community resources.

In process of obtaining a permit, the youth working to organize “Rock Out with Your Cause Out” met several obstacles from the city of Albuquerque. City officials led the organizers to believe that Civic Plaza was reserved for August 26th, 2006 and the permit would be granted. SWOP and South Valley Male Involvement Project left several messages with various departments as to the status of the permit, and have received no answer. SWOP was informed through their lawyer, who contacted the city, that the permit had been
denied. The city has yet to give any statement or reason for the permit denial.

What Are People Saying?

· “We want to organize youth to make a stronger Albuquerque, we only ask for support of our culture and respect of our art” explains, Youth Organizer Rodrigo Rodriguez.

· Craig Drury, a student in the paramedics program at CNM, points out that “City facilities aren’t open and accessible to youth, they followed all the rules and went through all the proper procedures yet were denied permission at the last minute.”

· “We have safe and positive environments for our dogs [dog parks], what about providing the same spaces for our youth?” says Monica Cordova, the Youth Coordinator at the SouthWest Organizing Project.

· Sandia High School student, Alex Smith states, “The Mayor turns his back on groups that educate and empower youth, all we want is to engage youth in their communities.”

What: Media event by SWOP. SWOP youth invite the media to inform the public of the recent interaction between Mayor Chavez’ office and the youth organizers of “Rock Out with Your Cause Out," and to expose yet another incident proving our mayors anti youth agenda.

When: Thursday August 24th, 2006 at 3:30pm

Where: Civic Plaza at 4th Street and Marquette.

# posted by karlos @ 7:22 PM