[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 145 (1999), Part 15]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 21753]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



  IN RECOGNITION OF THE STUDENTS OF YOUTH TOGETHER AS THEY CELEBRATE 
             THEIR ``WEEK OF UNITY: ONE LAND, ONE PEOPLE''

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. BARBARA LEE

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                     Wednesday, September 15, 1999

  Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay special tribute to the 
students of the Ninth Congressional District as they return to their 
classrooms for the 1999-2000 school year. In particular, I wish to 
highlight a group of students who are working diligently to ensure 
peace and harmony in our schools.
  Throughout the week of September 7 through 13, 1999, students from 
Berkeley, Castlemont, Fremont, Richmond, and Skyline High Schools, 
celebrated a ``Week of Unity: One Land, One People.'' These students 
are members of the Youth Together Project, a multiracial violence 
prevention and social justice project which operates in each of the 
five high schools. The event is an attempt by Youth Together students 
and their allies--students, teachers, parents, and community leaders--
to unite students of all races together to promote unity and peace on 
their school campuses. It is a concept of unity, reconnecting us to our 
ancestors and homelands, reminding us that we are all native/tribal 
people struggling in an urban environment. It is based upon the 
creation belief held by our Native American foremothers and fathers 
that we are all descendants of one land and one people.
  The theme for this year's event was eloquently taken from a quote by 
Dr. Martin Luther King, ``True peace is not merely the absence of 
tension: it is the presence of justice.'' Some of the many activities 
and initiatives held during the ``Week of Unity'' included: The 
Castlemont Unity Mural, honoring 17 Americans who have come to 
represent the struggle for recognition and inclusion in the ideal of a 
united community. The ``Commitment To Peace Banner'' which involved 
students and adults asking all students to sign a banner committing 
themselves to peaceful conflict resolution. In addition, a mentoring 
program has been proposed that would connect seniors and juniors with 
incoming ninth graders to help promote a safe and comfortable 
transition for new students.
  The students hope to establish the ``Week of Unity: One Land, One 
People'' as an annual event at each of their campuses. The main 
objectives of the event are to prevent outbreaks of violence and to set 
a positive tone that will determine the environment for the rest of the 
school year. By taking leadership and ownership of their schools, 
students are demonstrating through action the vision of a united 
community based upon principles of respect, justice and peace. These 
and many other initiatives stand as incontrovertible evidence that the 
young people of Oakland, Berkeley, and Richmond have a clear 
understanding of the multicultural issues that exist in their 
communities and are not afraid to stand up and take the lead in 
combating problems where they exist.
  In closing, Mr. Speaker, I would just like to say how proud I am that 
the students of Youth Together understand that Native Americans, 
African Americans, Latinos, Asian Pacific Islanders and whites must 
come together to work for peace and justice in our schools and 
communities. In addition, I believe that the work being done by 
students in my district proves to the world that our young people are 
for real in seeking peace and justice and are living and working each 
and every day the dream of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

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